Homemade Granola!

¾ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup 100% pure maple syrup

Boil until sugars melt, stir occasionally

In 13 x 9 Pyrex put:

7 cups oatmeal (Rolled Oats, often called 'old fashioned'.)
1/3 cup dry milk (comes in a box on baking isle)
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup coconut
Dried fruit (optional)

1. Pour sugar over and mix.
2. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Stir.

3. Repeat step 2 as many times as you like for desired chewy/crunchiness texture. (I prefer to bake 15 min, stir, and then bake for 5-8 min.) This is really good warm with milk! Store in air tight container or zip lock bag. (This also makes great neighbor gifts around the holidays, is a great snack and is a delicious breakfast!

Happy Birthday...

...NANS!

Thank you for your unconditional love and support... we think you are the greatest!
We hope your day is wonderful!

Love,

Justin, Amanda, Caitlin, Will and Brinley

I unroll it a head of time, helps when you're in a rush!

Precious!

Happy 24th of July...

Yippy for a Utah Holiday! :)

Happy Birthday...

GRAMMY!!

We hope your day is wonderful. Sending Hugs and kisses and birthday wishes... We LOVE you!

Justin, Amanda, Caitlin, Will and Brinley

Thanks Nans...

Wonderful Nans spend the day with little Brinners while I played with my two oldest today!
We had a blast!

We love you Nans!

In My Opinion...

...the party hasn't started until a parent has to jump in the pool

- fully dressed-

in order to save their child, who should have been listening in the first place when she had explained the part about staying in the one foot deep shallow end...

Well, check that one off the list!

a Western Governors University graduate!

Congratulations to Justin upon receiving his Masters in Business Administration!! It was a very proud moment for all of us to watch you graduate on Saturday! Justin was featured in a WGU news letter, click here to read! (scroll down to page 2!) Way to go Justin!

Caitlin, Will and Brinley were all very good during the graduation, I was on my best behavior as well!

Mama T and Justin

Just so happened Lindsey was working that day (were the graduation took place!) and was able to sneak away to see her bro graduate! It was fun to be with you Linds...thanks for the support!

It was cool to have my dad there representing the Adams family. Glad you could make it Papa!

Nana, Justin and Papa!

(Daddy Dave was here too... Just wanted to say Thank You for coming and showing Justin your love! You are awesome!)
We enjoyed some yummy treats after the graduation. This picture made me laugh, Justin looks like he's doing a Stevie Wonder impersonation...

These next few pictures were taken before the graduation. Waiting for the shuttle. Cute kids, they clean up nice don't they.(Ahh, they still managed to find mud...)This was one shuttle ride to remember... it felt like Mr. Toads Wild Ride at Disneyland! Will loved it!

These next few pictures I took of Justin while he was making a video for his capstone project... I thought they were so cute!

His diploma actually arrived in March... (They only hold commencement every 6 months.) Receiving his diploma...(viva mail box.)

Ooo. Perrrdy...

Here it is framed and on his wall at work... next to his SVU diploma! His graduation gift to himself: frame diplomas, a massage and some new bike accessories... and well deserved I might say!

... and while we are at it... I'd thought I'd share the view from his window at work... cool huh?

Congrats Honey...do I hear a PhD knocking on our future door?? :) Love it, LOVE you!

4 Generations!

Blessing Day...

Brinley Jayne

Before I took this picture, I said to my Grandma... "Look your baby is holding my baby!" She thought that was pretty special!

ZZZZzzzzz...

Of all the many places Will has fallen asleep... this one has to be my favorite!

I love you, my tender little man!

Bag for Jolynn

Happy Birthday Brother Kevin

You Da Man... Thanks for being so cool, and funny and never smiling in any pictures... deep down in side we know you are grinning like a 2 year old who's just gotten into his mommies' make up bag... and smeared lip sick all over his face. So proud of all of your accomplishments... especially the lipstick.

Happy 4th of July!!

Caitlin and Brinley. This is actually Brinley's second "4th of July outfit" of the day. A bomb went off in her diaper this morning... yeah... so that one's in the wash right now. Good thing for back ups.

...and I really don't know what Will's problem was in this picture... maybe these were tears of gratitude and joy for the freedoms and opportunities we have in this fine country! Love your patriotism Will!

Pepper is sporting a new summer do... along with a dog bone bandanna. What a happy dog!

Spending 4th with Papa! :)

Pies! Pies! Pies!

Rhubarb Pie Filling:
this is more of an eye ball recipe...

1. start out with 6-8 stalks of rhubarb. (wash, clean)cut in 2 inch pieces.
2. place in deep pot. Put just enough water to simmer. (guestamation 2-3 cups.)
3. sprinkle with sugar (about 2 T)
4. sprinkle with corn starch (about 2 T)
5. simmer on med/low for 45 min. stirring often. (do not burn)
6. add flour to thinken sauce. about 1/4 c - 1/2 c.
7. taste. should be tart yet sweet... add more sugar if desired, (not too much. crust will be sweet, and the contrast between that and the tart is SO perfectly delicious.)
8. pour in prepared pie crust.

Extra Flaky Pie Crust: (this is the BEST pie crust. and of course, goes well with any type of pie... like this one.)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 T sugar
3/4 cup solid shortening (butter flavored)
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg
1 T vinegar

1. Sift together flour, salt and sugar; cut shortening into flour mixture.
2. In a small bowl, beat together ice water, egg and vinegar. One tablespoon at a time, sprinkle liquid mixture over flour mixture and fluff with fork as you go.
3. Cover and chill while preparing pie filling.
4. Divide prepared pastry in half, roll out one half on a floured surface; line a 9" pie plate; pour in pie filling. Top filling with chilled butter- divide it into 6 or 7 pieces.
5. Roll out other half of pastry; place over pie; seal and crimp. Brush surface of crust with beaten mixture of 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Dust top with sugar after it comes out of the oven, cool on rack for at least 2 hours, before serving, to allow it to solidify!

We gave the kids some pie dough... they LOVED making a mess...they were supposed to be making their own pies... but we didn't get that far.
Will was making it 'snow' on his train cookie cutter.

Papa's pie!

Happy Birthday to my amazing sister AMY!!!

Love you and miss you SO much.

Hope your day is perfect!