Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

Yield: 6-7 cups

Ingredients:
For the strawberry syrup:
1 heaping cup chopped strawberries
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. cold water
Pinch of salt

For the lemonade:

1 cup very hot water

2/3 cup sugar
1¼ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
4½ cups cold sparkling water or seltzer

Directions:

To make the strawberry syrup, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, water and salt in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible.

To make the lemonade, combine the hot water and sugar in a pitcher. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Mix in the lemon juice and water. Stir in the strawberry syrup.

To serve, rub a wedge of lemon or one of the spent lemon halves around the rim of a glass and then dip in sugar. Fill with ice if desired and then lemonade. Garnish with sliced lemon or strawberries. Serve immediately.

Printed from Annie’s Eats

Slacking Again

Life has been busy as I have been trying to keep up on working and school work.  April was filled with attending track meets and keeping up with family.

Trevor attended Prom with Miranda Herder at the end of April.  The theme was red carpet and they had an enjoyable time with each other and socializing with friends.

Also at the end of April Melanie and I attended Women's Conference at BYU.  We had a wonderful time and received lots of motivation to do better.  Many women from all over attend.

Melanie and I made a few service projects such as crocheted burp clothes, felt flowers, and autism caterpillars.  These are used by autism kids as they like to feel weight on them.

The weather was not very cooperative and it snowed most of June with a few beautiful days.  We are looking forward to more warmth in May.  We are looking forward to visits from Selina  and Chelsea in May. 

By the way Alex has less than 100 days to go before he returns!  I can't wait.

Home Update

So just an update - Trevor did very well on his ACT received a 29 he thinks he should be done, but I'm encouraging him to take it one more time.  He is still struggling to get straight A's with the new 4 point grading system, especially in English, but hopefully he can pull it off.

Track started a couple of weeks ago and their first meet in Laughlin seemed to be a dissappointment.  Last week they went to Elko.  Dad, Spencer, and I attended and it was very cold, snowing, and very windy.  Tough day, but Trevor did fairly well.  2nd in the 300 hurdles and the picture is of him attempting the Triple Jump.  They were competing against higher division schools in bad weather, so it was all pretty good.

This picture is of Spencer's whiskers after having been sick and not shaving for a week.  He seems pretty proud.

Otherwise we are keeping busy with the same old things.  Continuing to look for other housing, but will stay till we get kicked out or find something better.  Definitely looking forward to spring weather as we continue to have snow.

I'm trying!

Currently I have the privilege of serving as the Stake Relief Society President.  This is not a calling I ever imagined having or really understood.  I was called back in October and I am still trying to get my bearings on what is involved in the calling.  We just finished all the ward and branch conferences for the year, and that has been very helpful.  We were able to get around and meet all or most of the sisters serving in Relief Society.  I know as I have served in different capacities in the wards; I didn't really feel a need to have assistance from Stake leaders.  We were happy to see them when they visited our wards, and appreciated the training they gave at auxiliary training meetings.  But is that it?  Is that all there is to this calling?  I think about the Stake President and all of his responsibilities, and I think about the General Relief Society Presidency and all of their responsibilities.  How do I serve in a way that my service will have a purpose or help those who I have stewardship over?
Well this calling is usually a three year calling, so hopefully by the time it is finished I can report back and see where I was able to serve the Lord and the sisters of the Ely Nevada Stake.  I will be attending a training in Salt Lake next week, so I hope to glean a few things there, and I have started a Stake blog, to hopefully keep in touch with more sisters.  (it's in its infant stage and will go out to the sisters in a few weeks with spotlights of the new presidency and then soon other sisters throughout the stake http://elynevadastakereliefsociety.blogspot.com/) If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can better fulfill this calling - please let me know.  The only other time I had a Stake Calling was as a Women's Sports director, and I loved it, because I was able to get to know sisters outside of my immediate ward - this is one of my major goals this time as well - although I find it out of my comfort zone to introduce myself to others and sit by people I don't know, but I'm trying.
I do love Relief Society and have served in various callings there.  I have been a teacher, Homemaking Leader, Enrichment Leader, and Meeting Coordinator (all the same calling - but called different things, different times), Relief Society chorister (my first RS calling back in 1982), counselor in the presidency, once as 1st couns., and twice as 2nd counselor, Relief Society Ward President, and now Stake Relief Society President.  I have served in almost every capacity, except Visiting Teaching Supervisor or coordinator, and secretary - who knows one of those might be next.  I have learned to love Relief Society through my service and am grateful to see my daughters also having opportunities to be in Relief Society and to develop a love for it.
I know this is kind of a strange journal entry, but as I have read things my grandmothers have left, I have been interested to see where they have served in the church.

