THE Leavitt Sister Cookie Cook Off

Mid-Year Cookie Update!!!

Well, its that time of the year again... time for the mid-July cookie update. The focus of this update will be ensuring that everyone makes it home for the event. It will be on New Years Eve and as always the judging will take place at 8pm sharp. Late arrivals will be disqualified!!!! Please plan vacation time and such now!

Also, the judges are considering a few twists to the competition this year... nothing has been baked yet, but the smell of a new recipe is comeing from the kitchen!

Keep the oven on,
Derek

Six year ago on Christmas Eve my brother Derek asked me to make him some of my best cookies. I gladly accepted, after all, I do make the best cookies of anyone else. Nichole quickly jumped in claiming she could make better cookies than me. In fact, she claimed she could make the best cookies in our family. And that's how it all began- The annual Leavitt Sister Cookie Cook Off. Every year on New Years eve we celebrate with a little (that an understatement) competition in the kitchen. All the sister compete to make the best looking, best tasting, best named, best textured cookie. The brothers have the easy part of tasting each cookie, critiquing each category, and picking a winner every year. It gets pretty intense.

Alisa with her no-bake cookies (she believes the contest is rigged and this wasn't her year to win). Hollies famous cheesecake cookies with fruit on top (she attempted this last year but didn't cook them all the way). Nichole Grinch chocolate chip mint cookies (last years champion). Mom's white chocolate chip cherry cookies. And then there was, ummmm, mine....The Christmas morning splatter cookies. I tried to imitate the white chocolate chip raspberry cookies from subway.

However, with no practice over the year, they epically crumbled between my fingers. Nothing new for me. Last year I accidentally set out my burnt plate of cookies. Two years ago i was disqualified for having a mini reeses peanut butter cup hidden in the middle of my cookie. And the year before that there was a hair in my cookies. Everyone had named their cookies...the grinch cookies, christmas splatters.... they gave mine a nametag that said "Don't Eat". So yes, I am pouting in our group picture and feel fully justified in doing so.

2011 Leavitt Sister Cookie Champion: Nichole

Here are some of the best cookie updates we have receieved in previous years from Chief Derek. We take it pretty seriously.

I woke up with cold toes this morning and that means only one thing: The countdown until the 2010 Leavitt Cookie Cookoff has begun! We are within 60 days of judging and questions from competitors have been filling my inbox. Just this morning, Kara sent me a report that she noticed Hollie has been taking private cookie baking lessons in hopes of taking this prize this year. Well, Carebear, you had best start preparing your own recipe beacuse Hollie is already a cookie force to be reckoned with! In response to an in inquiry earlier this year about whether bananna bread could be entered into the competition: the judges have spent countless hours researching this issue, and the final conclusion is that since banana bread does not use leavening agents such as yeast that provided it is cut into a circle like a cookie would be otherwise it can indeed be used as a valid entry. Look for more cookie updates soon!

Sincerely,
Derek
Chief Cookie Judge

Last Minute Cookie Update
We are only a few days from the Cookie Cook Off and the spirit of competition has never been stronger! Our newest entrant--Jake--was personally discussing his cookie strategy with me today--a tri-fecta attempt at blending banana, caramel, and chocolate--a brilliant attempt at differentiation that should be feared by all other entrants!

Several kitchen-keeping questions need be addressed:

1) Weston asked if a picture of a cookie could be entered into the competition. In response, the judges rule absolutely not.

2) Jaden has asked repeatedly if he can be a judge. In response, the judges rule no. In reviewing the issue, Cheif Judge Derek had the following comments, "due to issues with young and bias children in the past (Reference: The Hunter Kids 2009), we simply cannot allow Jaden to be a judge." Specific requirements for judges are being discussed, but for temporary reference, judges must be at least 10 years old and be willing to swear an oath guaranteeing non-bias behavior.

Lastly, a rumor about someone bringing home frozen dough which they plan to cook then enter into the contest has been getting around. In response, any cookie that is not freshly prepared from scratch will be disqualified. Please do not attempt to use store purchased dough.

See you all on New Years Eve!

Keep your cookies warm,
Derek

  
Bi-Yearly Cookie Update
There is no Cookie Cook-off without controversy, and this year's 2011 Fifth Annual Leavitt Cookie Cook-off will be no different. All involved have already begun speculating about potential rule changes and new competitors. Some of these rumors have been planted by previous competitors to keep people's attention on heresay and off cookie prep. Be warned, a winning cookie takes months and often times years of preparation--getting caught up in the grapevine or becoming worried about rule changes will not help a competitor in the least.

There are some questions flying around that need addressing, however:

1) First and foremost, the competition is open to both male and female competitors. Jake has already submitted his entry form, and if what Nichole says is true, his mind is set on this year's title.

