Girl's Camp

This past week Shantell and her best friend enjoyed a week in the cool pines as they participated in girls camp. They had a fantastic time and enjoyed the camaraderie with the other girls in our ward and stake. One of their favorite activities was sending and receiving mail. Everyone in camp, including the leaders, used the mail system to compliment and give encouragement to each other. It was a great idea!

A special thanks to all of the leaders who planned, prepared and worked so hard to make their time at camp so memorable.

Apparently these girls were amazed at the size of the leaves.

They also got a kick out of the bathroom facilities.

A painted out-house...

Why?

Who would want to stick

around and enjoy the artwork?

Family Reunion

"No matter what you've done

for yourself or for humanity,

if you can't look back on having given love

and attention to your own family,

what have you really accomplished?"

Elbert Hubbard

This past weekend we celebrated my parents

50th Wedding Anniversary

by getting the family together for a reunion.

It has been five long years since we were all together

All of my siblings were able to come

with the exception of one brother.

Can you believe it all started with just 2?

I was put in charge of the reunion this year.

Each one of my children were lifesavers and

they all pitched in and helped.

I had a great time with my family, especially with my sister Natasha and her husband and children. (I haven't seen them since the last reunion.) Prior to the reunion, my mother chronologically took photographs of her and dad's life and videoed them as she spoke about each one in detail. It was incredible, a veritable treasure for our family. I can't wait until she copies it for each of her children.

The happiest moments that I have experienced in my life have all been associated with family. How grateful I am to have the knowledge that families can be forever.

"You don't choose your family.

They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

Desmond Tutu

Mar-Kell, You are Great!

Mar-Kell is so fun to be around.

He is the comic relief of our family

and we have really missed him these past two years.

We are glad to have him home.

Happy 21st Birthday Son!

It seems like it was only yesterday when

he looked like this.

This facial expression is so typical of Mar-Kell,

always smiling.

No matter how upset I get at the things he comes up with, I can never stay mad at Mar-Kell. Let me tell you about an elevator incident I had with him that has scarred me for life. On our way to drop him off at the MTC in Provo to serve his mission, we stayed overnight in a Motel in St. George. Early the next morning as we were entering the elevator to return to our room after breakfast, Mar-Kell had the "great idea" that we should all jump. I instantly put a stop to that idea, so I thought... Mar-Kell quietly bounced up and down in the elevator behind me. My heart nearly stopped as the elevator came to an abrupt halt. I immediately gave Mar-Kell the look that only a mother can give. He smiled and made light of the situation. Having the entire family in the elevator I tried to put on a brave front, but my children saw right through it. Mar-Kay pushed the panic button. It seemed an eternity before they answered it. When they finally arrived they couldn't get the door open. The only way we were getting out of the elevator was to climb out. It would be several hours before they would be able to get the door open. My heart sank as I shot another one of those looks at Mar-Kell. He just smiled and spoke of what an amazing adventure this was. As they lowered the ladder, I had made up my mind that I would wait for the door to open. There was no way they were going to get me to climb out of an elevator. After all of the children had safely ascended the ladder, my son Tyrone came back down, put his hands on my shoulders, looked me in the eyes and said, "Mom, have faith, with the Lord nothing is impossible." Don't you hate it when you kids use your teachings against you? Now I had no choice, if I didn't climb out my children would think I had no faith. It was quite an adventure just as Mar-Kell has said. As I climbed out, Mar-Kell was there to greet me with that smile. My revenge came later as we were packing the car. A bird flew over him and pooped on his shoulder. Served him right for frightening away at least a year of my life. To this day, I am extremely hesitant to get into an elevator!

As a young boy he always wanted to be a cowboy until...

He was introduced to Star Wars.

After that his life revolved around Star Wars.

No worries, though, the force is

strong with Mar-Kell.

He has made right choices in his life.



He is a wonderful example to all that know him.
We are fortunate to have him as part of our family.

However, I WILL NEVER ride in an elevator with him again!

Too Cute!

