Last night I was desperate for someone to tell me what to cook for dinner. Matt always tells me he doesn't care (when, I know for a fact, he does care - but whatever...) so I am often left on my own. I just get tired of thinking of it! So, in attempts to get some help, I googled "what should I make for dinner tonight?" It didn't exactly help in my endeavors because I ended up creating something of my own with remnants from the fridge and pantry - BUT I DID find a really great blog that I can see myself becoming slightly addicted to! And - it is a great idea generator. So, I thought I would share it with you because I know a lot of you who read my blog are my fellow mothers and may understand the plight of coming up with dinner night after night. Visit thisweekfordinner.com. The creator posts her weekly dinner menus and occasional recipes. She also encourages readers to post their weekly dinner menus - thus generating hundreds of dinner ideas for you to pull from! Anyway, I am adding it to my blogroll because I know I will frequent it....
While we are on the subject - something else I was frustrated with last night that I figure a lot of you can relate to is - what is up with child mayhem during dinner prep?! I have angel children up until 4:30pm when I have to start thinking about dinner and then someone throws a switch somewhere and - WHAM! Emma is whining at my feet, wanting me to entertain her yet thwarting all of my attempts and Lucy is crying in her high chair which resorts to me trying to feed her cereal while pan frying the pork. This scene has been happening nearly every night this week and come 6:00pm I am warn out. My mom used to say that she was done being a mom at 9:00pm....
I can only last until 6.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
He Did It!
Oh yes...it is what I mean! Matt has completed his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration/Marketing. For real! And as soon as we get that coveted piece of paper in the mail we will be celebrating without hesitation! It was a slightly rainy, but beautiful early morning event when Matt and I got to attend the Main Commencement so that Matt and his brother Jared could "graduate together." 
(Sorry for the blurry picture) The two oldest and first of the five Hale brothers to finish their degrees, it was a proud moment for a Hale wife and I am sure for two Hale African Missionary Parents! We know that they were sad to miss the event, but we could also tell from their phone call that they were bursting with pride even thousands of miles away!
(Sorry for the blurry picture) The two oldest and first of the five Hale brothers to finish their degrees, it was a proud moment for a Hale wife and I am sure for two Hale African Missionary Parents! We know that they were sad to miss the event, but we could also tell from their phone call that they were bursting with pride even thousands of miles away! 
After sharing that moment with his brother, Matt was able to actually walk and receive his folder at the John B. Goddard School of Business and Economics Graduation Ceremony.
It was very proud moment for me as I am acutely aware of the sacrifice and hard work that Matt has put into getting this degree.
The road wasn't easy, but I am very grateful to him for the example of the importance of education that he has set for me and for our girls.Sarah
Friday, April 17, 2009
California Adventures
Wonder where I've been for the last two weeks? Well, for half of the time the answer would be: Cali! That's right - just returned from a 7 day sojourn in the sunshine state. Trying to get over the crushing depression from having to come home....the only downside!
Thanks to the generosity of my parents, we were able to stay at the beautiful Newport Coast Villas by Marriott with a view of the ocean from our balcony. We arrived last Thursday to cloudy but warm weather and immediately headed to my dad's favorite haunt - In N' Out Burger. Little known fact about my father: he could literally eat there for two meals a day every day. I had to fight tooth and nail to get him to take us somewhere else to eat! Don't get me wrong, I love the burger - but I can't eat a burger and fries every meal!
After a good night's rest we headed for San Diego on Friday to go to see Shamu and friends at Sea World. The day was good - with a rainy morning the weather miraculously cleared and we even had enough heat to remove our jackets for most of the day! Emma's experience was only thwarted by her frustration with having the sun in her eyes! She enjoyed watching Shamu, but her favorite part of the park was the Sesame Street themed kiddie area and the fun she had with her Dad on the ropes course. I would have liked it better had someone warned me about that bar! By the end of the day we were ravenously hungry and pretty tired - so we got some pizza, ate it with a gorgeous view of the San Diego Temple, and drove back to Newport.
Saturday was spent on the beach at the Crystal Cove State Park. The weather was a little chilly, so only Abbi dared wearing a swimming suit. Emma was immediately frustrated by the fact that her pants got wet and she was a little bit afraid of the waves.
It took a lot of work on her Dad's part to get her to enjoy running from them, but I think she had fun by the end of our time in the sand. We ate lunch at Ruby's Shake Shack, which was exceptional and then went back to the hotel in hopes of really being able to swim. However sunny it was, the chill was just to prevalent and so we only braved the hot tub.
