Halloweens Past

I was looking at Stacy's blog and seeing the Mario costume reminded me of the time Dylan and Jordan dressed as Mario and Luigi. This sent me on a quest for pictures of Halloweens past. I could have spent all night looking at pictures, but here are just a few. I noticed that the kids really like being football players! Kyle is obviously Mister Drama. Can you believe that is Larry in the Gene Simmons costume? I told you he used to be rail thin! Anyway, this was a fun trip down memory lane!

White Men CAN Jump

It is true that Larry and I are soccer fanatics, but we absolutely love to watch volleyball as well. We had the opportunity to watch Kyle play in a 3 v 3 tournament at the U on Saturday and it was so much fun. It was nice to spend time with Kyle and I miss all of the volleyball tournaments we used to go to when Kyle was in Junior Olympics. I will say, that he really has gotten stronger and his kills are amazing. The boy is so talented, if I do say so myself. I can't wait to watch more! Kyle knows I am his biggest fan.

Trick or Treat Street

Once again, our soccer team dressed up and volunteered at Trick or Treat Street. Everyone had a great time, including Larry and I, when we weren't having to play "the enforcers!" You know how it is when you mix teenage boys with teenage girls! Add unlimited candy, a secluded atmosphere, and costumes to the mix and you are bound to have your hands full as chaperons. It really wasn't as bad as all that! I can't believe how much Dylan absolutely loves this and he gets into character like you wouldn't believe. He was yelling "rock on" at the trick or treaters as he gave out candy. The boy is a hard worker too. He really took his job seriously. Jordan was terrific as the Joker and there were lots of Batman's around yelling at him "I'm going to get you, Joker!" He was really good with the little kids and commented on their costumes as he gave out candy. He really likes hanging with his soccer coach too, talking about futsol and sports in general. Larry was "hot" as a biker dude. Some would say this was not a far stretch for him since I have been told before that they called him "scary Larry" when they first saw him. Once you get to know him, you realize he is a big teddy bear with a heart of gold. I was a hippy, which really isn't much of a stretch for me either. Sadly, I found I had most of my costume already in my wardrobe. AND it was items I wear all the time (not together though). I guess I am the perfect candidate for "What not to Wear." Anyway, fun and craziness was had by all, and WAY too much candy!

Hubby Tag

I was tagged by Debbie...

1.What is your husband's name? Larry Patrick Garahana ("Big Man" to Jordan and "Larry Bear" to me among other things)
2. How long have you been married? 18 3/4 years
3. How long did you date before getting married? 2 years
4. How old is he? He is 46.
5. Who is taller? Larry- although if I wear heels, he is the perfect kissing height.
6. Who can sing better? I love to sing (used to be in a band) but, I love Larry's voice. I think he sings WAY better.
7. Who is smarter? I am more logical in some situations but, Larry has me beat in so many areas. He is the voice of reason lots of times. Discuss grammar, literature and the like and I am the winner. If it is science, engineering and the like he is the winner for sure. Between us we are well rounded.
8. Who does the laundry? Me the majority of the time, but if there aren't outdoor duties for Larry to do, he pitches in just as much.
9. Who pays the bills? I do
10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you face the bed, Larry sleeps on the right side.
11. Who mows the lawn? Larry, the yard is his baby!
12. Who cooks dinner? I do 99% of the time. Larry will pitch in if I am not feeling well. He just doesn't have as many dishes in his repertoire!
13. Who is the first to admit they're wrong? This is a tough one because we are both very good at admitting when we have messed up. No problems there.
14. Who kissed who first? I made the first move, but Larry sure did kiss me right back!
15. Who wears the pants? It depends on the situation. I am the homework police, but Larry backs me up. The rest of the time we are really a united front and no one really wears the pants alone. It's more fun when you share.
Whew, done with that! Now I tag Angie, Stacy, and Erica......

Handy Breakfast Recipe

I don't know what the official name of these breakfast egg cups is, but they are handy and so good. My kids were so excited to wake up to the smell of them yesterday morning. I make a ton of them because they are handy for a quick breakfast on school days. Store the leftovers in a gallon ziplock in the refrigerator. You just microwave them for 20 seconds and they are ready to eat. Here is the recipe:

Breakfast Egg Muffins/Quiches

12 eggs

package of Stovetop Stuffing

1 package of bacon, sausage, or ham cubes

1 cup of grated cheese (I use cheddar)

Preheat your oven to 400. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. These will stick if you don't grease the tin really well. I always use cooking spray and then margarine and I never have any trouble. Prepare stuffing mix as package directs in the microwave. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add cooked crumbled bacon, sausage, or ham. Add the stuffing. Add the cheese. Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes. Pop the muffins out of the tins while they are still hot. Enjoy! They won't last!