2) Competitors have been screaming for years that they want the judging system overhauled. In response, key judges plan to meet July 4th, 2010 to discuss potential changes. Top changes on the agenda include: resolving bias, defining what constitutes home made, and restricting the number of kid judges. Look for July's Cookie Update for an official statement on any changes to be implemented.

Keep eating,

Derek


I arrived to class an hour late today and shortly after trying to figure out what was going on I realized too much time has passed without a Cookie Update! Well, news I have, so here it is: The Cookie Cook-off will be at 7pm SHARP on New Year's Eve. Cookie Judges will have clean palates and be ready to be tasting so competitors had best not keep them waiting as has occurred in previous years. Any entries not complete by 7pm will be disqualified! They will likely still be eaten, of this I am sure, just not capable of taking home the big daddy prize. Speaking of big daddy prizes, Weston has alluded to something a little special that he is brewing in terms of prizes. I am certain my creative cookie counterpart brother will be brewing something good so competitors had best have their recipes perfected if they’re interested in Weston special shiznazz. A Reminder: Every year people complain that they couldn't use the over exactly when they needed. Advice: expect that someone will be using the over 20 minutes before 7pm! Another reminder (specifically to Kailee) – Don’t get so stressed your cookies go amiss! Another reminder (specifically to Mom) – I love ginger snaps!
Keep your cookies cooking,
Derek
Chief Cookie Judge

NEW YEARS EVE--Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

It’s New Year’s Eve and my guess is that you’re reading a bunch of posts on how to make resolutions that will ‘really work’ or copying resolution lists made by those around you. . Don't feel bad. So am I!!! I’ve spent too much time making lists that never get looked at again until the end of the year when I end up rolling on the floor laughing at some ludicrous idea that popped into my head at 11:59pm on Dec. 31st. None the less, I have once again set a resolution and it is no less ludicrous than all other years.

No processed sugar for a year. Yep, you heard it right. No candy. No desserts. Wish me luck!!  In regards to new years resolutions, I read today that 22% fail after one week, 40% after one month, 50% after three months, 60% after six months, and 81% after twenty-four months. Yikes.

My family had a blast on New Years. Its so great when all of us can get together. Below is pretty much everything that happened!!

We usually spend New Years Eve with THE Leavitt Sister Cookie Cook off, and then the annual Trivial Pursuit game. This year was a little different. Kristina, as always, took too much vacation time this year so she had to leave the day after Christmas. And Derek went to New York to work for a few weeks. So trivial pursuit had to be postponed until next year. Luckily we found a box of coins my mom had been saving from the laundry for the past few years and we started a family poker game. Todd & I got out first, what the heck??!!!

 Soy and Jadey had fun whacking the pinata right before midnight. It was hard to keep soy focused on it, all he wanted to do was climb up that ladder. And Jaden was so focused that it was hard to let anyone else have a turn. :)

 Right at midnight we had a toast and all shared our new year kiss!! My family is crazy so beware of the  pictures below :)

Christmas Morning!

Stockings are my favorite part of Christmas. This was the first year Todd had to create my stocking instead of my momma!!

 

Some of the famous  Leavitt christmas wrapping jobs...usually done by Weston :) 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Dodgeball- Girls vs Boys...of course!

The Languages of Love...What???!!!!

There's a lot in life I haven't figured out yet. I will never act as an expert on dating or men (not that it matters anymore)... but I have seen enough of the world to realize how incredibly amazing Todd is. Today I am especially grateful for him and the blessing he has been in my life. On Sunday we went to the marriage/family relations class. We had to share the characteristics that we love most about our spouses. I wanted to share a few of the ones I said about Todd.

Righteous- Todd knows so much about the Gospel. He wakes up early every morning to study his scriptures. Anytime I have questions or don't understand something he explains it.
Patient- He is incredibly patient with not only me but with people in general.
Calm- His ability to remain calm in any situation. I have never seen him lose his temper since the day I met him. I am not so good at that. I act on emotion sometimes and stress out so its nice having todd always there to balance it out.
Trusting- He trusts my judgement on anything. One thing particular, the finances. He knows I have lived the same type of lifestyle as him and trusts me on where or how to spend our money. His only worry is whether or not I will lose his debit card due to my lack of organization :)
Motivated- He is so motivated and driven with his career. Its so wonderful because I know he will always try his hardest to take care of our family.

My mom has been sending me books since the day I left for college. I'm sure I needed them, seeing as earlier I said i stress out easily and way too much. But one time she sent me a book called the 5 Languages of Love. Haha!! When Todd and I started dating we slowly realized we spoke different love languages. The way I showed my love to todd didn't even register to him as love. And visa versa. The final thing I love most about him is his willingness to speak my love language even if it doesn't register as an act of love in his mind :)

The 5 Languages of Love

• Words of Affirmation

  Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important—hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

• Quality Time

  In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

• Receiving Gifts

  Don’t mistake this love language for materialism; the receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. A missed birthday, anniversary, or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.

