THE BOY SCOUT CAKE AUCTION!

Every year for a Boy Scout troop fundraiser, we put on a dinner and cake auction.

For this dinner, we provide a Baked Potato Bar, Nachos, and salad. We have those who attend just come, or they can bring baked potato topping. We have the scout boys and their parents make cakes to auction off at the end. Considering we have all boys, we have been a part of this for a long time, even longer because Scott was a scout leader before our boys were old enough to be in scouts!! Fortunately, because all of our boys are now out of scouts, we just have to make 2 cakes now. (When they were all involved, and us, too, we had to make 5 and we spent a lot of time planning out our super, incredible decorated cakes! Not anymore!)

This year we wondered how well it would do because of the economy.

And once again, everyone pulled through! We ended up with 18 cakes, 2 brownie dessert treats, and 2 pies. And the best thing of all..........the Scouts made $901! WAHOO!

OKAY...SO ON TO SEEING SOME OF THE CAKES!
We were set up to buy this cake! And it was one of the High priced cakes!

Oh, well, it's for the Scouts, right? :-)

There was another like it for the other missionary from our ward.

Yes, his parents were set up ,too!

There was some delicious cheesecake in the mix!

Our very simple cakes in the back row!

A happy little guy after winning this cake!

(I have to say that Scott and I have this dinner and fixings down pat....I think we have been in charge of it for over 15 years! So next year around this time...maybe you'll read a similar post!)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

A NICE SURPRISE!!!

I just had a nice early Valentine's surprise!

The doorbell rang...

I answered to find this leaning against the wall:

I opened it up, and arranged it to get this:

And attached to the box was this:

What a GREAT SURPRISE!

I LOVE YOU TOO, STEVEN!

(Maybe I better go do something nice for him

like clean his room! :-)

Blog Slacker!!!

So, this past month has been incredibly busy and I became a "Blog Slacker"! One of the reasons....I became a member of FACEBOOK! Yes, it is a distraction, and an addiction, but it is so fun to talk to family and friends, some who I haven't had contact with in years! It is a great way to reacquaint with them and to find out about them and their families! So, yes, I think I am addicted to FACEBOOK! I tried to resist, but it happened! So...BEWARE OF FACEBOOK!

Now....I have lots to catch up on so, I'll be adding a little bit at a time.....

This past weekend, Scott and I made a quick trip to Utah to meet our grandson, Dallin Michael Allred. He is the sweetest baby! We had so much fun with him and Sage, and Michael and Kim, too! Scott and I really wished they lived closer so we could see them more often. But they don't so plane trips make it really nice! While we were there, Dallin was blessed, and his name was put on the records of the church. Michael gave him a beautiful blessing! What a thrill it was for Scott and I to witness this special occasion.

We had a great time visiting with Michael and Kim and their family!

We just love being grandparents! Our grandkids are the greatest!

(Utah and my hair do not get a long!)

Scott and Sage had a lot of fun playing and singing "Popcorn Popping"!

My Uncle Willie

On January 28th, my uncle Willie, my mothers brother, passed away. This brought much sadness to me, as he was such an amazing person, who had lived through so much tragedy. (His brother Raymond died at 18, of bone cancer. His Brother Albert died at 28 from an accident in an oil tanker. His sister Agnes, my mother, died at 36 from cancer. His mother died from complications from childbirth from having my aunt Dorothy. His father died in a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean.) He was a man full of love and devotion to family. He was the key for me in having contact with my mom's family. Fortunately, I was able to attend his funeral in Winnemucca, Nevada on Feb. 3, 2009, and renew family relationships with my Aunt Dorothy and many cousins. It was a day of heartache and comfort, too.