Easter Sunday was fun. We had a little visit from the Easter Bunny - he even finds you on vacation! and tried to participate in the hotel's Easter Egg hunt, with little success. We went to church with the Corona del Mar ward and spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel. Emma loved their little playground and the toddler room in their activities center. Matt spend a lot of this day in bed with a sinus infection - not fun - but he was just trying to prepare himself for:
DISNEY!
We spent the next three days in the parks. Monday was spent entirely at Disneyland, Tuesday we went to California Adventure for most of the day with the exception of Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and Friends, and Wednesday we hit the highlights at both parks. Some favorite moments include Emma meeting Minnie at the Breakfast - she couldn't stay away from her! - the Breakfast in the park in general
(Matt eating 7 plates of food trying to make it worth the money and then realizing it was worth the money when he saw Emma with Minnie), Tigger being very cute with little Lucy, 
Emma riding the rollercoaster in Toon Town and proclaiming "I like rollercoasters!", Emma riding Small World for the first time and marveling at the wonder that is Disney, eating the best Corn Dog I have ever eaten, just all of the magic of Disney. I have decided that when you are a kid Disney amazes with the magic of it all, and when you are an adult Disney amazes with the grandeur of it all. I still feel it is truly awesome - even after all these years!
We had a great time. Lucy was incredibly good for a teething six month old - we were very grateful for that...
and Emma, though slightly trepidatious on any ride involving being in the dark (which is, like, every ride in the park) was really enjoying herself by day three (once she figured it all out!). Matt was the picture of "being a trooper" perfection and I think enjoyed himself overall. As for me, well, I am pretty easy to please when it comes to Disney and loved every minute of it!!! We had fun and now we are home....back to real life!
Sarah
Thanks to the generosity of my parents, we were able to stay at the beautiful Newport Coast Villas by Marriott with a view of the ocean from our balcony. We arrived last Thursday to cloudy but warm weather and immediately headed to my dad's favorite haunt - In N' Out Burger. Little known fact about my father: he could literally eat there for two meals a day every day. I had to fight tooth and nail to get him to take us somewhere else to eat! Don't get me wrong, I love the burger - but I can't eat a burger and fries every meal!
After a good night's rest we headed for San Diego on Friday to go to see Shamu and friends at Sea World. The day was good - with a rainy morning the weather miraculously cleared and we even had enough heat to remove our jackets for most of the day! Emma's experience was only thwarted by her frustration with having the sun in her eyes! She enjoyed watching Shamu, but her favorite part of the park was the Sesame Street themed kiddie area and the fun she had with her Dad on the ropes course. I would have liked it better had someone warned me about that bar! By the end of the day we were ravenously hungry and pretty tired - so we got some pizza, ate it with a gorgeous view of the San Diego Temple, and drove back to Newport.
Saturday was spent on the beach at the Crystal Cove State Park. The weather was a little chilly, so only Abbi dared wearing a swimming suit. Emma was immediately frustrated by the fact that her pants got wet and she was a little bit afraid of the waves.
It took a lot of work on her Dad's part to get her to enjoy running from them, but I think she had fun by the end of our time in the sand. We ate lunch at Ruby's Shake Shack, which was exceptional and then went back to the hotel in hopes of really being able to swim. However sunny it was, the chill was just to prevalent and so we only braved the hot tub.Easter Sunday was fun. We had a little visit from the Easter Bunny - he even finds you on vacation! and tried to participate in the hotel's Easter Egg hunt, with little success. We went to church with the Corona del Mar ward and spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel. Emma loved their little playground and the toddler room in their activities center. Matt spend a lot of this day in bed with a sinus infection - not fun - but he was just trying to prepare himself for:
DISNEY!
We spent the next three days in the parks. Monday was spent entirely at Disneyland, Tuesday we went to California Adventure for most of the day with the exception of Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and Friends, and Wednesday we hit the highlights at both parks. Some favorite moments include Emma meeting Minnie at the Breakfast - she couldn't stay away from her! - the Breakfast in the park in general
(Matt eating 7 plates of food trying to make it worth the money and then realizing it was worth the money when he saw Emma with Minnie), Tigger being very cute with little Lucy, Emma riding the rollercoaster in Toon Town and proclaiming "I like rollercoasters!", Emma riding Small World for the first time and marveling at the wonder that is Disney, eating the best Corn Dog I have ever eaten, just all of the magic of Disney. I have decided that when you are a kid Disney amazes with the magic of it all, and when you are an adult Disney amazes with the grandeur of it all. I still feel it is truly awesome - even after all these years!We had a great time. Lucy was incredibly good for a teething six month old - we were very grateful for that...
and Emma, though slightly trepidatious on any ride involving being in the dark (which is, like, every ride in the park) was really enjoying herself by day three (once she figured it all out!). Matt was the picture of "being a trooper" perfection and I think enjoyed himself overall. As for me, well, I am pretty easy to please when it comes to Disney and loved every minute of it!!! We had fun and now we are home....back to real life!Sarah
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Back to Broadway
Hey all! Here is my self-promotion post....Top Ten Reasons to Come to My Stake Musical:
10. You want to gain an abhorrence for the song "We're All in This Together" from High School Musical (Bad reason - hence it's number 10 spot...)