• Acts of Service

  Can vacuuming the floors really be an expression of love? Absolutely! Anything you do to ease the burden of responsibilities weighing on an “Acts of Service” person will speak volumes. The words he or she most want to hear: “Let me do that for you.” Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don’t matter.

• Physical Touch

  This language isn’t all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive.

A perfect description of my family! We are not snotty, rude or shy. We are just introverts!

My sister Alisa posted this on facebook and being a full believer that I am an introvert, I had to post it. My entire life people who didn't know me often described me as shy, rude, conceited, etc. None of which I would want to portray myself as. Actually, a lot of people in my family are that way.. We aren't big talkers, we make random turns in buildings to avoid small talk with people, and we actually prefer it that way!! But its not because we are rude. We are introverts!!!

Introverts are people who are over-sensitive to Dopamine, so too much external stimulation overdoses and exhausts them. Conversely, Extroverts can’t get enough Dopamine, and they require Adrenaline for their brains to create it. Extroverts also have a shorter pathway and less blood-flow to the brain. The messages of an Extrovert’s nervous system mostly bypass the Broca’s area in the frontal lobe, which is where a large portion of contemplation takes place.

So here are a few common misconceptions about Introverts-

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.
Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.
Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.
Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.
Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.
Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.
Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.
Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.
Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.
Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

Christmas Work Party

Last night was our work Christmas party with Anthony Morrison. Honestly, Todd and I weren't looking forward to it. But it was such a blast. We love the guys we work with. They literally have become family to me and I love each of them. Wooly, Devan, Brice, and of course Anders. We had some pretty good entertainment from Anders..."I love you", "I love you"...lets just say, he had a little too much to drink and he said his goodbyes to us at least 4 times with out realizing it :)  

Kind of a funny thing that happened. When I scooted my chair forward to the table to entire armrest broke off :) Haha! A little embarassing. So here it is!!

My Dad on the Accordion

 

Every time my dad pulls out his accordion I feel like a little girl again. Nichole and I used to run around the living room dancing together when ever he would play it. It is such a special memory to me. I love my dad!!

Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives :)

Sleep kind of fascinates me, especially dreams. In fact, anything the human brain and its subconscious is capable of is quite incredible in my opinion. Every single morning I wake up and immediately start rattling off to Todd about all the dreams I had or was just having when I woke up. Half way through out the day, I can't remember a single one. All I know is they are crazy!! I love reading about dream analysis, theories of why we dream, and even how the dreams are created. Pretty much anything on the subject interests me.  Here are some studies I recently read about that really got me thinking.

1) You forget 90% of your dreams.Within 5 minutes of waking half of your dream is forgotten. Within 10, 90% is gone.

2) In our dreams, we only see faces that we already know. Our mind is not inventing faces – in our dreams we see real faces of real people that we have seen during our life but may not know or remember. We have all seen hundreds of thousands of faces throughout our lives, so we have an endless supply of characters for our brain to utilize during our dreams.

3) Emotions. The most common emotion experienced in dreams is anxiety. Negative emotions are more common than positive ones.

4) Animals dream too. Studies have been done on many different animals, and they all show the same brain waves during dreaming sleep as humans. Watch a dog sleeping sometime. The paws move like they are running and they make yipping sounds as if they are chasing something in a dream.

5) Body paralysis. During REM sleep the body is paralyzed by a mechanism in the brain in order to prevent the movements which occur in the dream from causing the physical body to move. However, it is possible for this mechanism to be triggered before, during, or after normal sleep while the brain awakens.

Christmas Decorations at their Finest

Today we went to lunch with Todd's parents. His mom spent a lot of the time trying to convince us to buy a Christmas tree. So we headed over to Michaels afterwards to start looking. It was somewhat successful. We  bought every christmas decoration there EXCEPT for a tree. Haha!! We love it though. We have a small santa, tree, and a sleigh with fake presents in it. Next year we will buy a tree!!

Thanksgiving

Our second night home we went to the Transiberian orchestra concert.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a classical, orchestral, symphonic, and progressive band combined into rock and heavy metal music. They are most famous for their Christmas Music so every year around December they tour the nation putting on Christmas shows. The show was amazing...minus the two drunk people sitting right in front of us. I don't know who put on a better show :) The drunk man doing a hoe down dance or the actual performers on stage!! Nah, I love transiberian more.

The boys had a fun time shooting pillows at everyone using a pillow and my moms exercise band. Then they got really creative and decided to use little Sawyer as the pillow!!

