News From the Homefront

More news from the Mullis Family -- Kevin has just made the Jazz Band at the school! We're so excited and proud of him. This is quite an accomplishment, since the director only selects the finest musicians to be in the jazz ensemble. For those of you who don't know, Kevin plays the alto saxaphone in the concert band. For the jazz band we don't know if he'll play alto or tenor sax, but whatever he is chosen for, it will be a lot of fun to go to the concerts and hear him play.

In addition to this, Kevin has also been working on composing his own music. This will come in handy when he will be called upon to improvise in the jazz band. This morning we went and purchased him a manuscript pad for his compositions as well as a music book of classic jazz music (such as Duke Ellington's Satin Doll) for him to practice over the summer.

This morning Kevin and I also went out for his second driving lesson. Spent about thirty minutes driving around and through the Stetson Hills building parking lot to help him get the feel of the car and how it handles before we take him out on city streets. Don't worry, I'll alert you all so you can stay clear when he does take his act on the road!

AJ is continuing to prepare for his mission, and his big news is that he is also getting ready to be ordained an Elder on May 11th! I gave him the new Tabernacle Choir CD "Called To Serve" which is a missionary album. We both agreed that it's an almost perfect recording; the selection of hymns is the best! We think this is a good recording for any home.

All in all, the Mullis Boys are Growing Up!!

What a Week!

This has been quite the week for our family. Lots of stuff going on these past couple of weeks. First, let me back up and tell you that Stan was caught speeding a short time ago, and had to go to court Wednesday. Since he was going 19 mph over the speed limit in a construction zone, it wound up being a costly little outing--over $400!! That was fun.

The big story was Stan's Jeep which has needed new brakes for awhile now. Stan and the boys were planning on replacing them this summer when things warmed up a little. Monday morning when Stan came home from work he noticed that the brake fluid was leaking and that he had to get on it ASAP. However, as he was working on it, the Jeep slipped of the jack and crashed onto the driveway. Luckily Stan was unhurt, but the Jeep had some damage to it. We had it towed to the shop and, well, several hundred dollars and a few days later the Jeep is back on the road.

Let me tell you, it's hard living with only one vehicle, even is only for a week! Makes me want to keep these in good working order.

But we got through it all and are looking forward to this weekend when we can relax and spend some nice time together. If the weather holds, we might even have a BBQ! Hope you all have a good weekend as well!

Scotcharoos!

It's time to get back into our routine. AJ started back to school last week after his spring break, and Kevin goes back tomorrow. That also means getting up early to get him to seminary. *sigh* It's been so nice sleeping in!

One of the things we made over break was one of the Mullis' favorite recipes: SCOTCHAROOS. This is a recipe we make and bring with us a lot and we always get requests for the formula. So, I thought I'd put it up here and you could try it if you like. Made with Rice Krispies, it's not exactly like those marshmallowy Rice Krispie Treats, and it is a recipe Kellogg's used to put out in the 1970s, but don't any longer. It's really very good, and I hope you enjoy!

SCOTCHAROOS
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Lite Corn Syrup
1 Cup Peanut Butter
6 Cups Rice Krispies
1 Package (6 oz.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Package (6 oz.) Butterscotch Morsels

Combine sugar and syrup in 3 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until mixture begins to bubble.

Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and mix well, until peanut butter is melted and combined with syrup mixture.

Add Rice Krispies. Stir until well blended. Press into buttered 9” x 13” pan.

Melt chocolate and butterscotch morsels over hot but not boiling water, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat; spread evenly over Rice Krispie mixture.

Let cool, and cut into bars. YUMMY!!

Here Comes April!

Here we are at the end of March already. Can you believe it? The first week of Spring break is over, and AJ returns to school tomorrow night. We had a terrific time last week.
We went to see the movie Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day which we all adored. Tuesday Stan and the boys had a guys night out. They saw a double feature of I Am Legend and Rambo. Then they went out for tacos. Sounds like a perfect testosterone filled evening to me.
I, on the other hand, stayed home and finished a new short story that I am mailing off tomorrow to a magazine in hopes of selling it. It's a psychological suspense story. If you're interested in reading it, let me know!
My sister Cheryl and her husband Don arrived Wednesday afternoon and stayed until mid-morning Saturday. We had a terrific time; lots of talking and catching up. We also took them to the diner where AJ works and they seemed to enjoy that as well. After they left the house seemed quiet to us all.
The weather in Colorado continues to be ever changing. We go from 65 degrees to 22 with a windchill of 14! I, for one, am ready for spring and one of Stan's famous BBQs! Come on warm weather! Hope all is well with all of you. See ya!

Spring Break

Well, we're now on Spring Break and ready to roll! Both AJ and Kevin have no school this upcoming week, and we are looking forward to having some family fun. Stan and the boys helped some friends move this morning while Maureen was busy baking a cake for Easter tomorrow. After all that we went out to lunch to launch our break.

Easter Sunday is also Grandma's birthday and we are looking forward to calling her. Monday AJ and Stan both have off work so we're planning on catching a movie, the first we've seen since last fall. Tuesday is a "Guys Day Out" when Stan will take the boys to a movie and dinner without Mom. It should be fun.

Wednesday we're expecting Maureen's sister Cheryl and her husband for a visit for a few days. Sadly, Don's father died. They will be stopping by to see us after attending the funeral in Kansas.

But, as is often the case in Colorado, after a few warm, sunny days, we are ushering in Spring and Easter with snow. It's been snowing all day here and it's cold too. Well, that's Colorado for you! Happy Easter everyone!

WELCOME!

Welcome to the Mullis Family Blog! We are Stan, Maureen, AJ (Arland) and Kevin Mullis and we live in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This blog is for our friends and family who are so far from us. We will try to keep it up at least weekly, and keep you all up-to-date with the goings on here in the Rocky Mountains.

Stan and Maureen will celebrate their 20th Wedding Anniversary on May 21, 2008. AJ is 18. He attends Pike's Peak Community College and works at Gunther Toody's diner. Kevin is 16, just got his learner's permit, and is a sophomore at Sand Creek High School.

Life is great in the Mullis home, and we'll be letting you know the latest and the greatest in future blogs!