Snicker's Cake (recipe from Gregg's work)

1 German chocolate cake mix

30 caramels

1 stick butter

1 TBS milk

3/4 c chocolate chips

3/4 c chopped walnuts

Mix cake as directed on box. Pour half the batter in a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 mins. Melt caramels, butter and milk in microwave. Pour over baked 1/2 of cake. Sprinkle choc. chips and walnuts next. Pour rest of cake batter over and bake at 250 for 20 mins. and at 350 for 10 mins. Top with Cool Whip.

I didn't have Cook Whip and it was still delicious.

Love, Alison

Good morning my darlings - Matthew - in my haste to get a message out last night - I wanted to tell you that we hung the Miss "Almost" America picture!!~  I don't know how you do it - but your unique cleverness always comes through - this was a very special moment for me - and Trisha - I think you had a hand in this getting it framed. I love it - a nice remembrance for a then just barely 18 year old.  Who would have known that Marlene Coleman from little Pocatello, Idaho would be sitting on the Atlantic City Convention Hall with Bert Parks caring on a conversation like we knew each other!  Thank you - thank you - for this special treasure.

Ashley - your Mother's Day message with the picture of the two of us - you just barely a few weeks old - would bring back such beautiful memories - I love and thank you for that.  Mother's Day is a unique and lovely time for me now - I remember a time in the Mount Olympus Ward Newsletter that I thought the perfect Mother's Day would be staying at the Little Ameria - alone !  Now I can't even think of thinking that, let alone saying it.  The perfect day would be with you altogether again.  Phone calls, beautiful flowers, cards and messages made it quite a lovely day for me - Paul even got a kick out of it playing his part!!!

We spent out last morning on the patio today - such a peaceful lovely place - but we look forward to seeing you and spending time for you - Ryan's send off to Lima, Peru - family get together in July - Cherry Hills - golfing - fishing - hiking and much more.

We are so very glad and grateful that Nicole is home and feeling better - In case some of you didn't know, Nicole had a kidney infection and was in the hospital for three days - but home now and doing so much better - thanks to a sweet and caring mother, who spent three nights sleeping by her sick child,  Nothing works wonders for a sick child than good parents and caring friends and family.

Erin is 14 on Sunday - time for a new pair of 5" heels Erin - you are such a love and wish we could be there to share your great day.

Paul has us all packed - he is such a hard worker - see you in Farmington - we will call when we get home.  Happy landing!!!!!

Your mother loves you,

And Matthew, you are still my favorite        -  SON!!!!!

Dearest children - On the 26th of April I certainly had visions of sugar plums dancing through my head as I watched you all come together --- and said to myself - my children are home!! With the introduction of the new Queenie's blog - I felt like the proverbial glass slipper had just been put on my foot - a Queen for a Day!!!  What an absolute joy that day was - watching you all 'bounce" off of each other - laughter and Joy filled the house.  Catherine, thank you for so many hours puting this beautiful book together - I literally look at it everyday and marvel how everything has turned out and how proud as punch I am of all of you and the lives you have chosen -- producing the most thoughtful, kind, beautiful, talented, perfect "grand" children.  And thank you so much for this Blog - when I get home, I will get Ashley to show me how to put photos on it and I promise to keep up and record memories as they come to mind.  Thank you all for selecting your favorite photographs - they are now mine.  .....  watching you grow - your trials and successes - your marriages - children's births - our family activities - I cherish all these in my heart.

Matthew - truly I was thrilled to receive The Masters towel - the program book - and golf markers - they are so pretty that I think they should be made into cuff links.  Funny how I had just been talking to a friend I golf with - she told me how she had been to The Masters and asked if I was getting a "towel"?  The next time we golfed together she brought her "framed" towel --- and I was only too happy to tell her that I was now the happy owner of one too.  Thank you for that special remembrance.

"A Walk to Remember" - isn't that a title of a book - I have walked Lagoon many times for many years and can't recall one this fun and very """""special""""". We should do it again sometime soon.  You kids are really too darn much fun - I did win the Fast Walk contest, did I not - but Cat, Trisha, and Matt certainly had the best form.

The look on the face on the waitrees at Cracker Barral was a little spooky - I think she was in disbelief seeing all of us converge on her - but with help on the way she managed quite well.  Breakfast was delicious - Kylee - what did you think of all of this?

The photo shoots - how many did we have that day - not nearly enough I am sure - I see a new photo book in the future.  Alison and Gregg, how lovely to have you come all that way and join in the fun - Gregg - I will talk about you a little later - and Cat too - thank you for making this day so very special - there is that word again - by traveling home.

