One Nation

So, Drew and I had a concert for the last two nights, and it was really neat.  What you see above is a copy of the poster advertising the show.  It was cool because we were able to perform with an amazing cast of singers, including J. Michael Bailey, who played Jean Valjean at the Shakespeare Festival, and then Rodrick Covington, who was recently in the Broadway musical The Lion King.  We got to accompany these guys and others as they sang, and we had multimedia presentations displayed on big screens on either side of the stage.  It was neat to be able to be a part of this world premiere!

To answer your inevitable question, yes, it was a world premiere.  The Lyceum Philharmonic commissioned this piece of music specifically for our orchestra, and this is the music that we will be playing on tour.  Yeah, Drew and I get to go on tour in the spring.  It will be so much fun!!!!!  

It is also nice, because in this orchestra, Drew and I each have friends.  Drew has a really close friend who plays the trombone, and I am good friends with 3 other first violinists.  (I love being a 1st violin.  I'm right on the edge of the stage, and you can actually see me! :).  

As you have probably guessed, One Nation was about the civil war.  The cast portrayed fictional people and how their stories related to the war.  The stories were based on true ones, of course!

While we are on tour, Drew and I get to perform this work in Las Vegas at the Smith Center, the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona, and our last stop will be the Tuacahn Ampitheatre in St. George.  How many youth school orchestras get to perform at the Tuacahn??!!  

I am so blessed to be able to be in this orchestra, and to have the neat opportunities that I do!  I also realize that I have to thank my parents for this.  11 years of driving me to music lessons and paying for music lessons.  Thanks mom and dad!  I love you!

Anne :)

Sunday Dessert

If you know me AT ALL, you know that I have an almost insatiable sweet tooth.  As a result, a very favorable result, we have Sunday Dessert.  And what is better for a dessert than... CHOCOLATE!!!

Oh, how I love that word.  Just the mere mention of it sends me into visions of ecstasy and delight...

Anyway, back to Dessert.  Which is also a good word.  :)  

Sorry, sorry, I'll pay attention now.  Dessert.  Chocolate.  Got it.  Add to these words a very, very, VERY yummy word.  Cookies.  Can you guess where I'm going now?  

That's right, CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Nothing can make CHOCOLATE COOKIES better.  Unless... did you say... COCONUT?  And CREAM CHEESE?  Oh, now I'm in a tropical Switzerland paradise.  (Can that even happen?)  

So without further ado, here is the recipe to what I like to call...

Mounds Cookies
6 T butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 egg
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
3 t vanilla
1-1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking soda

1.  Beat butter with sugar
2.  Add egg, chocolate, and vanilla.  Stir
3.  Add flour and soda.  Stir
4.  Put in fridge while you make the filling

Coconut Cream Cheese filling

Allow me to dream a minute, will ya?

Coconut...

Cream Cheese...

Heaven in a bite...

Ok, I'm good.  Time for the recipe now.

FILLING:
1/3 c cream cheese
1 t vanilla
1 c coconut

1.  Mix

(Variation:  Mix and eat without the dough.  You can always make more filling.  :)

Roll chocolate dough into a rectangle.
Roll filling into a log
Set filling log on top of rectangle dough and roll dough up.
Slice.
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

If they survive for this long, you can let them cool for 10 minutes.  But I doubt that they'll be there for more than a day.  Trust me.

Rolls Recipe

So, judging from the title, you could interpret this post a couple of different ways.  You could look at it as this:

ROLLS

1 grassy hill

lots of kids

1.  Roll down the hill!

OR you could interpret it as this:

ROLLS

1 hard worker

a couple of years

maybe a little extra cash (optional)

1.  Work hard every business day for several years

2.  Buy your Rolls-Royce! (after all, this IS a pretty nice looking car...)

OR...

OR...

OR...

I can't think of any more 'OR's.  Can you tell?

Wait, here's one more.  

OR you can take the title for what it really is.  My Roll recipe. 

Your welcome.

ROLLS

2 c milk

1/2 c butter (NOT margarine)

1 t salt

2 T sugar

2 eggs

2 T yeast

5 c flour

(BTW, it really really helps if you have a BOSCH)

1.  Scald milk, add butter, salt and sugar, let cool.

2.  Dump in mixer, (or bowl), and add the yeast and the eggs

3.  Add flour and knead until dough is stretchy and doesn't stick to your finger

4.  ROLL out and form.

5.  Let rise until doubled in size.

6.  Bake at 350 until light brown.

7.  Remove from oven and brush with melted butter

These are the rolls that I always take to anything.  These are what you could call my "company rolls."  

(Betsy-Tacy fans anyone?)

So, I apologize for being misleading in the beginning of this post... wait a minute, no I don't!  I take that back.  I don't apologize.  I enjoyed every minute of it!  

Queen Elizabeth... in America...

So, I was unaware that Queen Elizabeth lived in America.  Until little Zizzy came into our household... because as of the moment that she got home... (wait for it)... she ruled.

Everybody just responds to her every little whim. Queen Elizabeth may just rule the United Kingdom, but Elizabeth rules our household.  

