Hummingbirds Take Two

This is absolutely amazing because the nest is only 1-1/2 inches in diameter. If you look closely to the right side of the nest you can see a yellow beak sticking up. There are two baby birds.

Isn't nature fascinating!

I don't know if Kendrick is getting blog crazy or what, but he wants to continue to photograph the birds as they grow. I am sure he will keep you informed of their progress.

Cool Fiesta Wheat Salad

This salad is made from whole wheat and your choice of beans. Today I chose to use pinto beans because that is what I had on hand in the refrigerator. You can choose from pinto, kidney or black. I actually prefer using black beans because it adds more color contrast which makes a more attractive salad. I find it best to let the salad sit over night in the refrigerator before serving to let the flavors blend.

1 Red bell pepper finely diced

1 Green bell pepper finely diced

1 Red onion (small) finely diced

2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 4oz can green chilies

3 Cups wheat berries cooked

1 16oz. can whole kernel corn

2 Cups cooked beans (pinto, black or kidney)

2 Teaspoons chili powder

2 Teaspoons cumin

1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 Cup olive oil

1 Teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour before serving.

Serving ideas:

• Serve with fresh homemade tortillas.


• Serve over a bed of lettuce with a dollop of sour cream.


• Our favorite is to serve it over tortilla chips with a dollop of sour cream.


• This salad is great with diced tomatoes thrown in, however they tend to get soggy, so I serve them on the side.

In the Leafy Treetops

We took the dog out for a walk today and noticed a small nest in one of our trees. As we stopped to marvel at our discovery the mother bird flew to the rescue. It was a hummingbird protecting her two babies that have just recently hatched.

Kendrick ran inside to get the camera thinking that surely this is worthy of a blog. He snapped a few photos but the birds were camera shy and stayed close to the bottom of the nest.

Kendrick has decided that he will go out everyday until he can get a good picture of the baby birds. Who knows Kendrick, this maybe worthy of two blogs. Great job!

Anticipation!

We have officially started our countdown to

Elder Petty's homecoming.

He will be home in 34 days.

We are so excited!

Brigitta woke up this morning and said, "Mom, I can't wait any longer, he needs to come home NOW!" I just chuckled and gave her a hug. "He will be home before you know it," I replied. We then sat down at the computer and made a list of things to do to prepare for his return. "When everything has been completed, Mar-Kell will be home," I told her. She anxiously set to work on the list. No worries though, it is definitely long enough to last 34 days.




A mission is the most wonderful experience that a young man of 19 can have. I have enjoyed so much corresponding with my missionary these last two years. I am really going to miss the weekly letters and e-mails, they have been a source of strength to me as well as the family. We have grown even closer as Mother and Son, a special bond that will last forever. I have witnessed his growth in so many areas and am amazed at what the Lord has accomplished in his life. He has had a lot of challenges, but that is great. He needed to experience the refiners fire in order to learn and grow. As I have seen him struggle and sacrifice I have witnessed the blessings that have come into his life. Miracles have not ceased.

I can hardly wait to hold him in my arms and

welcome him back home.

See you soon Elder Petty!

Like Father, Like Son

Back in 1999 we purchased our Grand Piano. It was such a memorable occasion that Cameron and Tyrone wrote a duet in honor of the special event. They performed it at my Fall Piano Recital later that year. It was entitled, The Black Piano. While the name itself was not too creative, the piece they wrote was absolutely amazing. I had no idea they had such a remarkable talent.

Well that was 10 years ago. The time has flown by and now

Cameron and Tyrone have sons of their own.

Only time will tell what masterpieces

these two young boys have within them.

I expect great things as they follow in

the footsteps of their fathers!

It is moment's like these

that bring life's greatest joys!

Happy Birthday Shantell!

I had such a wonderful journey down memory lane last night as I looked through hundreds of family photos. I am so blessed to have each of my children in my life. All of them with the exception of the oldest and youngest have been fertility babies, so we feel greatly blessed to have the children we do. What an honor it is to be their mother.

When I was expecting Shantell, I was so excited to learn that we were having a girl. We had already had one daughter and then came three sons. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys, but I was ready for another girl. Shantell weighed in at a whopping 9lb. 9oz. and she was two weeks early. She had a difficult start because her blood sugar was zero.(I had gestational diabetes during her pregnancy.) This prompted an immediate transfer to the Intensive Care Unit where she remained for a week. She looked so odd next to all of the preemies.

We did not know at the time how inspired her name was. Shantell's name means "song". She has been blessed with a remarkable gift. She sat at the piano at the age of 2 and began to play. She has been playing ever since and will be featured at the end of this month with the Tucson Civic Orchestra playing a Concerto written by Robert Schumann.

Here are a few pictures of our Shantell.

Greeted by Brianna, Tyrone, Grandma,
Aunt Desiree and Cousin Darla.

Peacefully asleep.



All of our children were brunettes until Shantell came along.
We called her our 90's model.


Shantell and Kendrick at Disneyland.



Frontier Land

Shantell at 5 years old playing at the Tuson Mall at Christmas time.

A few interesting facts about Shantell.

• She literally slept for the 1st six weeks of her life.
• She gave herself a middle name, Rose. She would often introduce herself as Shantell Rose Petty.
• She could play songs by ear in different keys at the age of 3. By the time she was 4 she could read music at sight without instruction.
• She was reading books by the age of 4.
• Again at age 4 she memorized phone numbers and would hide in the closet and call her grandmother, LONG DISTANCE. We didn't know about it until we started receiving bills.
• She had a love for baby dolls and named each of them after flowers.
• At the innocent age of 4 (I never noticed how important the number 4 is to Shantell) she called all of her primary age friends up and invited them to a party. I did not find out about it until the mother's began calling to find out a few more of the details. When I asked Shantell where she got all of the phone numbers she said she just went through my notebook and found them. I was the Primary President at the time.
• Shantell was incredibly shy and would stare at her hands when any adult or stranger approached her. It wasn't until the age of (you guessed it) 4, that she would acknowledge other people.
• Shantell had a hair cutting fettish. By the time she was 6 she had dramatically cut her hair 4 times. I'm saving those pictures for blackmail purposes later. :)
• Shantell loves to text! Her record month for texting stands at 14,850. Thank goodness for unlimited texting. If you are reading this Shantell, this is not a challenge to try and beat your record!
• She is a peacemaker and a help to everyone.
• She does not talk back, however, if there is something she does not want to do she will just silently not do it.
• Shantell is a special young woman and an amazing addition to our family. I can't imagine where we would be without her.
  
  

The loving big sister.

Always cheerful and smiling.



Not quite ready to grow up.

It's unbelievable how much these

three are alike in personality.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANTELL

WE LOVE YOU!

Strawberries Galore!

I went out this morning and was amazed

at how many strawberries I found.

Now to decide what to make with them before

Brigitta eats them all.

I LOVE GARDENING!