 

Although Soy was scared out of his mind at first, he seemed to love it and kept asking "should we do it again". He is the most polite sweetest little kid. He never demands anything he always asks if we should do it again. Haha!! And he has good manners. Always saying please and thank you. But trying to bribe him with candy is impossible, he is the healthiest kid alive. In fact, he prefers to eat greek yogurt for breakfast!! He absolutely loves Todd. When he was little my mom would always rub his ear to get him to fall asleep. When Todd laid down in the living room to nap Sawyer kept putting his hand on Todds ear so that Todd could "sleep". Love that little boy.

Sawyer absolutely loves Jaden. He's at the stage where he wants to do everything that Jaden does. If Jaden plays with legos, Sawyer plays with legos. If Jaden picks his nose, Sawyer picks his nose :) Hence the picture below. Boys will be boys I guess.

All the boys in my family are incredibly talented when it comes to music. Odd...only because the girls couldn't be less talented with music. Half of us sing better as men than we do women:) We definitely weren't blessed in that area. Weston is incredible on the guitar and he has been training his voice in a music class at BYU. He sang a song from the Phantom of the Opera for everyone...even the woman part!

Just like Sawyer loves Jaden, Jaden loves Weston. The second Weston was on the guitar, Jaden was next to him playing one. And then Soy grabbed his toy guitar to join them.

 One of my favorite childhood memories was when my dad would take out the accordion. He is amaaazing. Nichole and I would dance and run around the living room everytime he played. Well, it looks like things haven't changed much. When he started playing my whole family was up dancing and playing around. I am going to post some videos of the whole night. We had so much fun.

My dad is an amazing man. He lives to serve people. During the break he took all the boys to volunteer at the cannery. They spent 4 hours canning pears. My dad said he goes every couple months to remind himself of how blessed he is. 

 Mom and Derek were the best dancers. Teendog and I tried but everyone said I looked like a mexican jumping bean.

 And then there's Derek. He can't really read music but he can listen to it and then jump on the piano and play a version of it that's even better. I really admire his talent.

Kara was so incredibly excited to set the tree up. We came home one day and she had set up the whole thing on her own. My mom kept asking everyone to help hang ornaments but there was literally no room for anymore. But hey, its the least we can do to make up for our lack of musical ability!! :)

Vegas & Disneys Lion King!!

Todd and I went to Vegas this weekend to see a presentation for another company. We didn't have a lot of time to play but we did roam the streets for a while and attend a show.

 

I never thought I would think any other show was comparable to The Phantom of the Opera. I love the music and I was always obsessed with the movie. I have to admit, Lion King was every bit as good. The costumes of the animals were unreal. Absolutely amazing.

Funniest moment for Todd and I. Riding on the tram. "Wow, these windows are so dark I can barely even see the luxor." "Ummmm babe that's because the luxor is on the other side." And then realizing that I was looking at the reflection of the hotels that were actually on my left side not my right :) You had to be there for it to be funny!! I love the funny moments Todd and I have together.

Santa Monica Pier

Our week in California was an extra long one. Friday couldn't come soon enough. The second we were done working we drove down to Santa Monica.On the way we passed through Pepperdine Universities campus, oh how I would have loved to go to school there. It was beautiful. Next we headed down to the famous Santa Monica Pier. The weather was a bit cold but we still had a great time. We had dinner on the edge of the pier over the top of the ocean and then walked around looking at all the entertainment. 

 

Miami Beach

We are out in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this week for work. Wahooo!! Finally a cool place. We headed out a day early so we could have some fun on Miami beach, but if you can't tell from the picture its freezing cold, incredibly windy, and raining on us. Haha!! So we didn't spend anytime on the beach but we were able to do some shopping.




The second day we had to leave Miami Beach and had down to Orlando. I was especially excited because my favorite cuban restaurant was located right across the street from our hotel. It's called Cuba Libre and there are only 3 of them in the United States. Mmmmmm its so amazing. We went there two nights in a row and then walked around Orlando finding things to do. We found an awesome miniature golf place. It was pirate themed and probably the nicest miniature golf I have ever seen. Todd and I teamed up against Devan and his wife, lets just say...we killed them :)

Scottsdale- Yay!!!

 

This past weekend I spent in Scottsdale Arizona with my sister. We spent a fun weekend together in the lovely 90 degree weather. I don't get to see Teendog a lot so it was wonderful to be able to spend the weekend with her. My sister makes me laugh so much. You would have to take a trip with her to understand what I mean :)

Our Favorite Wedding Photos

Halloween!

Since Todd and I will be spending Halloween in Florida, we are celebrating a littler early. Jake and Nick came over for dinner tonight and to help us frost some delicious sugar cookies. We all learned a little bit about ourselves. Nichole and I are completely ocd when it comes to decorating the cookies. We average one cookie to Todd and Jakes 7!! We like to cut the candy corn, creating teeth or eyes or ears. Everything has to be perfect. Jake and Todd realized they grew up very differently. Jake puts on hardly any frosting and Todd puts it on about an inch thick :)

Can you tell which ones are mine? Yep, the ones on the right!!