Now as for the dinner - Trisha, I think that you had a big hand in planning that event and it couldn't have been more perfect - more fun - crazier- choice and wonderful.  Againb, how can I tell you how much it meant to me - how truly thrilled you have you altogether - and honestly - I can't remember laughting that hard in many many years.  Ashley - Mike was such a good sport wasn't he?  Especially when our Attorney from Dallas performed the good ol' " ASS PEAR A GRASS'' of prior years - Jason would
 have been proud.  I would like to see the look on the faces of your children when they see that.

And lest we forget our howls of laughter and tears in our eyes as Brett recalled "The CHANGLING OF BABY CATE".  I hope we never ever forget that one - it only we had a video of that - Noelle - that is your job for the 80th one!!!!~  Brett - that was a first class performance - worthy of an Academy Award!!!!!

What an Enchanted Evening - everything was right and everything was perfect, including The Car Exchange - at the new City Center - what a grand evening!!  Cat - picking the Subarooooo!  When she really deserved the Mercedes!!

My heart is full - I have led an enchanted life - I have more happiness than I deserve - children that bring the best out of me - bring me the greatest JOY - and a posterity of the 'grandest" children - beautiful in everyway - and my hearts greatest desire for their success and Happiness.  Thank you for being "Who" you are - thank you for being "good" - thank you for loving your mother - who loves you in every way - thank you all for blessing my life with your lives and here's to the 80th!!!!!  I can't wait!!!

                                                               From deep within my heart - love,

                                                                Your Mother - and your Queenie

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  Mike hung this picture a couple years ago on the wall above my stairs.  I get to see it everytime I walk down the stairs.  Thank you for everything you do and I love you very much.  Can't wait to see you!

Ashley

Recipes

Hi Family,
I thought I'd share some new recipes I just discovered that are on my "Favorites" list.
If you try them, let me know what you think.  Yummy!!!
{Click on title for the recipe}
xoxo
Cat

Lemon Brownies


Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa & Coconut Rice

70th Birthday Celebration (Evening Activities)

After our morning full of fun, we all freshened up in preparation for the evening festivities.

This is one good looking couple (above & below).

Yes, I can easily lift & carry my much older brother.

He, on the other hand, cannot easily lift & carry me.

Sorry, I've had 4 kids!

And the Birthday Girl makes her grand entrance!

We were missing Noelle & Ashley.  They were at home getting pretty.

 

We couldn't miss the opportunity to photograph the yellow shirts on the yellow couch.

Yes, mom ... we really do think that couch is comfortable.

It just needs to be a little bigger!

Before dinner, we took a quick look around the new City Creek Shopping Center in Salt Lake.

It's pretty amazing.  These arches are retractable roofs that enclose everything during bad weather.

Paul looks good next to that car.

Everyone was checking out these fancy cars.

So Gregg & Matt dared me to start taking pictures of the sweeeet silver Subaru.

Of course I did it!  The guy parking the cars said, "Really, you're going to pass up the Ferrari to take pictures of the Subaru?"  I told him how much I loved these cars, especially the rack on top. 

He said he wouldn't judge.  Only in Utah!  Gregg, you owe me 5 bucks! 

On our way to dinner . . .

We had a lovely private room at the Copper Onion.
The food was excellent!

We gave the birthday girl a photo book full of picture perfect memories

she has created with her children and grandchildren.

Matt & Trish found an original photograph of Mom on Ebay. 

It was taken at the Miss America pageant.

One of the many highlights of the night:

Ludd retelling the story of the time he was watching Cate and she had a poopy diaper. 

Changing her diaper involved rubber gloves, plastic grocery bags & a gas mask. 
After the ordeal was over, Cate said, "That's not how my mom does it."

Another highlight:

Since Jason couldn't be there, we decided to pay tribute to him by re-creating the walrus moment from Queenie's 60th birthday.  Somehow we talked Gregg into doing it. 

The desserts were also a highlight.  Yumm!

In our family, we all know that the party isn't over until everyone tries to fit a glass in their mouth.

And everyone knows that Cat will always win.

We ended the evening with our amazing mother telling us how much she loves us . . .

but that Matthew is her favorite.

Paul is a big fan of these orange flags that are used to cross the streets of downtown Salt Lake,

so we put them to good use. 

Ash & Mike say goodbye . . .

. . . while Paul solves the world's problems. 

Actually he was talking about how the keys on mom's computer were sticking (according to her).

We said our goodbyes then took one last stroll around City Creek.

Mom, you have had quite a life and have lived it with your head held high.

You always bring joy to us and everyone around you.

You are fun and caring, helpful and compassionate.

We are beyond blessed to have you as our mother and friend.

Thank you for spending the day with us.

Our time spent with you is truly a gift.