Tender Mercies

Today in sacrament meeting I bore my testimony on the tender mercies of the Lord.  I feel that its important for us to recognize the blessings the Lord gives us in our lives.  Some of them are very small; and some can be life changing.  For instance this last week we received notice that our rent was going to be raised - the tender mercy was that we also received notice several days before that, that we were receiving a bonus and a raise very soon.  So to me the tender mercy was that we received the positive news before the negative.  Also April and Everett found themselves stuck in Hong Kong because of passport difficulties and saw several tender mercies, first she was able to reach and old companion who took her to church, and then a kind bishop took them in and helped them apply for a temporary visa as well as careing for them for several days.  We never know how certain events in our lives will be a blessing to us later - such as April's mission.  Another sister in the ward told today how she was unable to get pregnant the first 4 years of her marriage, and what a difficult time it was, but later she counted it as a blessing that she was able to finish her education and in later years when she became a single mom she had a career that she could fall back on.  Sometimes it may be difficult to recognize the Lord's blessings in our lives, when they don't seem in line with our plan - but when we turn things over to the Lord and we let it be His plan we will be heading in the right direction.  For now be sure and notice the small tender mercies of the Lord in your lives.

Life at the Jones'

Life seems to be busy most of the time - but a different kind of busy.  I am looking forward to Track starting in a couple of weeks.  I enjoy watching my kids participate in activities - it won't be long before that privilege is gone.  Can you believe Spencer (my baby) will be 16 in a few weeks?  Hopefully I will have grandkids close by I can see occasionally to keep me busy.
Last time Melanie came up she helped me make a Family Subway Art.  She did it in her Relief Society with word strips, but I decided to do it on my cricut with vinyl letters.  I like how it turned out.  I have more projects, but its not as much fun to do them alone-Here's to wishing at least one of my daughters lived in the same town - but I guess I will have to settle for within 2 hours.

Spencer had a Court of Honor the other night and received his Star and a few merit badges.  Things are messed up at the Scout Office so I've got to get all the things he earned in Arizona straightened out.  He was quite sick that night and people asked me if he had pneumonia - luckily when we did take hime to the Dr. they said it was just a bad upper respitory infection or bad cold.  He has been home from school for 3 days plus the long weekend - hopefully he will be able to go tomorrow.

I guess that's all for now - Oh Trevor took his first ACT test and we are anxiously awaiting his perfect score -haha - not really.  Just a good score and better idea of what he really needs to work on for the next one.  We heard Emily Pitts got a perfect score.  Wow!

Unusual Temple Trip

Saturday we decided to head into Provo to go to the temple and to check out Alex's apartment for the Fall.  We almost didn't go, because the weather was suppose to be horrible, but the more I checked it sounded like it would be light snow with rain and we decided to take the 4 wheel drive and chance it.  The way there was mostly rain and we had no problems.  We did a few errands and then headed to the temple.  Provo is always a very busy temple, so we opted to do sealings when we saw a sign at the entrance desk as we figured we wouldn't have to wait so long.  I even had a few names with me that were ready for sealings to parents that Trevor and I had submitted.
  We had a very nice sealer and things were going well.   We were the first couple and did a couple sealing and then proceeded to do our family names.  I really felt a strong spirit and hoped that some of these names have accepted the gospel on the other side.
  Others took their turn and a short while later the lights went out - yes all over the temple.  We opened the door so it wasn't quite so dark and waited.  The sealer said this had never happened before - the storm wasn't excessive- and no one seemed to know why it happened.  One of the other couples with us became upset as they had flown in from Atlanta to do some family names with their son (who was attending BYU; I presume).  I suggested maybe we could continue with a flashlight and the sealer said he thought there were some in the office.  He left and came back with one and said we would go forward and the light would be restored soon.
We continued and were able to complete the family names and a few others- the lights did come on, but it helped me reflect a little on light and how we can obtain it.
Sometimes the darkness could symbolize the world around us that makes it hard to focus on the things of God, but if we can just find the light or the flashlight and turn it on (the seeds of the Gospel) - the path is much clearer - although the darkness is still all around us and if we lose our focus it is easy to lose our way, and just like before the lights went out we knew the plan just like in heaven and eventually just as the lights came back on in the temple - we too will have an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ and have all the light illuminated to us.  For now we must be ever watchful that we keep our flashlights bright - that we keep our batteries charged - and that we focus on those things that will help us return to our Heavenly Father where we can be a Family Together Forever.  There can be no greater joy in this life or the next!
  I love my family so much.  I have been blessed beyond measure.  You all bring joy in my life and help me want to live the Gospel.