Ana's Shower

I am very behind in blogging, so today is marathon blog day! Yesterday was Ana Schooley's baby shower. I am the family party planner; a job I take very seriously! I get stressed over these things because I am a perfectionist, but I do love to party plan. I love the cooking and the game planning, as well as the crafts I end up making because nothing out there seems to match my vision of how I want things to look. The menu was beef noodle soup, Mexican corn and chicken chowder, mini quiches, bread sticks, layered salad (delicious concoction that my sister-in-law Deeann provided), mini cheesecakes, and a "dream" cake. Julie made a really delicious punch. That recipe is a keeper! Ana's theme was Baby Looney Tunes and it was quite the challenge finding things. Thank goodness for the internet! I made a diaper cake as the center piece with a giant Lola for the topper. She provided great company for my drive over to Julie's house, since she rode in the front seat of my packed car. She was leaning on my shoulder at one point while I was driving! I need a catering truck! The matching game was a highlight because it was fun to see Savannah and Joann participating as well. We all laughed at the candy bar prizes that went with the match. For example if you matched the word contractions, you got "whoppers" as a prize.

These things are always a production (and I love the craziness) but, I couldn't pull it off without the behind the scenes help. My family are always guinea pigs for my recipes. Larry helped make favors, made the title for my game board, and packed my car. Everyone pitches in to make it a successful event. I married into a wonderful family and I feel so fortunate. I love hangingout with them all and that may be the thing I look forward to the most when I plan these events. It is just an excuse to get together, laugh, eat (a lot), and catch up. I am sad when it is all over, not just because I have to leave everyone, but because I always leave my kitchen in a state of disaster and have to come home and deal with that. I had the most wonderful surprise when I came home. Larry had cleaned up my whole terrible mess ( frosting globs and all) AND he had put away all of the laundry. Like the punch recipe, that man is a keeper! So is the whole Garahana family! Love you all tons!!!

New Real Stadium

I'm sure bloggers and die hard soccer fans all over Utah, who had the opportunity to go to the first game in the new stadium, have weighed in on the first game at the Rio Tinto stadium. So, I now join their ranks! The stadium was beautiful, sparkly, new, and there is not a bad seat in the house! The concessions, however need work. Jordan was all excited to have hot wings. In fact he read all of the choices in the paper ahead of time and that was what he planned on. Unfortunately, the employees at that concession did not show up for work and the staff at the stadium had to take over at the last minute. Needless to say, no wings. So, on to choice number two and Dylan's first choice, pizza! Guess what? It was a 35 minute wait for pizza. So, Dylan and Jordan were "forced" to eat nachos at Chili Verde. Of course, they did still have pizza later. They did run out of peperoni! It was nippy weather, so hot chocolate sounded good to me. That was apparently a "hot" commodity as well. They had one hot chocolate machine at the concession and everyone was ordering the same thing. Twenty minutes later, I finally had my hot chocolate! Planning, people! Planning! OK, so I am starting to sound food obsessed which is far from true when it comes to stadium food. Usually we eat before we go, but we were trying to get into the spirit of the new stadium (and help with funding). Enough about the food. The game was mediocre. As least we didn't lose. A tie did seem rather anticlimactic though. The pictures of players on the jumbo tron of the old stadium and Jason Kreis playing would have brought any Real fanatic to tears. The highlight of the evening besides snuggling up to Larry "to keep warm" was the crazy shuttle ride back to the car. The driver was "no holds barred" and drove like a New York City taxi driver. He was hilarious too, talking to the other drivers and proclaiming that they better get out of his way because "I am bigger than you!" It was a fun evening and Dylan and Jordan really loved it. It was soccer, so of course Larry and I loved it too! It's been a long and controversial time coming, but it sure is nice to have a new soccer stadium. I do, however, miss the yardage marks from Rice Eccles. "And he could go all the way, from the 40, the 30, the 20.....GOAL!!!!!!!"