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!!!!!!!"

Better late than never! This is a picture of the first day of school. Don't you just love the attire? Can you tell Dylan and Jordan are a couple of "rockers?"

My wonderful "Buckethead Boys" really enjoyed the Real game and the KFC buckets!