One Hot Chevelle Super Sport

Uncle Johnny's baby...this car makes me good-looking just by standing by it!

Please do not touch...so tempting though

The Bundled Cowboys

Poncho Villa! What a cowboy

Uncle Rico...not a cowboy

The bundled crew before wading through water to rescue the cows...literally.

Best Outfit of The Trip

Kassie Jo was lucky to get back to Canada with these boots, I sort of feel in love with them.

I Heart My Little Girls

Crazy girls just like their aunt

Want an olive? Or Two?

Brown Eyes is quite the sweeper

Would you like a shake with your burger and fries?

My little ballerinas

Brown Eyes would have come back with me but my suitcase was too full.

What The Berrys Do...

We (mostly Matty) show off our new guns at breakfast

We lay on the couches in the sun, our favorite spot for naps and maybe the only place in Idaho where we see direct sunlight.

We drive hot trucks that make me look even smaller and hotter than I already am...I drove Dadio's baby even before Squasher.

We cuddle in the basement and watch Tangled together. Brown Eyes and Averina love that movie almost as much as TB and HN.

Welcome To Idaho Folks

My blogging has been MIA because I took a whirlwind trip to Idaho for 5 days...

(The shirt Squasher gave me to use as my pajama top for my weekend stay in Idaho)

Only in Idaho...

10 Years Ago Today

Jack Berry passed away 10 years ago today. 2001 was not the greatest year. Our Yankees lost that fall to boot. I am sure he cried in heaven too. I love that man. He was my best friend and hero all those years and after 10 years he is still is my best friend and hero.

(my favorite picture of me and Grandpa)

2nd favorite

The younger Jack Berry. My Grandpa actually dropped out of high school to enlist in the army during WWII (he did receive an honorary degree some 50+yrs later). Again, he was the man!

Concern For The One

The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.

This variety of creation itself is a testament of how the Lord values all His children. He does not esteem one flesh above another, but He “inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God.”

^{Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin}

See full talk here.

KW GRADUATES!!!

KW graduated this morning! I am so proud of her. This is one hard working woman. School hasn't been easy for her and yet she's stuck with it and today she accomplished her goal. Her determination and effort has always impressed me. Congratulations KW! I love you!

PS: Removed that cap and guess who's taller? Yes that's right, I'm not the only vertically challenged one.

PSS: I wish I would have gone to SFSU. Their caps and gowns are purple! Totally my kind of style.

HN Meets Gustavo!

Those golden locks are lovely! If you haven't had the opportunity to meet Gustavo you're really missing out (HN's hair is tangible proof). I went to see him as well, each time I walk away lighter (literally), smiling, happy, and hotter. I heart Gustavo!

Sloppy Dans...Perfection On A Plate

These are no Sloppy Joe's friends. These are Sloppy Dans...made from scratch with love, smothered over Mama Berry's homemade potato rolls, and "iced" with pepper jack cheese. Does life get any sweeter or more spicy (depending on whether I'm in the mood for sweet or spicy when I'm cooking them)? Add an original recipe Dr. Pepper and you're golden.

I've been perfecting my recipe with each batch. Sauce flavor I'm betting that Dan still has me beat. Yet I am hopeful that adding Mama Berry's homemade potato rolls to the overall presentation gives me an advantage. Dan is the master, I'm still just the apprentice when it comes to the secrets of the Sloppy Dans.

My Killer Style Is Genetic

Mama Berry snapped this photo of the newly purchased outfit she plans to wear. Yes she is planning on wearing all three pieces together. Do I approve? Why of course I do! I'm the girl that wears a teal/black print dress with violet shoes and a yellow purse to boot (an outfit The Water Filter deemed my 80's attire two Sundays ago). I say, go bright, go bold, go multiple colors, or stay home!

How To Make Your Weekend Last Through Wednesday

First, you play golf on the New Friday (the poor sap's Monday). Even if it is cold, windy, and rains a bit, you still enjoy it thoroughly...mostly because the competition for the round of golf is winner of the longest drive wins a date with the dark and handsome boy that works in the clubhouse Monday evenings. You, of course, have had a slight golf crush* on dark and handsome boy so the incentive for winning increases, even knowing that the prize is mostly a joke. Competition is always satisfying, especially when you win.

Second, you play squash on Tuesday. Squash is the 3rd best cardio workout, according to Forbes (not just me this time folks). You win 2 out of 3 games in squash, kindly** dominating your opponent. (my arms and legs are sore but no pain, no gain)

Third, you take a shopping trip to a golf warehouse. (This can be dangerous because hours can be spent here if you lack self control)

Fourth, you play Ultimate Frisbee on Wednesday. You remember you still know how to throw the frisbee, that you are so out of shape that it is despicable, and that playing without Kenji and CP really does adversely effect how much fun one has on the field (No yelling of "curse you Kenji" happened sadly).***

*A golf crush falls under the umbrella of the athletic crush (which will need to be its own blog post). Athletic crushes are more common (in my world) than romantic crushes, in fact, I dare say 90% of all my crushes are athletic crushes or if they turn (cough) romantic they stem from an athletic crush.