9. You are going to be near the Bountiful Regional Center anyway picking up those Martha Stewart sheets at K-Mart you've been meaning to grab for weeks!
8. You have an "expose myself to a musical at least 5 times a year" quota to fill (Not the best reason for an Oaks family member at the moment, but still.....)
7. You stay up at night thinking about how many musicals and musical numbers you can squeeze into a two and a half hour show.
6. You have always wondered what the Bountiful Regional Center is like "after dark." :)
5. You have always wanted to see Sarah playing a nightclub singer/stripper in a church related musical (because it wasn't enough to see her as an out of wedlock pregnant lady in waiting in a high school play)
4. You have always wanted to hear Sarah sing with a Brooklyn accent.
3.You want to size up how great of a set-builder Matt really is for the next musical production you are in charge of.
2. You need a night of free, family friendly entertainment.
And Reason Number ONE:
1. You just love Sarah so much!
The details:
"Back to Broadway" - Centerville North Stake - Stake Musical
When: Wednesday April 1st - Friday, April 3rd
Where: Bountiful Regional Center
Time: 7:00pm
FREE!
Come! I would love to see you!
Sarah
10. You want to gain an abhorrence for the song "We're All in This Together" from High School Musical (Bad reason - hence it's number 10 spot...)
9. You are going to be near the Bountiful Regional Center anyway picking up those Martha Stewart sheets at K-Mart you've been meaning to grab for weeks!
8. You have an "expose myself to a musical at least 5 times a year" quota to fill (Not the best reason for an Oaks family member at the moment, but still.....)
7. You stay up at night thinking about how many musicals and musical numbers you can squeeze into a two and a half hour show.
6. You have always wondered what the Bountiful Regional Center is like "after dark." :)
5. You have always wanted to see Sarah playing a nightclub singer/stripper in a church related musical (because it wasn't enough to see her as an out of wedlock pregnant lady in waiting in a high school play)
4. You have always wanted to hear Sarah sing with a Brooklyn accent.
3.You want to size up how great of a set-builder Matt really is for the next musical production you are in charge of.
2. You need a night of free, family friendly entertainment.
And Reason Number ONE:
1. You just love Sarah so much!
The details:
"Back to Broadway" - Centerville North Stake - Stake Musical
When: Wednesday April 1st - Friday, April 3rd
Where: Bountiful Regional Center
Time: 7:00pm
FREE!
Come! I would love to see you!
Sarah
Monday, March 23, 2009
Happy Birthday Emma!
It was three years ago this minute that I was in the midst of pushing my Emma into the world! And now she is an imaginative, creative, musical, dramatic, fun three year old who makes me smile every single day! Though it is likely she won't remember the work that I put into her birthday party today, I hope she will remember the love that was shown to her today by all of her family and friends! She is a blessed little girl. And she is a blessing in my life.
Some of my favorite things about Emma:
-She has recently started to really use her imagination. She has started to play pretend and I think it is absolutely adorable. The other day she brought me some "money" which was really just a handful of air!
-She loves dressing up like a princess. Any dress is a princess dress and we get in frequent arguments when we dress her because she only wants to wear skirts and dresses. As frustrating as it can be, it is also completely cute! I love my girly girl!
-She spends entire days singing literally non-stop. She loves to sing. She loves music. It brings me joy to see the joy that music brings her! The other day I was amazed because she sang ALL day and she didn't repeat a song. I am pretty sure she sang every song she has ever heard and when she couldn't think of one, she made one up.
Emma is a joy! We love her and feel incredibly blessed to be her parents! Happy Birthday my sweet girl!
Mom
Some of my favorite things about Emma:
-She has recently started to really use her imagination. She has started to play pretend and I think it is absolutely adorable. The other day she brought me some "money" which was really just a handful of air!
-She loves dressing up like a princess. Any dress is a princess dress and we get in frequent arguments when we dress her because she only wants to wear skirts and dresses. As frustrating as it can be, it is also completely cute! I love my girly girl!
-She spends entire days singing literally non-stop. She loves to sing. She loves music. It brings me joy to see the joy that music brings her! The other day I was amazed because she sang ALL day and she didn't repeat a song. I am pretty sure she sang every song she has ever heard and when she couldn't think of one, she made one up.
Emma is a joy! We love her and feel incredibly blessed to be her parents! Happy Birthday my sweet girl!