"Hey Mom, get me out of here!"

Dallin is constantly on the go.

We were lucky to snap this photo

of him with his Aunt Brigitta

as they played in a large tub.

Father's Day

Mar-Kay is all decked out in anticipation

of being a father.

Just look at the grin on his face,

he is so excited!

There is an amusing story behind Mar-Kay becoming a dad. As I lay on the delivery table giving birth, the doctor immediately tells me to stop pushing and then he yells, "Nurse, we are losing him!" I thought he meant that we were losing our baby and I began to cry. Just at that moment, I glanced over to see the nurse catching Mar-Kay and sitting him down on a chair. She broke out the smelling salts and brought him back to his senses. Boy was I upset! Here I was in excruciating pain, and he was the one feeling a bit faint. Over the years I have come to know that Mar-Kay sympathises with whatever I am going through.

Father and Daughter.

Mar-Kay is the perfect father. He presides over our family in love and righteousness. He has taught us through his words and actions, the meaning of charity, honesty, hard work and making sacrifices. He is patience and long suffering, always putting the needs of others before his own. I feel so blessed to have him as the father of my children.

Happy Father's Day Mar-Kay

We love you!

Boy Scout Camp

Kendrick had a great time at Boy Scout Camp.

It was a huge success. He worked hard and

earned 6 Merit badges and 2 partials.

Camp improvements such as this sign

gave the troop extra points

for their daily camp inspections.

Handicraft was one of his favorite places.

He earned several merit badges here.

Planning the skit for the closing camp fire.

Do they look hungry?

The scouts sing camp songs while

waiting for their turn to eat.

Dinner at last!




Years ago, Mar-Kay's father was the Camp Director at
Camp Lawton. His wife died while he served
in this position. He and his staff built this little memorial
in her honor. Mar-Kay and his sons look after it every year.




There was a fire that ravaged the mountain 6 years ago.
The center of this tree was burned out.




It spirals upwards and Mar-Kay couldn't
resist this pose.

Pineapple Salsa

Fry's grocery store had a fabulous deal last this week.

Fresh pineapples were only $1,

however if you combined the sale with

coupons found on the Internet,

they were FREE!

I was able to pick up 4 FREE pineapples.

Did I mention that they were FREE?

I guess I am on a salsa kick this week,

because with one of them I made fresh Pineapple Salsa.

This recipe is worth trying!

Just look how invitingly colorful it is,

and the taste, WOW!

I found this wonderful gadget for cutting pineapple
at a regular grocery store. I only paid $5.00
for it and it has been well worth it.
After you cut the top off,
position the slicer over the pineapple.



Push and twist.

It's that simple.

When you reach the bottom,

turn it over and the pineapple

just slides right out.

It make beautifully uniform slices.

For this salsa recipe you will need to grill

the pineapple slices until nicely

marked. This only takes a few

minutes. Be careful not to char them.

1 large pineapple, sliced, grilled, and then chopped
1 Large red bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 Serrano chilies, minced

1 Clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 Teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the bell pepper, onion, chile's, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix well. Salt and pepper to your taste. Set aside for at least 3o-60 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve with fish, ham, or turkey.

We love it on Nachos and Chicken Enchiladas.

Garden Fresh Salsa

8-10 Tomatoes, diced

1-1/2 Cups red onion, diced

5 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

3-4 Serrano chilies, finely chopped

3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 Teaspoon salt

Put the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chilies, and cilantro in a bowl and mix well. Add the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sugar and salt. Let the mixture sit for at least an hour to meld the flavors.

This salsa is great served with chips, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and burritos.

Brigitta enjoys hers mixed with sour cream.

4 Out Of 5

Today I was almost able to fulfill our daily requirement of 5 a day from our very own garden. ( Oops! I neglected to take a picture of our strawberries) What a wonderful feeling it is to be able to go out in the garden and pick from a variety of fruits and vegetables that we have grown ourselves. I was especially excited about the harvest of our first tomatoes because that means homemade salsa. I will post the recipe tomorrow.

