30 Year Reunion with my BYU Roommates!

We loved this saying at the Irish restaurant Mary Kelley's and decided this was our theme, "Forsake not a friend of many years for the acquaintance of a day"
Hey, we have wrinkles but we're still cute after all!! Yes we were the blonde, the brunette and the redhead!!!

My 2 favorite roommates came to visit me and celebrate 30 years since we were together on Study Abroad for BYU. We went to Salzburg, Austria for 6 months and had the best time of our lives! Even after 30 years we were able to get together and pick up right where we left off! We did get together for Mother's Week in Rexburg, ID a few years ago and we couldn't believe we all had daughters that were friends and who wanted to be roommates themselves. They had heard all our stories and were amazed at their "crazy" mothers who couldn't stop talking and laughing and having more fun than they were!!! Julie from Idaho and Jill from Washington really made my week by coming to visit me!! They are awesome mothers and grandmothers and still inspire me like they did 30 years ago!! Our fun visits in Ohio included Kirtland, Longaberger, lots of shopping and working out and swimming!! (no photos of that!) and of course lots of FOOD !!

Guy's Night Cooking with Sister Sonksen

Fried Taquitos and chocolate mousse, the 2 basic food groups...I mean Mexican food and chocolate, the 2 basic food groups. They were spectacular!

The cooking night was great! All the guys got to do the hands on stuff (chopping, stirring, more chopping, eating) Sister Zepeda (Mama Z) was my helper (she did it all) and I did a little chocolate. Her stuff was so fun that I totally changed the other plans I had for chicken rolls.

Brownies at the Barneys - Sept 2007

Is this true? Do Brunettes get better grades??? Mallory would beg to differ.

I don't think these guys REALLY like each other? We are awfully glad to have Alex back!!!

Jackie and Chris are enjoying the food. Lawrence is enjoying his favorite girls, Caitlin & Tiffany.

JT, Danny & Caitlin are having fun! Stacy, Mallory and Kate are still friends after the match-up!

Candace is adorable and we're so glad to have Maria BACK !! Yes, Dave we see you back there!

The girls are getting hydrated. The Barneys are so cute and Idaho Dave is working on a new recruit!

The brownies are incredible made by Sister Barney. And look at all the food she made. Guess I'm going to have to step it up at Sundays at the Sonksens. Wow, can I really let her out-do me like this? Dang. She says the brownies are the Barefoot Contessa Recipe (maybe I need her help with my "Men's Date Night Cooking Class". The fire was lovely outside as well. So glad to have Christy Frost back and her main squeeze Ressa.

I took a great video of the Main Match-Up between Mallory and Stacy but it was so long it wouldn't upload to my blog. If you go to YouTube and look under fruitcakesister you will find my list of videos and you can play it from there! Don't look around YouTube though, nasty stuff in there!

Labor Day Picnic 2007

Carmen was the one who looked like she knew what she was doing in the end!


The croquet game I think was won by Kathleen, if she was able to edge out April and Idaho Dave. Looks like it was a close one though.

Actually Mallory flipped a big one and did a perfect job.
The weather was perfect and the pancakes were great!

Grandma's Fruitcakes

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Peach Jam

I just had to make peach jam (one of my favorites) since I got all these beautiful peaches from Michigan last weekend. While I was making tons and tons I asked the Bish if he wanted to try some...and he says (sheepishly) I really don't like peach jam...whaaaa....WHAT, almost married 30 years and NOW I find out he doesn't like peach JAM!!! He doesn't like all the fruit in it wha whaaaa!!! What the heck. There are still surprises after all these years. The first 5 kids who ask me for peach jam are going to get some. yep.

Ohio State Football game 9-1-07

The 50 yard line is where we are sitting, not bad, and a great view. I made friends at the game today with an 80 year old former Professor at OSU in the Opera Dept. Very fun and he was 6 7" I told him he was my shade from the sun he was so tall. He's going to come in the store and get a fruitcake. Isn't the stadium beautiful with 105,833 people. Yeah.
This is me practically attacking some random fan because he was dressed up so cute. I begged him for a picture with me and he agreed. Actually, most of the fans are dressed up crazy, I still need a buckeye necklace.

This is the Bish eating his favorite ice cream, Dippin Dots. I got the cookies and cream, it had little cookies in it, yum!

This is me in St. John Arena (where they play basketball) before the game at the Skull Session. Everyone was there. Especially the new school Pres. Gordon Gee, Coach Jim Tressel and the entire team, the whole TBDBITL Ohio State Band and all the Alumni Band, the visiting team band and of course me and the Bishop.



Wow, it was such a great day to go to the Ohio State Football Game vs. Youngstown State. Even though we figured we'd beat them, the crowds were awesome! First a couple of musts for the game. You HAVE to attend the "Skull Session" which is in St. Johns arena and it begins 2 1/2 hours before the game. We love to hear the band play, see the players in their suits come in to greet the band and cheer and CHEER !!! This was an especially fun Skull Session because they greeted E. Gordon Gee, the new incoming President of OSU and had all the band alumni playing today. Then there's HEINIEGATE!!! (Look for me and the Bish "partying" at the end of this clip ha-HA) It's probably for old people but we LOVE IT. It's our little secret. We like to go because Dave, one of the guitarists, is our friend....and the Danger Brothers play OUR music. It's very fun and CAN STILL be fun even without the drinking!! Holiday Inn on the Lane is the spot for the oldsters to party! Yes, we are crazy.