UNCLE WILLIES OBITUARY:
Jacobus W. "Willie" Hooft
Jacobus William “Willie“ Hooft, 85, passed away January 28, 2009 at Humboldt General Hospital. Born July 21, 1923, in Secaucus, New Jersey, to Willem and Gertje Hooft, he and his family moved to Salt Lake City where he lived until the age of seven. In 1930, the family moved to Winnemucca where he was raised and educated. As a young boy he worked in the Humboldt Bakery which was established by his father in 1935 with a 25 dollar loan from a friend. He continued working at the bakery through high school while playing football, basketball, track and tennis. He was a member of the high school band where he played several different instruments despite not knowing how to read music. Following graduation, he joined the Navy where he served in World War II aboard the USS Goss from 1942-1945. Upon returning to Winnemucca, he continued working at his family's bakery. In 1952, he married Antonia “Tony“ Barinaga in Winnemucca, where they raised three sons, Jim, Raymond and Robert. In 1958, his father was killed in a KLM airliner explosion off the coast of Ireland, at which time Willie took over the bakery and a short time later renamed it “Hooft's Bakery.“ Willie, along with his sons, spent many long hours at the bakery creating incredible pastries and breads, earning Hooft's Bakery a reputation both locally and regionally. With a passion for flying and aviation, Willie not only held a private pilot's license but was also a certified flight instructor. He flew for the Bureau of Land Management scouting wild fires. He owned and operated the fuel operations at both locations of the Winnemucca Airport for many years. He also loved music and dancing and while a young man was the drummer of the popular Ferris Trio, that played at local dances and other functions. In addition, he loved to play the harmonica. In 1998, Willie retired from the bakery he had owned for 40 years and worked in for 65 years. He spent his days enjoying time with his many grandchildren. He also spent time with his special friend, Aaron Garrison, a young boy who he met in physical therapy. Willie was a Boy Scout leader and an organizer of youth activities. He was a former member of the Lion's Club, a School Board Member of the Humboldt County School District for two decades, a board member of the Friends of Nixon Hall and a board member at the Senior Center where he enjoyed eating lunch and visiting with friends. He orchestrated an annual donut sale fundraising event for the Lowry High School Honor Society where many high school students took part in a very early morning of donut making. Willie was a kind and generous man with a big heart who donated frequently to local churches and other charities. Willie is preceded in death by both his parents, brothers, Albert and Raymond and sister, Agnes. Willie is survived by his wife of 56 years, Tony; his sons, Jim Achabal, Raymond Hooft, M.D. and Robert Hooft (Marie); sister, Dorothy Leonelli (Sam); sister-in-law, Delores Link (Albert); brother-in-law, Kay Johnson (Agnes); grandchildren, Kyle, Aubri, Mary Kate, Joe, Therese, Stephanie, Isaac, Austin, Anneka, Jessica, Raymond and Sierra; great-grandchild, Donovan; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Thank you, Uncle Willie, for the example of family unity, unconditional love, and caring that you showed towards my sisters and I and our families. You will be missed terribly! There will never be a baker as wonderful as you in my life!

Thanks for the legacy that you have left for me and my family in your simple words:

"As you rumble on through life

Whatever be your goal

Keep your eye upon the donut

and not upon the hole"

Resolutions and Christlike Attributes

So, as this New Year has begun and is close to being 1/12 over already, I've finally decided to look at some resolutions that need to be made in my life! Yes, I'm a little slow! But, I have also found that my New Year's resolutions usually only last about a week....and that might even be pushing it. So this year, I decided no New Years resolutions! I will just make changes for the better in my life a little at a time and not try to do it all at once, where I fail. So...what is something that I have done well so far in the last few weeks? Exercise! I have been getting up at 5:20 a.m. and faithfully with my spouse going on a 2 mile walk! What a great way to start the day! I know, some of you may think that is pretty early, but it's an hour later than when I taught "early morning seminary". On those days, I would get up at 4:20 every morning. (After 9 years, I decided I was ready to sleep for an hour longer! I can tell you an hour can make a big difference! lol)

Now for the BIG RESOLUTIONS!

I'm working on having more attributes of the Savior. For FHE, we read in the "Preach my gospel" book the chapter on "Christlike attributes". These attributes included: Faith, Hope, Charity and Love, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, and Obedience. When I thought of these things, I thought I was doing pretty well. But then I read each of the definitions in the book and I did the "attribute activity" at the end of the chapter. I could've gotten depressed reading definitions, and doing the activity, because it showed me that I have so much work to do in my life! At first I did, But, then I realized that all I have to do is try my best to become more like Him every day, and that He will pick up the rest. Even if my process is a very slow process, as long as I do my part, He has promised to do His. That is such a wonderful thing. That is the first step in becoming like Him. It is trusting Him enough. We often hear the saying of "What would Jesus Do?". But, I think more importantly is the acknowledgement that we don't need to say that because we Know what He would do. We Know Him so well that we've become more and more like him in every aspect of our lives. We don't have to question, because through our every day improved righteous living we eventually become like Him.