WHY I LOVE GARDENING

• provides safe, healthy food for my family
• exercize
• beauty
• creative cooking
• peace and tranquility
• lasting memories
• bonding with my family
  

Kendrick's First Scout Camp

This young man is always prepared. He has been so excited for his first Boy Scout Camp this summer that he packed a week in advance. Here are a few shots of his "before camp" look.

He actually put his back pack on

a few hours before they left.

He said he needed to get use to it.

Ready to go!

His father will be camping with him

for a few days and then his brother

Mar-Kell will join the troop to help out.

Scouting at the Petty home is a

family tradition.

Summer Recital

Twice a year I hold piano recitals for my students. They are booked at least four months in advance at a local Retirement Community. I even schedule a grand piano to be delivered just prior to the concerts. On Thursday, just two days before the recital, I received a call from the retirement community canceling my recital. Due to a remodeling project they were doing they would not be able to honor their agreement. "Maybe you could reschedule.," they suggested. "Absolutely not," I replied, "How do you reschedule 40 students?"


So here I was with two recitals scheduled back to back and nowhere to perform. I made a few calls with no success. Finally I came to the conclusion that I would just have to have it in my home. Early this morning (I am talking 3:00 AM) I got up and began to move furniture. I ended up moving all of my dining and living room furniture out. When I finished, I was able to seat 60 people for the recitals. It was a very cozy environment and the recitals were a great success. I am honored to be able to teach some very talented children, teens, and adults. It is a privilege to be able to help them discover the beauty and power of music.

Here is the set- up. It was a little crowded

when everyone met in the kitchen area for refreshments,

but no one complained.

Look at those fingers go!

Fabulous 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Why would anyone want to make

bread from scratch?

It can be very difficult not to mention time consuming.

It heats the house to an uncomfortable degree during

the hot summer months.

On the other hand:

There is nothing more aromatic than

the smell of fresh homemade bread

permeating your home.

It is so irresistible if often disappears without a trace.



What could be more satisfying to the the palate

than biting into a warm slice of bread

straight out of the oven?

Besides I can bribe my family into doing almost anything

for the price of a loaf of bread.

This recipe is one of my favorites. You will be surprised at how light and soft this bread it.

2 1/2 Cups warm water (around 120 degrees)
2 Tablespoons yeast
1 Teaspoon sugar
1/2 Cup honey
2 Eggs
5 Tablespoons dry milk
2 Teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 Cup wheat gluten
1/2 Cup potato flakes
3 1/4 Cups red wheat flour
3 1/4 Cups white wheat flour

I make all of my breads by hand, however you can use your kitchen appliances, and the product will be the same, except maybe for the tender loving care that you put into kneading your own dough. :)

Sprinkle the yeast over the water, then gently stir to dissolve. Set the yeast mixture in a warm place; the mixture should appear slightly bubbly within 5 to 10 minutes. If not, either your water was too hot, or your yeast is not good. Throw out and start again, your yeast must be active in order for your bread to rise.

In a large bowl, stir with a wooden spoon all of the ingredients into the yeast in the order listed, except the flours. Mix well. Stir in the flours 1 cup at a time mixing well after each addition. When the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface to begin the kneading process. This is the most crucial part of your bread baking. Kneading helps the flour's protein to develop into gluten which helps the dough to rise. Knead in the remaining flour and then continue kneading for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until the dough is smooth and satiny.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Place in a warm draft-free place and allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 2 hours. The rising time depends on the amount of yeast used and the temperature of the room. Don't let the dough over rise because it will weaken the gluten structure and cause the dough to collapse. You can tell the dough is ready when it springs back slowly when gently pressed with a fingertip.

Punch down and let rest for 5 minutes.

Shape the dough into 2 loaves or 1 loaf and a pan of rolls. Cover and let rise again. It should take approximately 45 minutes for this rising.

Preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. The bread will be a deep golden color and sound hollow when tapped.

You should really wait until the bread cools completely before serving.

But who really waits?