Mom
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Claptrap and Drivel
I was reading old posts the other night and I realized that I used to blog about nonsense a lot more than I do now. And, as crazy as it sounds, it was entertaining - probably only to me, but nonetheless - I feel like I should blog about nonsense more often. So:
My opinion on the Bachelor: I may be attacked by the furious fans who are now boycotting the show and cursing his name, but I have to say that I am on Jason's side. He was just doing what he had to do to be with someone that he loved. He was living without question, not allowing himself to wonder "what would have been?...." and I think that is admirable. How many times have we let love or life lesson slip away because we worried about social rules or societal judgement? Anyway...go Jason.
Adelaide: A lot of my time lately has been taken up by participating in our stake musical. It is quite an undertaking for everyone involved, but should prove to be quite a show! Come...it's free! Consider this your official invitation.....It runs the first week in April - the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before General Conference at the Bountiful Regional Conference Center. I think the show starts at 7pm. Anyway, it has been an interesting experience for me. I am singing a song from Guys and Dolls - "Take Back Your Mink." I am Adelaide in this particular number and thus have to make an attempt at a New Yawk accent and also make an attempt at adequately and without hesitation portraying a nightclub singer from the speak easy days. It is by far the most challenging thing I have had to do on stage and it intimidates the heck out of me! It has been a growing experience, that is for sure. I hope I can pull it off!
Cupcakes: I have been trying desperately to duplicate the cupcakes from the Twenty-Five on Main Bakery and Cafe in St. George that I crave daily. Of course it is not possible, but my hoped is merely that I can get close to something that at least takes care of the cravings. Anyway, as part of my endeavor, I attempted to make real buttercream frosting complete with the mirangue (sp?) and syrup and everything. It was too intense! The first time around I overcooked the syrup and ended up with a sugar encrusted pan. The second time I didn't cook the syrup long enough so the frosting wasn't thickening. In the end I tried to salvage it with a bag of powdered sugar. Now I have a gross frosting brick in a tupperware in the fridge. I will recommend, instead, to make Billy's Vanilla Buttercream frosting - which involved, literally, creaming butter. Anyway, Matt loved it and it was WAY easier than the "real deal" buttercream frosting!
Emma's Birthday: I am in a lurch trying to plan this thing. I keep having these great ideas and then they fall apart and now I have nothing. I don't know what to do. I wanted to do something revolving around princesses since Emma is totally obsessed with them right now. I am just discouraged. Got any great ideas? I am totally running out of time.....
That's probably enough nonsense for now....
My opinion on the Bachelor: I may be attacked by the furious fans who are now boycotting the show and cursing his name, but I have to say that I am on Jason's side. He was just doing what he had to do to be with someone that he loved. He was living without question, not allowing himself to wonder "what would have been?...." and I think that is admirable. How many times have we let love or life lesson slip away because we worried about social rules or societal judgement? Anyway...go Jason.
Adelaide: A lot of my time lately has been taken up by participating in our stake musical. It is quite an undertaking for everyone involved, but should prove to be quite a show! Come...it's free! Consider this your official invitation.....It runs the first week in April - the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before General Conference at the Bountiful Regional Conference Center. I think the show starts at 7pm. Anyway, it has been an interesting experience for me. I am singing a song from Guys and Dolls - "Take Back Your Mink." I am Adelaide in this particular number and thus have to make an attempt at a New Yawk accent and also make an attempt at adequately and without hesitation portraying a nightclub singer from the speak easy days. It is by far the most challenging thing I have had to do on stage and it intimidates the heck out of me! It has been a growing experience, that is for sure. I hope I can pull it off!
Cupcakes: I have been trying desperately to duplicate the cupcakes from the Twenty-Five on Main Bakery and Cafe in St. George that I crave daily. Of course it is not possible, but my hoped is merely that I can get close to something that at least takes care of the cravings. Anyway, as part of my endeavor, I attempted to make real buttercream frosting complete with the mirangue (sp?) and syrup and everything. It was too intense! The first time around I overcooked the syrup and ended up with a sugar encrusted pan. The second time I didn't cook the syrup long enough so the frosting wasn't thickening. In the end I tried to salvage it with a bag of powdered sugar. Now I have a gross frosting brick in a tupperware in the fridge. I will recommend, instead, to make Billy's Vanilla Buttercream frosting - which involved, literally, creaming butter. Anyway, Matt loved it and it was WAY easier than the "real deal" buttercream frosting!
Emma's Birthday: I am in a lurch trying to plan this thing. I keep having these great ideas and then they fall apart and now I have nothing. I don't know what to do. I wanted to do something revolving around princesses since Emma is totally obsessed with them right now. I am just discouraged. Got any great ideas? I am totally running out of time.....
That's probably enough nonsense for now....
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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