Carl Bloch

We have had this famous picture of Christ healing at the Pool of Bethesda by Carl Bloch in our home for many years. It is currently hanging over our mantle above the fireplace. Tonight I got to go the opening of the Carl Bloch exhibit. We are all probably familiar with many of his paintings. The curator told us tonight that almost every LDS church has at least one Carl Bloch picture hanging in it and his paintings have been used over 300 times in the Ensign, New Era, etc. BYU bought this painting almost a decade ago through a series of "miracles." The BYU Museum of Art has had it displayed but I had not ever seen the original yet.
While trying to get this painting and doing further research BYU eventually, through a lot of hard work, was able to put together an exhibit of Carl Bloch. Many of the pictures had never left Denmark or Sweden. Some of them are altar paintings from small churches that have never even left the church it was in. The exhibit is only coming to the MOA.
I went with my dad. At one point we moved in front of a picture and both of us just gasped. Then we looked at each other and laughed because we obviously have the same taste in pictures and they have the same effect on us :) They have many of Bloch's pictures that aren't religious also and they are beautiful.

This one was my favorite, Gethsemane (besides the healing at bethesada) This small, incomplete picture does not do it justice. This painting is huge and when I walked into the room I literally couldn't move I was so overwhelmed. I just stood there staring at it fighting tears. It was beautiful.
If you live here you should go to the exhibit. It opens tomorrow to the public and you can get free tickets online (you need tickets). If you are visiting here sometime you should go to it! I can't wait to go back. Hyrum is so excited to go see the paintings so we are going again!
Here is the youtube link...

A conversation for your consideration...

It would really help if you are a nerd or married to one in order to understand this conversation...

John - When I was little one of my favorite things was Sunday night when we'd make popcorn and grape juice. I'd dip the popcorn in the grape juice and sit around talking about all the happening things.
Josh - Did you sit around and talk about all the new Ruby techniques?
John - No, Ruby wasn't around back then.
Josh - Well, what was around? Python?

PS We put up the Christmas tree this weekend and it is spectacular. We figured we needed to make up for only have 1/4 a Christmas tree the last 2 years...

Family Pictures

We finally had some family pictures done. Here are some of my favorites (I have a lot of them :) Can you guess who is who? They are getting big...


















Uncle Tyson...


The whole Snow family...

Happy Halloween - What a week!!

We start with Seth's birthday. Every house should have a 3 year old and we just lost ours. Seth was such a delightful 3 year old. I have literally cried many times over him getting big but it still came...he is 4 now :)


A few days later was our first snow! We were all pretty excited. Seth, Sam and I sat and watched it all day long and then at night it finally started sticking to the ground. It was gone by 10:00am the next morning so everyone was sad...




After the snow the amazing weather returned. This is the view from my mailbox. Beautiful!! This next week is suppose to be in the upper 50's and low 60's...brilliant!




Happy Halloween. It has been a few years since we got aunt Paula to go trick-or-treating with us but she made out pretty well and got some candy. Since it is Utah everyone went trick-or-treating on Sat and we had a fun time in the neighborhood :)

Math = BYU Basketball Fan

That is what my brother titled the email with the link of Math making a basket and putting up a sticker for this youtube promoting the first BYU game of the season...

Tin Foil Dinners and Ultimate Frisbee...

Well, I have been on a posting roll but a lot of our activities include others so I am also posting for them (maybe ;)

John had a game this week and we went to it but to our surprise Dallan was playing the game right after so we stayed for a lot of it too. Dallan's team needed more people so John got to do two games and was super happy.

Then Friday night we went up the canyon for tin foil dinners, marshmallow roasting and whoopie pies. We had a lot of fun and could the canyon be more beautiful??

Dallan was the fire man...

And the train was nice enough to come by twice while we were there!

WOW! I think I found my new pumpkin bars...

So I don't think I have ever posted a recipe to this blog (I have other blogs for that :) but these were really spectacular. I have a small pumpkin bar (and anything pumpkin) addiction that has been lovingly encouraged by certain members of the family (you know who you are :). I wanted to make pumpkin cookies because they just make me feel all autumnish and I don't tend to over eat them. Well, I tried a new recipe this time and several cookies and Tums later I am sharing it with you. It came off of allrecipes.com. I made the usual changes of applesauce and whole wheat and less sugar and they still turned out amazing. Added ginger and cloves and a little bit of baking powder (the high altitude of Provo and Boulder has wreaked havoc on my baking). The icing makes a bit too much so you can reduce it or double drizzle. Also, I know when you look at the recipe is looks like it will make tons of cookies and it does but trust me it isn't too many :)

I put my substitutions in the comments ;)

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups shortening
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 8 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions

1. Cream shortening, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2. Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. To Make Frosting: Cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm cookies.

Holding on for dear life...

Sam was kind enough to help me last week making treats :) When I was distracted frosting, Sam grabbed the spatula and stuck it in his mouth. I tried to take it from him and he put up a fight like you can't believe. One taste of that frosting and he REFUSED to let go. A 10 month old with only 2 teeth can put up quite a fight to keep a spatula in his mouth.

So Rise and Shout the cougars are out...

We WON!! Let this be a lesson...Heavenly Father sometimes just sends miracles to remind us he is still there :)
This game went a little more smoothly with the kiddos and we had the game crew there...
We looked really good in the first half and decent in the second. Still the offense needs to work on their play calling...

Homecoming in Cougar Stadium!!

Dallan is Sam's new best friend as Dallan spent last evening with him. Sam even wanted Dallan over Paula today...

My cousin Blake and his wife Lindsey with her family in the back and Josh, Sam, Dallan, Paula and Devin.

Isaiah and Hyrum...

Redefining Bad Hair Day...

Went to get Samuel up from his nap and found a groggy smile and this hair...

Have you cheered up the sad or made someone feel glad..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAULA!! Paula was pretty depressed on her birthday but we cheered her up. Joe & Brittany made a cake for Paula, we made a cheesecake for Paula and of course we had a few other treats and dinner. Paula felt better after we stuffed her full of sugar!


Sam has his second tooth coming in this week. He claps on demand and he got his first scooter ride