**Kindly in my vocabulary is I only trash talked for 50% of the playing and held back from dancing upon victory.

***Giving a shout out to CP is my way of pleading for forgiveness on another matter entirely.

Broken Things to Mend

Are you battling a demon of addiction—tobacco or drugs or gambling, or the pernicious contemporary plague of pornography? Is your marriage in trouble or your child in danger? Are you confused with gender identity or searching for self-esteem? Do you—or someone you love—face disease or depression or death? Whatever other steps you may need to take to resolve these concerns, come first to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Trust in heaven’s promises. In that regard Alma’s testimony is my testimony: “I do know,” he says, “that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions.” ¹³

This reliance upon the merciful nature of God is at the very center of the gospel Christ taught. I testify that the Savior’s Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the burden of our disappointments and sorrows, our heartaches and our despair. ¹⁴ From the beginning, trust in such help was to give us both a reason and a way to improve, an incentive to lay down our burdens and take up our salvation. There can and will be plenty of difficulties in life. Nevertheless, the soul that comes unto Christ, who knows His voice and strives to do as He did, finds a strength, as the hymn says, “beyond [his] own.” ¹⁵ The Savior reminds us that He has “graven [us] upon the palms of [His] hands.” ¹⁶Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now. When He says to the poor in spirit, “Come unto me,” He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Read the full talk here.

New Era Commercial - One Hitter

Top 7 of The Week

(in no particular order)

1. Warm, clean laundry

2. Temple

3. Hole #4 on the New Friday

4. Thursday's massage

5. Dinner with L. Smithie and JP

6. Mint chip ice cream (best ice cream ever)

7. 1:1 time with myself (yes I love my alone time)

My Favorite Shoes...and JP's!

Team J Domination

Happy Friday Everyone!

Or at least Happy Friday to Team J! Tonight Team J was #1 on the leader-board both in our game and in our style. We swept the competition, winning both prizes tonight. JNS won the longest drive (she was definitely lovin' her driver tonight). JLS and I tied for closest to the pin with 5' 11" (from different angles). Quite the day on the course for us.

Also, I made two killer putts tonight. Hole #4, 35 ft putt to par it. (per J. Monson, this is the hardest hole of the course...yet somehow I par it more often than not). Hole #9, 25 ft putt from the fringe...GREAT way to end the round. I heart my putter...and my boyfriend (aka my driver).

Team J is definitely young compared to the other league members, young by at least 20 years. I couldn't help chuckle when I saw this poster in the women's restroom at the golf course tonight...golf is what keeps me young. Even though I may feel 80 years old physically much of the time (i.e. when I struggle getting up off my knees after praying tonight without stumbling) golf keeps my heart and mind young!

Jess Berry Quote of The Day

It's never too late to be who you might have been.

George Eliot

Saturday Night Baseball...Cold!

Yes, JNS snapped this shot upside down and I like it better that way so I'm keeping it that way.

How do you stay warm watching baseball in the bay?

6-7 layers...and gloves are highly recommended.

Yes...I did want the Rockies to beat the Giants...not ashamed of that fact even though they lost.

Top of the 9th, Giants vs Rockies. The overly hyped Giants closer Brian Wilson is pitching and please note that they had another reliever warming up in the bullpen because Wilson almost couldn't handle the pressure. M.Rivera never has to have someone warming up in the bullpen...proving he's a real closer and Brian Wilson leaves us wanting at times. I do NOT fear the beard...sorry folks.

PS: Let me also educate the masses on how to eat a ballpark dog. One condiment: Sweet Relish! Nothing more, nothing less...so delicious!

Hearting The Weekend

1. Sleep!!!

2. Bread pudding at the creamery

3. Baseball

4. More sleeping

5. Acquire

6. Mother's Day (hence hearting Mama Berry and Senorita Erickson)!

7. Fluffy pancakes at The Duke's

Three Weeks Until The Berry Girls Are All in The Same State!

You can bet we are going biking too! Averina is definitely in style with her new bike!

Flashback: The List of Love

In college SJ documented my fickleness by creating “The List of Love” on Microsoft Paint. Her Dad was a professor so she used his password to copy the photos of seven or so guys I liked at the time plus one guy she knew that I detested, and a photo of my brother, made into a Paint picture, and made it my desktop background. She used the picture of my brother to superimpose it onto a photo of this boy, Daniel, to prove her long standing claim that they looked identical (that was pretty accurate and slightly freaky). She listed them out in order of whom she thought I should like. This practice of creating hilarious MS Paint pictures and saving them as my background was common place for SJ. I attempted for a long time to keep her away from my laptop by changing passwords, taking my laptop with me everywhere but she always found a way. In this particular instance I didn’t look at my laptop until I was in class the next morning, getting ready for a large presentation. Now mind you, I think three of the young men on this Paint picture were in this class, sitting rather close to me so anyone can imagine the horror I experienced when I almost exposed "The List of Love" to my entire class. SJ definitely is the MS Paint master and I simply became her apprentice. I would always protest every time she’d “paint” my laptop but I treasure each of those ridiculous Paint pictures she made me.

I'm not quite as fickle these days, SJ would be proud.

The New Friday

As mentioned last Monday, Mondays are the new Friday. This New Friday JLS joined JNS and I for golf league. A splendid time was had by all...even though we had to explain to JLS that going golfing is like going to the temple. You leave the cares of the world at the door or in this case in the parking lot. Yes you can all quote on that! Heavenly Father knows that I feel next to the temple, I'm closest to feeling heaven on earth when on a golf course. We commune EVERY round!

Happy New Friday!!!

The Newest Berry Ballplayer

SO PROUD!!!