3D?

I've only seen two movies in 3D, Toy Story 3 and Tron 2. I'm not really impressed and I don't see what the big deal is. I only had the glasses on for about 10 minutes during Tron, it was actually better without. I wanted to see Tron because I thought it was a fun movie when I was a kid, but is was only ok this time. What did you think?

Yummy/Funeral Potatoes

What is commonly called Funeral Potatoes in the Mormon community I call Yummy Potatoes. I refuse to call something so yummy a yucky name! This is the recipe I got from my Mom (I don't know who she got it from):

24 oz. frozen hash brown potatoes

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 small fresh onion shredded

2 cups sour cream (1 container)

1 cube margarine melted

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 cups corn flakes crushed

2 TBS melted margarine to mix with cornflakes

Mix all ingredients except last two and place in cake pan. Spread the cornflakes over the top. Cook at 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.

However, they don't have sour cream here in England, so I saw online to use cream cheese instead. And I had to guess on the cube of margarine equivalent. It still tasted good, but it was runny, so I think it was the cream cheese. I really love Yummy Potatoes, it's one of my favorites, so my Mom always makes it on Christmas day. Maybe she will make it for me this weekend when I get home? ;)

Christmas presents

Dave got me a camera for Christmas. My other one broke. I think I need to wrap the new one in a zip lock bag (got that idea from the missionaries) so the rain doesn't get to it. Fortunately my memory card was still working. There were pictures on it that I forgot about. The only thing not on there was the Harry Potter premiere. That was the night I discovered my camera was broken. I was in London teaching and then had dinner with one of my former mission companions. She suggested to meet in Leicester Square and that happened to be the night of the movie opening. I got to see the Wesley family and other British celebrities arrive. It was fun! Definitely going for Part 2 premiere this summer!!!

Back in November I spoke at the BASRaT conference and this was my classroom.

On the way to BASRaT conference. Changing trains in Mancester. This was the crowd heading to the Mancester United soccer/football game.

The hotel room in Salford. You put your room key into this thing to turn on the lights.

I just thought this was cool. I was standing at one end of the Birmingham train station and you can see all the way to the other side.

Our little tree and decorations with presents. Except I already opened mine.

Thanks Dave!

I did go wedding dress shopping with the Young Women. They did take pictures of me in the one dress they all agreed I looked good in, but after I saw the pictures I realized why I didn't like the dress. It was ugly on me!!! So there is NO WAY I am putting those up! Thank heavens I am going dress shopping with my Mom when I go home on Wednesday.

I found...

... a new blog to read. It feels like my life, just a few months ahead. She is really cute and funny. Ok, I wish I was more funny because sometimes I am just too serious! Dave has a sense of humor. Back in November I missed church for two weeks because I was at a couple of dance medicine conferences. People were asking Dave where I was and he said I had a crisis of faith because of the length of Brigham Young's beard! Good thing we are getting married.

Scripture Reading

I started getting bored a few years ago after reading the Book of Mormon for the umpteenth time. Start to Finish, Start to Finish, blah, blah. So I have been reading with different things in mind. I heard about reading as if it was a novel, just for the story, and that was fun wanting to know what was next. But after that I started reading to look for a specific topic. First it was anything to do with the Godhead, highlighting in pink. Yep, I'm sure Heavenly Father won't mind having His name highlighted in pink. :) Then repentance (green), faith (yellow), prayer (blue), etc, any topic that I wanted to learn more about. But then I got new scriptures (travel size, the old ones were big print so I could read without my glasses), so I had to do all the topic stuff over again for the new scriptures.

Now I have a new calling as 1st Counselor in the Young Women. Normally the 1st C is over the Mia Maids (14-15 year olds), but ours are all inactive and we only have one Laurel (16-17 year olds) and her Mom is the YW Prez, so she asked if we could switch. The 2nd C is a new convert and doesn't really know the YW program, so the YW Prez figured she will help her out more. I love our only Laurel, she is a sweetie. We work on, or try to work on, Personal Progress every Sunday after the lesson. One Sunday she told me she wanted to focus on finishing the Virtue value. I got home and decided that Personal Progress has changed so much since I got my medallion that I needed to read it for myself. There are so many scriptures involved in each value experience now, that it has taken a while, I'm only up to Choice and Accountability. I really like the new Personal Progress, all the

experiences are applicable to the lives of the YW and will help them in the future. And everything is online now to make it easier for the girls when they loose their books, which happens frequently. Here is the new YW Theme too:

Young Woman Theme

WE ARE DAUGHTERS of our Heavenly Father,

who loves us, and we love Him.

WE WILL “STAND as witnesses of God

at all times and in all things, and in all

places” as we strive to live the

Young Women values, which are:

Faith • Divine Nature

Individual Worth • Knowledge

Choice and Accountability

Good Works • Integrity

and Virtue

WE BELIEVE as we come to accept and act

upon these values, WE WILL BE PREPARED

to strengthen home and family, make and

keep sacred covenants, receive

the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy

the blessings of exaltation.

Mosiah 18:9

It's Official...

Dave and I are engaged! When we first started dating it felt too convenient to arrive in England and immediately find someone. There must have been a reason for me to wait 8 months for my visa and come here for my PhD. So now I find out why.

April 14th at the Jordan River Temple. There will be two celebrations, in Provo and Walsall. If you wanna come to one of the parties go to the facebook event.