A cry?  Everyone swarms her and tries to make her happy again.  A sneeze?  Everybody bursts into "Bless your beautiful hide!!!"  (From the musical 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'.  We teach 'em the classics young.) A gurgle?  Everybody crowds around whoever is holding her and starts talking in their best baby talk, competing to be the first to make her smile.  Anyway, you get the picture.  

And, truthfully?  I wouldn't have it any other way.

We decided to dress her up and get some pictures on Tuesday of this week.  As you can see from this picture, Zizzy was HIGHLY suspicious 

;)

She really is a little piece of heaven!

Enjoying her first bath.  Or not so much...

I LOVE how the bow is just about as big as her head... doesn't it just add a 'Dr. Seuss' feel?  :)

The instant and I mean instant that I took this picture, everybody was doubled over with hysterical laughter.  Between this picture and the one at the top, you can see glimpses of the true Elizabeth.  I can't WAIT to get to know her better!

I love how she goes cross-eyed so often.

Awww, sleepy baby!

Beautiful baby

Angry baby (not quite sure why...)  Although, doesn't it look like she wants to chew somebody out?  Ha, she really has the BEST personality.  :)

Transfixed by the weird little red box that keeps flashing in her face...

Confused baby

Content baby

List of adjectives that describe Elizabeth:

Beautiful

Happy

Content

Confused

Sleepy

Tired

And sometimes... 

Angry 

:)

Announcing Zizzy!

Pardon the talking... but wouldn't you agree that she really is a sweetheart?  She is SUCH a darling.  And, quite literally, the most spoiled baby on planet Earth.  Don't believe me?  How is this for proof: She only gets set down for naps, and even then, only sometimes.  I fear for her teenage life.  Good thing I'll be raising my own family at that point!  :)

She is so pudgy and cute!!!

How can you not LOVE that???  

These pictures were taken on my new bed...

My bedspread is cute, but the baby is cuter!!! :)

Guess what her nickname is?  Despite failed attempts to call her Lizzie, Maelie has succeeded in nicknaming her Zizzy.  Poor girl.

Such a cute little one!

I don't think that she quite likes her model status.

Isn't she just the most adorable thing that you have ever seen in your life?

I saved the cutest picture for last.  :)

So Shree, did you enjoy the pictures?  I posted them right after we got the dresses, which are adorable by the way.  Thanks for them!

Dear whoever reads this blog

Thanks for checking out the pictures of my new baby sister Elizabeth(Zizzy)!!!  However, in order for you to fully appreciate her cuteness, you have to come see her in person.  Also, her schedule is quite busy with all of you wanting to come see her, so please call in advance and we will see if we can fit you in.  

Thank you

Have a nice day

:)

 If you can't tell from the words beneath the statue, this is Brigham Young.  In the Capitol, each state is allowed to pick two people and have their statues in the Capitol.  Trivia time!!!  We have 2 statues.  One is Brigham Young, who is the other?

 The Rotunda.  I have a cool story about this as well.  ;)

 a room in the Capitol and a nice view of my hair.  ummm......

 The Supreme Court building.  Cool but scary.  Looking at this, I have sworn to never walk up those steps as the one on trial.  I don't think I'll ever get to that point, though.  ;)

 The Capitol.

 The Library of Congress.  Interesting fact about this:  The Library has a collection of 22,000 teddy bears.

 Sitting at the Library of Congress with a good view of the Capitol Building.

 The Washington monument.  In August of last year, an earthquake happened in DC, cracking the Washington Monument.  How do you fix that?

 The Thomas Jefferson Memorial

 Thomas Jefferson is my favorite President, and NOT just because he played the violin.  ;)

 The Washington Monument

 We were in DC for the National Cherry Blossom festival, which is ironic because the Cherry Blossoms happened a couple of months ago.  DC was so  crowded!!!!

 Unicyclists for the parade.

 Us at the Lincoln Memorial.

 a missile at the National Air and Space Smithsonian Museum.  My favorite :)

 Air and Space Museum

 model of the Wright brother's plane.

Canopy Walk at the National Botanic Gardens in DC.

 Family picture in front of Mount Vernon.  George Washington said that he didn't believe that there was any home more beautifully situated than his Mount Vernon.  There is one place for me, and that is my home.  I guess everyone feels that way about their own home.  :)

 The back of Mount Vernon.

 Isn't it pretty?  Forget me and Drew, we don't add anything.  Just look at the scenery!!!!  Gorgeous!!

 The gristmill a couple miles from  Mount Vernon.  Washington made flour and cornmeal here.

 The guide explaining stuff to Hyrum, Emma, and Elsa.

 The distillery, where they made the alcohol.  Don't sorry, we didn't get samples.  ;)

 The distillery

 The gristmill.  Mom  LOVES taking pictures.  I am  not enthused at being in pictures.  There is a problem there.

 The gristmill

 Hey, after taking 3 tours and walking from the White House to past the Capitol can really take a toll on someone.  Especially in 90 degree weather, 50% humidity.

 The basement of the Capitol.  Hence the stickers all over us.

 A copy of the Magna Charta on glass, a gift from England to us on our bicentennial.

Did you know that they built a grave for Washington underneath the Capitol Building?  Washington didn't want to be buried there cause he didn't want to be deified.  Just another testimony to what a great man Washington was.