So...as 2009 continues, I hope that I truly can become more and more like the Savior each and every day. I hope that I can bite my tongue, when I really want to say something I shouldn't. I hope that my faith increases no matter what the storm, I hope that I can see the best in all people, and forgive them when they have offended me, I hope to be diligent in my obedience and be humble and submissive to the Lord's will. As I do this, I know that I will feel the Savior's warm embrace around me, because he didn't send me here to fail! He is there for me with open arms.

P.S.......I just need to become just like my grandchildren! They have all the attributes of the Savior! I hope they rub off on me!

He Has a Name...

Newest grandbaby is:

Dallin Michael Allred!

OUR NEWEST GRANDBABY!

Baby Allred made his appearance today!

Monday, December 29, 2008 @ 4:29 p.m.

8 lbs. 20.5 inches long

We are so happy to welcome him into our family!

And are Proud Grandparents!

CONGRATULATIONS, Michael & Kim!

He is a CUTIE!!!!!

Sage....You are a big sister now!

Merry Christmas!

A wonderful day set aside to remember and commemorate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
He is the reason for this blessed season.

Too often we forget, what the true meaning of Christmas is.
Too often we forget, that it is better to give than to receive.
May we remember the Son of God and His life on this joyous Christmas Day.
May we make sweet memories with our loved ones to cherish always.
May we be aware of those less fortunate than us, so we can help brighten their day, too.

Have a spiritually, wonderful, and memorable day this Christmas of 2008!

Not a U of U fan, but......

I'm not a U of U fan by any means. They are the rival of BYU and I'm a true blue BYU fan. But, I'm going to be cheering for them in the upcoming Sugar Bowl because they have a new sticker, released Saturday, on their helmets.

Yep...JBWwhich stands for Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin!

He played for U of U. He even talked about it many times in his conference addresses and what he learned from his football experience. I will be cheering for the Utes in the Sugar Bowl! Yes, even the Cougars rivals, because of this wonderful tribute they have made to a wonderful Apostle of the Lord.

EDITOR NOTE: The Utes coach, Kyle Whittingham, was a BYU football player, #59, in his day, so at least we know where the talent came from! :-)

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

Christmas is my favorite time of year! I love the sights, the sounds, the smells and the feeling of Giving that comes into peoples' hearts! This year I've had a tougher time getting into the spirit of Christmas. It was harder to decorate the inside of the house. It was harder to put up the lights outside. I almost didn't even put up a tree! I'm sure that it is because we will not have Michael, Kim and Sage here because they are waiting patiently for the arrival of our new grandbaby! We also won't have David, because as you all know, he is at the MTC. And to make it even harder, Scott and Steven both have to work that day! Yep! It could be a lonely Christmas around here! (Hopefully, it will be a low call day for service for both of them, so I'll see them some!)

Well, with Christmas fast approaching, I've slowly gotten the house decorated with my 23 (I think..) nativities of all sizes and shapes (mostly small!), put out some of the Stuffed Christmas animals, put up the family stockings, decorated a small tree, and put out the 27 candles..(A tradition we started our first Christmas, and add to each year! Hey, if the lights go out, we are set! OH, NO! I just realized we haven't bought one this year! Better do that in the next day or two!) I also went outside, went up on the roof and put the lights up there, as well as on the front of the house and in the front yard. I also have been listening to Christmas Carols almost every day since before Thanksgiving! (I started that early so David could feel a little Christmas at our house. I just lost the momentum for the rest, until these last few days!) I even got most of the Christmas cards out, just no "traditional" Scott Allred Family poem this year! This year, the usual traditions at our house, have just been harder!

But fortunately, the making of candies this year was one of the best I have had! A dear friend came and we became a "See's" candy store all afternoon. Caramels, fudge, toffee, peanut butter balls, "mounds" candy, and chocolate covered pretzels with candy cane pieces started multiplying on my counter!
It was a wonderfully "sugary" afternoon visiting and working away!

And....... it will be a "sweet" memory of this Christmas season!

As I have accomplished each of our yearly traditions, even though some felt like chores, I have begun to feel like it truly is beginning to feel like Christmas! I have been reminded that Christmas no matter where your loved ones are, is still Christmas. Christmas is what you have and feel in your heart. It is the time to remember the best gift that we could ever have received, the gift of our Savior, who because of His atonement gave each of us eternal life. Christmas is about Him. He is the reason for the season. He is the reason, my family, even though we're not going to be together this year, can be together for eternity! He is the reason to find Joy this Christmas season.

