My Favorite Meatball Recipe

Here is my favorite meatball recipe. I use it with Spaghetti or with a mushroom sauce over noodles. It is good to make a bunch up and freeze them on a cookie sheet, so that they are individually frozen. Then I just add them to a freezer bag and I can pull out just the right amount I need for a meal. Tasty and so simple!

Sponge Bob Cake

Here is a great Sponge Bob cake I made. You have got to try making this cake. It is sooo easy!

Competitive Soccer

Emma is in the middle of Spring competitive soccer with her team, the Diamonds. She joined competitive soccer in the Fall season and most of the girls on her team were new to the competitive group, as well.

The Diamonds play against teams from Cache Valley and Brigham City who have been competing for several years. Needless too say, the Diamond's learning curve has not quite raised to the level of the other teams. However, last week their scoreless streak was broken thanks to Cheyenne. Cheyenne was in PE with many of the girls on Emma's team and when they played soccer in class they knew Cheyenne needed to become a Diamond. In the last week, since Cheyenne was able to get her Competitive card, she has scored three goals and spurred at least one other player to hook one in, in turn. Emma has had some close calls scoring, too. She often plays striker with Cheyenne.

Three cheers for Cheyenne and Emma!

Becca's Graduating!

The Senior Class

of Bear River High School announces

Rebecca Bradfield's Graduation.

Commencement Exercises are

Friday, May the twenty-ninth,

Two Thousand Nine at seven pm.

Spectrum, Utah State University,

Logan, Utah.

Region Drama Competition

I traveled with Becca to Morgan Saturday for the Region Drama competition. She did a contemporary scene with Shay. Shay's mother, Holly, and I were asked to go as judges. This was an altogether new experience for me. I wondered how I qualified to judge the competitors.

Upon rethinking my hesitation, I remembered that as a journalist I have reviewed many things, and as a Hansen (spawn of Daniel) I came to this world with a highly developed opinion. Therefore, I decided, I could hold my head up and declare myself qualified.

Once we were at the school, Holly and I perused our judging options. I was drawn to the Musical Theatre, and Holly agreed it would be fun. There were six competitors and one other judge. Luckily the other judge was a drama teacher with a good musical background who is finishing up his first year teaching at Preston High in Idaho. He was gracious enough to take charge.

Our category was the only category in which the judges could give some verbal critique to the students. Once again, drama teacher Jed led the way with his feedback. I was relieved to hear that many of the things I noted on my judging sheets were part of his critiques as well. That was another revelation to me that I could do this.

My experience judging drama was really fun and the musical theatre was a good category to pick for a first timer! Perhaps I could do this again.

As for Becca and Shay, they performed their scene well. They had all superiors. The strange thing was that the three judges comments really did not overlap in any way that would give them feedback for improvement. Their opinions varied so much. So much for subjectivity. I guess they will just have to find someone whose opinion they trust to help them make the polishing touches.

I will (hopefully) be traveling with Becca to St. George on the 17th for the State Competition. I look forward to the nice weather there, since it has been very stormy and cold of late. Plus, since my daughter will be graduating in two months (sob, sob!!) it will build a memory I will cherish!

Crunch at Taco Time

I was taking Mariah to Taco Time Friday to turn in her application for work. When we got in the car, she asked if she could drive. She is still accumulating her hours with her learners' permit so she can get her license. For some reason, I told her she couldn't drive this time.

Taco Time is only about four to five blocks from our home, at the corner of Main Street and 300 East. There was nothing different about this jaunt. I was talking to Mariah and I began to signal and then pull a bit to the right before I made my right turn into the parking lot. But as I was moving over to the right, there was a sound of two cars colliding. One of them happened to be mine. The other happened to be a teenage boy trying to pass me on the right side of a one lane road. It totally freaked me out. I don't know where he came from or why he thought he could pass on the right. The strange thing was he was mad at me!

Mariah and I are both glad that she wasn't driving. I was so upset, my chin was having an involuntary twitch for the next several hours. Luckily, the twitch is now gone and the dent in the front passenger side of the van really is slight. Thank heaven it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Receiving My Yellow Belt

Robyn, my instructor, presents me with my yellow belt.

Brandy, my Hap Kido mentor and friend, who encouraged me to learn the art,
deserves much credit for helping me perservere and practice.