A Fun December

Wow how times fly! It is December already. I had so many great plans for this last year and didn't quite reach my mark, but oh well...I'll update you on our life.

Brandon comes home from his mission in Detroit, Michigan on Dec. 31 at 1:55. We won't have him for Christmas, but soon after. We are just thrilled he is almost home. I REALLY miss him especially since Jennifer got home. He has had a great experience and has even stayed alive being held up at gunpoint several times. Yea, I wasn't supposed to know about that, but brothers have big mouths!!
We'll get you all the details later.

This is such a fun time for Sydney since she old enough to "get it" this Christmas. Jennifer and Marissa took her to the Festival of Trees and she loves Christmas trees now! I got a small on for her room and we all decorated it on Saturday. She was so cute when she saw our blow up snowmen family for the first time. She jumped up and down, clapped her hands and yelled "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness"! What a cutie.

Preston had a piano recital on Saturday and played "Somewhere in My Memory" from the movie Home Alone. What a beautiful song and he did a great job. I love recitals because everyone is scared and still pulls off such great performances. I am glad he is sticking to his lessons. He has a talent for the piano and I hope he keeps on playing.

We went last Wednesday to a fireside with Elaine S. Dalton, LDS General Young Women's President, in Marissa's stake. Marissa directed the choir and they did beautifully. I love to watch her conduct. She is fun and graceful and so poised. Yea, that mommy pride is showing! Sis. Dalton spoke on transitions in our lives. She spoke about how angels are there to help us on our way in each transition we make, school, marriage, children, callings, all sorts. It was wonderful. She also said when we get down and discouraged, to say the Young Women's theme in our heads..."I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father who LOVES ME..." Oh what a great reminder of that each and every day.

I love Christmas! The tree is up, the house is decorated, (mostly) and I am even doing my Christmas shopping! I look forward to seeing many of you at this special time of year. Have a great December.

Busy Times

It's pretty sad that lately the only chance I get to look at my blog is when I am counting the morning deposit at work! I bring up my blog (or Marissa's) to listen to music. It seems life is so busy, that there is hardly time to breathe. Or maybe I am just getting old and by the time I get home from work, I don't want to do anything. Oh well. I hope everyone has a happy VOTING Day, Spencer is voting for the first time today and for Jen it will be the first time in a long time. Way to go!

Fun Times

Jen is in a choir called "LDS Ambassadors" and Mark and I were able to participate in a family history fireside they put on last Sunday. It was so great. We were part of the cast playing people that had died and were waiting for their temple work to be done. What a powerful night.

If you need a fireside for your stake or ward, think of them. Tina, the founder, writes all the music and it is wonderful. They are a multi-cultural group of singers. They do other firesides and will perform anywhere on the Wastch front. I can get their contact information if you want it. Anyway, I know their are some of my ancestors that are probably not too pleased that I have drug my feet on getting their work done. So I will add that to my list of things to do!

Jen and I went to the "What a Woman Wants" expo last weekend. It was small but fun. Let me tell you, there are alot of woman out there with great ideas. We keep saying, "why didn't I think of that first?" Oh well, it was inspiring to get and do something. Jen made a purse, her first sewing project, and it turned out so cute. So she got online to see what kind of market there is for stuff like that and oh my goodness! Everyone makes and sells something. Oh well, we'll just have to make stuff for friends.

Our Young Women group is making suckers and things for the "small fry" shop for Festival of the Trees. I now know how to make suckers and they are soooo easy! Lots of fun. We are also having the girls decorate a tree for themselves as part of their Young Women in Excellence. (My counselor got them super cheap after Christmas last year.) Our girls are also volunteering the day the Festival is set up, so I'll keep you posted.

Happy Birthday Amber!

Today Amber is 23 years old! Wow time just keeps flying by. Amber and Jennifer are only 15 months apart, so I think the Lord knew I needed an easy baby. She woke up smiling and just kept it up all day. If you couldn't find her, she was probably up in the Mulberry tree reading. Her nickname was "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast because she always had her nose in a book. She won a big frog one year for reading the most books in the class.

Now she mostly reads textbooks, but she still finds time to read for fun. We want Ambs to know how proud we are of her and the great things she has done in her life so far. May you always have peace and joy in your life. Love you tons!

What Have I Done?

So this was on a friend's blog so I stole the idea.

I saw this while I was blog browsing and thought it would be fun!! You should do it too! Just copy and paste the 200 statements then bold the ones you have done!! Hope you enjoy it!!

The idea is to highlight the things you have done out of the 200 items on the list. The things I have done are in bold print!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - verbal not physical
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe.
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Learning New Things

So Marissa came over tonight and we played around with Amber's blog and she helped me add music to my playlist. When I was all done, no music. It was gone! But thanks to Marissa's expert teaching skills, I was able to figure it out for myself. I know shock of shocks, but I did. Really. Anyway, wha la I have music back. I know it's a small accomplishment, but I'll take what I can get.


I also was introduced to "goodreads" and love it. Thanks Jen and Josh! I love to look at what my friends have read and I realize I have read so many books that it is hard to remember all of them and that some of them are not worth mentioning. I also realize that I tend to stay away from the popular books of the time. I'll get better about that! I mean I work at a library and see so many books that there are not enough hours in the day!

TIES, TIES, MORE TIES

So we finally got some pictures from Brandon, it's been a long time. And even though they were old ones, it was great to see them. When Brandon left on his mission he wanted pretty, nice ties. Now he's all about the thrift stores. It's an Elder thing to get the ugliest, strangest ties around. At Christmas time the Elders all exchange ties. So how do they wash all of those ties? Well as you can see, they don't dry clean them! When I saw this picture of all those ties in the bathtub, it reminded me of a bunch of water moccasins swarming in Lake Texoma. Anyway, it's nice to know he has clean ties, and I will never buy nice ties for a missionary again!