From my family to each of you:
WE WISH ALL OF YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

EDITOR NOTE: A couple of My favorite Christmas songs this year:
"Mary, Did you know?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhmaHR1CRik
"Christmas Shoes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNsvE33pRSw&feature=related

Our missionary!

"ALL MY BAGS ARE PACKED, I'M READY TO GO!" We made a quick trip to Utah and to the MTC to drop off "Elder Allred"!
It was great to have our whole family together for a few days. We even were able to do a temple session in the Provo Temple with our family. (We missed Kim, as she needed to stay home with Sage, but the rest of us were there.) It was so great to be in the temple with Scott and our three boys. What a special occasion for us. We also went to Thanksgiving Point to check out the light display and to see the reindeer. It was a lot of fun, but very cold! Another highlight, of course, was "Kneaders-All you can eat French Toast"! It is the best french toast there is!
As for Elder David Allred, he did great at the MTC and was one of the first ones out the door when it was time to separate from the family! I am so proud of him and the choice that he has made to be a servant of the Lord 24/7! I love that he is wearing the name of the Savior on his chest and better yet, his heart. If each of us were like that, our lives would be so much better! I'm truly going to miss him, but I am extremely grateful that I can say that I am his mom! He is such a wonderful young man! Go FORTH AND SERVE, ELDER ALLRED! The people in the Washington Spokane Mission are lucky to have you!

DAVID'S LAST HURRAH'S BEFORE BEING A MISSIONARY: On the Friday night before David was set apart as a missionary, we had a get together with his "buddies". They had a homemade pizza/soda and an "extreme "x-Box" night! My living room had 3 televisions, and 3 X-boxes, as they all played a game against each other. I couldn't believe how many cords were going across the frontroom floor. They all had fun and David enjoyed being able to spend some time with his friends before leaving. These guys have been buddies for a long time! They realized that this might be their last time of ever being together. David has been a great example to each of them, and I know that they appreciate his standards, even though they are not theres. David did missionary work every time he spent time with these guys.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.........Eat & BUST!

We hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Fun was had at our house! Although, there was WAY TO MUCH FOOD!

We could have fed an army and then some with all of the food and pies that we had to eat!

(turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, green salad, fruit salad, dream salad, marshmallow salad, yams, corn, homemade rolls, fresh cranberry/raspberry/orange sauce, pumpkin pie, blackberry cream pie, banana cream pie, chocolate cream pie....I think that was the list! All I can say is "YUM!") It was DELICIOUS! And the leftovers, have been wonderful, too! I'm so thankful for Thanksgiving! (Although, a diet is now needed!)

After dinner, we had fun playing games: Apples to Apples, Cranium and The Great Dalmudi!

We learned the last game (The Great Dalmudi) from my SIL and her family. They showed us how to play and they also showed us how they adapted it so you wear hats depending on where you are in the game......"The Great Dalmudi", The "Lesser Dalmudi", the "merchants", the "Lesser Peon" and of course "The Peon"

Check out the Dalmudi Hats that we quickly found to play the game......!

(We had company who were great sports and humored us in joining in the fun!!!!)

It was a lot of fun! We're going to keep our eyes out for even better hats for next year!

So, if you plan on being at our house for Thanksgiving next year....prepare to wear a hat!

ANOTHER PART OF THANKSGIVING FOR ME!

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, I love to put together at least one puzzle. It is a tradition for me. This year as we put the puzzle together we found that we were missing a piece. A piece from the border, no less. This was a bit frustrating as this was a brand new puzzle! (Somewhere, someone has two of the same border pieces!) As I finished the puzzle, and looked at the puzzle with its one piece missing, I thought how grateful I am that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I thought about how Life is like a big puzzle that we put together as we live and grow. We put it together piece by piece, hoping to have a masterpiece of a puzzle when we are through. Fortunately, with the gospel, there are no pieces missing. The gospel completes us to be the person that the Lord wants us to be, if we allow Him to be the puzzle maker. The gospel completes the links of our families so we are connected and sealed to them for all eternity. The gospel completes lifes questions of why we're here, where we came from and where we are going. The gospel is such a wonderful blessing that takes the puzzlement of life away and leaves a beautiful picture that beautifies each and every day as we allow our faith to carry us through. At the end of my life, I hope that my life puzzle is complete in what the Lord knew all along that I was capable of doing. I hope my life is a masterpiece in the Lord's hands. I am so grateful that He is there to lift and carry me to get to that place.