Holiday Fun

This year I decided to part from my usual oreo truffles and try some new treat recipes. The first treats are peppermint chocolate cookies from the Martha Stewart magazine (thanks for the recipe, Karlee!) I just altered it by dipping the cookies halfway in the chocolate instead of completely.

The second treats are little squares of cute pink and white joy called Coconut Ice. They are my favorite Australian treats that you buy in the candy store-- but I was determined to make them at home. Yum!

Merry merry Christmas, everyone!

Lifeblood

I LOVE writing. It is my lifeblood. I've filled at least 20 journals since age five. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to write book blurbs like this one for LDS books sold in Deseret and Seagull Book, I've written for the New Era (click on the article: "A Plan for Adam") and I also write for the Square Magazine and now for Utah Valley Magazine, but even that isn't enough to satiate my desire! I am going to take a writing class in January which I am SO excited about. Click here to see a little article I wrote just for fun about fun things you can do with hot chocolate.

Letter to Santa

My mom found this letter that I wrote to Santa when I was eight years old so she typed it up as is. It's pretty funny! I think I'm pretty persuasive, don't you? Not much has changed--except that my desire for a wiener dog is definitely gone. Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa,

Hi Santa! Im sorry if your buzy. But I need to talk to you. You know my dad John Cone talked to me about getting the thing I've always wanted, always will, and its the thing I've wanted most in the world. More than $100! Serious. A wiener dog, or a cat. I'd really love one you know. So can you really try to get me one? Anyhow, my dad said you said youd be happy to get me one, but Mom and Craig don't want one, and my mom said you'd be happy to get me one at dad's house. I think the one Mom said sounds better. And by the way, if you can't get me a wiener dog, or a cat (hope you can get one,)I'd be happy to have a chameleon, lizard, or a cool animal like that won't bite me! Merry Chrismas!

Love, Kim Cone

P.S I will help you this year with what you've asked me to do. Heres some ideas: Go door to door and ask if they can donate somethings to the homeless and hungry. Or I can make some jars, and put a sign on them wich sais: Please help the hungry and homeless. I'll put it in my school, and other places.

P.P.S. Write back if possible!

P.S.S. Do you like the ideas?

Yes

No

Maybe

Australia

I’d like to bust a couple of myths about Australians: 1. They do not ride kangaroos. 2. They don’t ever say “let’s put another shrimp on the barbie” except to make fun of Americans for thinking they say that. 3. Koalas are not kind and cuddly creatures (maybe at a zoo, but definitely not in the wild!)

I hope your vision of Australia isn’t dashed to pieces. The truth is that Australians are extremely friendly and helpful, the beaches are picturesque, and vegemite is found in the a lot of Australians’ cupboards. Clay and I just got back from our trip to Australia— it was exhilarating. Some highlights:

• Seeing friends I hadn’t seen for five years

• Going back to my old high school and seeing teachers & having a little reunion

• Going to the beautiful beaches in perfect weather

• Playing Rugby (I was pretty excited when I scored a try)

• Eating my favorite Australian foods: natural lollies (candy), coconut ice, Thai Orchid, salad sandwiches, Arnott’s cookies (including Tim Tams), pavlova, New Zealand Natural ice cream, & lamingtons

• Going to Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo and hanging out with the kangaroos and koalas

• Seeing the movie "Australia" in Australia--not far from where part of it was filmed!
  

• And going to Fiji on the way home.

  

Australia, Here We Come!

Clay and I are off to Australia tomorrow!!! Jess and Arthur are coming too and we are so excited for the adventures we will have there. As most of you probably know, Jess and I spent all of our high school years there and came to be completely attached to that blessed country and the wonderful people that live there! Clay and I have been planning this trip for years so it is pretty surreal that it’s actually time to go.

It’ll take 24 hours of traveling … we stop in LA and Fiji … but it will all be worth it! Some things I’m looking forward to: Seeing old friends, eating aussie food like meat pies, NZ ice cream, lamingtons, Pavlova, Thai Orchid, salad sandwiches, natural lollies, going to see “Australia” at the Gold Class Cinemas—the theatre has comfy recliner chairs & people bring us food and drinks. Don’t worry—they are coming to America! Going to see kangaroos and koalas at Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo, the beautiful beach, showing Clay my high school and house, etc.

Aussie, aussie, aussie, oi oi oi!

My First Tag (aww, special!)

8 Things I'm passionate about...

1. Clay
2. My whole family
3. Vacationing
4. My beliefs
5. Exercising
6. My friends
7. Writing & acting

8. Change & variety in life

5 Favorite TV Shows...(I narrowed it from 8 to 5 because I don't watch much TV)

1. Take Home Chef
2. Ace of Cakes
3. Whose Wedding is it Anyway
4. King of Queens
5. Gilmore Girls

8 Favorite Restaurants...
1. Thai Orchid (Australia)
2. Paradise Bakery
3. The Cheesecake Factory
4. Harvest Restaurant
5. Mimi's Cafe
6. Trio
7. Red Mango (dessert places count, right?)
8. Magleby's Grill

8 Things I Look Forward To...
1. Seeing Clay when I get home from work
2. Getting done with work everyday :)
3. Birthdays
4. Having babies (one at a time!)
5. Summertime
6. Vacations and weekend getaways
7. Writing a book
8. Going on a mission with Clay

8 Things I've learned from my past...
1. To find positive things about everyone I meet
2. To live in the present and not only dwell in the past or hope for the future
3. Work to live, don't live to work!
4. Moms are really great and I wish I always appreciated mine--especially when I was a teenager!
5. Change is good
6. Boys are really different from girls
7. Life gets better as time goes by

8 Places I'd love to visit...
1. Ireland
2. France (more of the country this time)
3. Boston
4. Washington D.C.
5. Rhode Island
6. The Greek Isles
7. Italy
8. Tonga
and Iceland and space!

8 people I tag...
1. Karlee
2. Buffy
3. Jason (Hass)--this will be funny!!
4. Tara
5. Holly
6. Casey & Jeff
7. Emily
8. Haley

ODE TO LAUGHING GAS

I had been dreading my dentist appointment for awhile. The thought of those long silver needles going into my mouth, the unsympathetic dentist drilling away at my teeth, the drool-causing numbness, and the metallic, bloody taste in my mouth was not my idea of a good day.

Resigned to my fate, I walked into the dentist's office, signed in, sat down, and waited for the dreaded cavity-filling to begin. The dental assistant called my name and sat me down in the chair. And then she asked the golden question: "Would you like your laughing gas to smell like vanilla or mint?" she placed the elephant-like nozzle over my nose and I started breathing in the vanilla magic. Once the nitrous oxide started working--I was taken to a euphoric la la land and all thoughts of dreading the dentist vanished and it turned into the best day of my whole year! (that is, until the laughing gas and numbness wore off.)

Okay I'm not a psycho druggie wannabe or anything, but MAN that stuff is good! Did you know laughing gas comes from the bacteria in soils and oceans? Crazy!