Turning 30

I have maintained for years that I do not want to celebrate my 30th birthday unless I could do it right.  I informed my sweet husband he could either go all out (something along the lines of kidnapping me and dragging me to Hawaii for a week) or completely forget the day even existed.  This is mostly due to the fact that I HATE benchmarks in life that make us look back and evaluate how far I've come and look ahead to how much less time I now have to do everything I was meant to do.  Basically, it makes me feel like a failure.  So this year as I was contemplating this philosophy I decided that rather than looking back at all the things I didn't accomplish (my own human failings), I would instead look at all the blessings I have been given.  And that is a lot, 30 years of a lot.  The list just keeps getting bigger and bigger.  Naturally my next thought was, how can I celebrate those blessings as my birthday?  And I think I have  come up with a great plan.
Recently many of my friends have taken to making birthday goals, such as "run 33 miles on my 33rd birthday" or "go on 30 dates during my 30th year."  Using that as a template, I have applied my new birthday philosophy and decided I would like to do 30 temple ordinances for my 30th birthday.
Doing this alone sounds like a daunting task, so here is where all my dear friends and family come it.

I would LOVE to have you join me in the temple on my birthday, July 26th, for ordinance work.  

My hope is to find 30 names that need to be done (I'll need help with this if anyone knows where to start) and then have a couple friends join me for baptisms in the morning, initiary before breakfast, endowments during nap time, and cap it off with a round of sealings in the evening. Afterwards anyway that helped me accomplish this goal is invited to my house for cake and ice cream at 8:30.  Do I have any takers?  I don't intend to do all the ordinances for all 30 people, I just want to make sure 30 ordinances get done.  I think this is a great way to celebrate my birthday, since who makes me me more that my family that has gone before?  And it highlights the blessings I have been given.  As someone very smart once said, "If I stand tall, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants."  My family tree is riddled with giants that I have immense gratitude for, to happy birthday us!

Easiest Bean and Cheese Burritos
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced green chilis
1 tsp taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese
8 flour tortillas

In a sauce pot heat oil, then add beans, green chilis, and seasoning.  Heat through and mash with a potato masher.
Heat tortillas on both sides, then spoon beans into the center and top with cheese.  Roll in ends, then sides and place seam-down on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Best Pork Chops Ever!

Or at least that I have ever tried.   This is the simplest but most flavorful recipe!  I made them the other night just because I didn't know what else to make...but I was floored.  Give them a go and let me know what you think

Sage Pork Chops

2 t salt
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp black pepper
porkchops
2 T butter
1 cup beef broth Or 1 c water +2 t beef boullion granuals

Combine the salt, sage and pepper and rub into porkchops.
In a large skillet on med-hi heat melt butter, then add pork chops.  Cook for 5 minutes on each side.
If using water and boullion, combine in a small saucepan until warm and the granuals dissolve.  Poor beef broth/boullion mixture over pork chops, cover and simmer.  The original recipe said 45 minutes for bone in but I did boneless so it only simmered about 20 minutes.  Enjoy!
PS you could also make a gravy out of the extra sauce at the end or just serve it as au jus.  So yummy and simple, no?