Tam's Blog

Roger Turns 40

2012-01-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

My sweetheart turned 40 on January 6th. I can't really say that 40 is old because...I turn 40 in two months. The funny thing is, we both feel the same as we did when we were 20, but here we are 20 years later and all of the sudden people are seeing us as "middle aged". SO WEIRD! Oh, well. I think Roger is extremely handsome and he just gets better with age in every way. We will be married 17 years this March. He makes me happy and I make him happy, what more could we ask for?

My sister Franci, niece Kareesa and Roger's mom Pat were at our home for Roger's party. It was fun to have the house full of people and cook Roger's favorite dinner (Pulled Pork) and make his favorite dessert (French Silk Pie). He got lots of fun presents and he was able to spend time with his kids. It was a great day and it just continued through the weekend as we relaxed while enjoying our first winter snow fall.

Roger is a very special person. Those that know him know exactly what I am talking about. He is a light to the world as he shares his talents and teaches those around him with that incredible mind of his. He is a genuine guy who is honest about how he feels (and is easy to read...he wears his heart on his sleeve). He is a good man full of virtue and conviction for what he feels is right. I am so blessed that he is my husband, my best friend and the father of our children. "Here's to 40 more Rog!"

New Year Aspirations for 2012

2012-01-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

2011 was a great year all in all. I was able to accomplish many things and it was a year of "personal peace". Even though I have had my share of trials I felt that I was prepared to meet those trials and get through them with more grace and courage than I ever have in my life. Does this mean, I am a grown- up? I will be celebrating my 40th Birthday on March 1st, so I think it is about time I started acting a bit more mature in the face of adversity. We will see...

Some of the big events were: FINALLY, getting into a home up here in Salt Lake and that has given me a sense of stability that I so greatly appreciate. I took a math class that I have been putting off for 17 years so I could finally get my Bachelor's degree. (this story does not have the ending I had hoped for, but I will share that with you in a future blog post) And I reached an aspiration I had set from 2 years ago by auditioning for and (this time) getting into a summer stock theater season at The Old Lyric Rep. I am also pursuing my dream in becoming an SLS Vocal Instructor and am in the "pre-certification" phase of my training. I will start teaching students out of my home in a couple weeks and it has been so amazing to set up a studio and share something I am so passionate about.

Here is a partial list of my aspirations for 2012:

~ Keep a Scripture Journal
~ Continue to make exercise part of my daily routine (it is about Health, not "dieting")
~ Make Vegetarian Meals for Dinner 2 - 3 times a week
~ Develop Family Chore Chart/Involve Kids in not only Clean Up but Cooking as well.
~ Continue to Sing every day and Practice Scales on Piano every day
~ Stick to Business Plan for SLS
~ Record in a Studio again. This time doing at least one original song
~ Pick up the Guitar again and have "jam sessions" with Roger
~ Continue Asking for Help when I need it
~ Be mindful not only of Serving my Immediate Family but Extended Family & Friends
~ Do at least one Vocal Recital and one Fireside

Happy New Year!!

My Top Favorite Books of 2011

2011-12-31T11:29:00.001-08:00

This year I doubled my book reading, I went from reading a pathetic 9 books last year to reading 18 this year. Not bad, but I know I can do better in 2012. I think now that I am settled into our house I can carve out time each day to read. I love it and I am enjoying seeing my kids start to read with the same appetite that Roger and I have. Roger has been reading The Hobbit to the kids and each night I have started reading from chapter books to Ivy. It is fun to read together and bond over books. I am not counting any of the books I read with Ivy in this list, they are all my own personal reading.

I also said in last year's post that I would try audio books, I did not do that. But I will be traveling in my car quite a bit for work related stuff so I think I may just do that...we will see. Roger got me a Kindle this year for Christmas and it has been fun to use that and download books and articles onto it. It also has an audio feature on it. So, I may use that while I am in the car. ANYWAY, here are my TOP TEN BOOKS for 2011:

1. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
2. The Girl Who Played With Fire, Stieg Larsson
3. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
4. True Grit, Charles Portis
5. Howards End, E.M. Forster
6. Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain, Portia de Rossi
7. The Help, Kathryn Stockett
8. This Time Together, Carol Burnett
9. One Day, David Nicholls
10. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

My TOP FIVE:

1. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Steig Larsson
2. True Grit, Charles Portis
3. Howards End, E.M. Forster
4. Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain, Portia de Rossi
5. The Help, Kathryn Stockett

My NUMBER ONE Book For 2011:

1. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Steig Larsson

This book was tough to get through at times because of it's violent subject matter, (it deals mainly with the issue of violence towards women) but it was so compelling and I came to love the lead characters so much. I wanted so badly for them to triumph in the end. I am not sure I will see the movies, but I sure enjoyed the books (it is a trilogy, 1-3 in my top ten list). The whole series was amazing and well worth the read if you can handle a darker subject matter.

Ivy's Good Heart

2011-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

My daughter Ivy...where do I start? In having a daughter and two sons I am able to see that there is a difference between raising a son verses a daughter. In my case, my sons have been, how do I say it...less complicated? Girls are complicated creatures, no doubt. Just when I think I have Ivy all figured out, she throws me a curve ball. And the older she gets the more complicated she seems to become. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Being a girl myself, I tend to think of it as ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL because underneath all the complexities is a girl with one of the most genuine and tender hearts that I know. She is so tender hearted that she tends to keep herself very guarded. It will be something we have to work on with her, to allow herself to show her true emotions more often, but I love when she willingly will show them and become truly sentimental.

A couple days ago sickness struck my body. I have caught a bugger of a cold and it is not a good thing in our household when I get sick. Especially during the holidays when all the kids are home. They want me to be there and play with them and cook for them and not be lying in a bed sneezing and dripping from eyes and nose groaning from the aches and pains...but there I was on Wednesday night, not able to tuck the kids into bed. Roger took over "tucking in" duties and I just stayed in bed reading and drifting in and out of sleep...miserable. I could hear Ivy though, she was busy doing something, she and Roger had worked out some sort of deal for her to stay up late because she came into my room and got the craft box and I could hear her until about 11:30pm scampering about the house. Just before I drifted off to sleep for the night she came in and gave me an invitation to "Mom's Get Well Party".

The next morning Roger woke me up and said that even though I was feeling terrible I needed to come out and see what Ivy had planned for me. I zombied my way out and saw that she had put up streamers all along the hallways accented with old birthday decorations. When I walked in the kitchen she had the table all set out and I sat in my chair and she asked me what I wanted for breakfast. I was far from being hungry, but I said, "I am not that hungry but could use some orange juice." She and Roger got the juice for me and then she had me put on a party hat. I drank my juice and noticed that she had wrapped three presents for me. She said, "Before the presents let's play a game, 'Pin the Hat in the Nurse' ". She had drawn this game up of a nurse and then she had this cute nurses hat that you would tape on while your eyes were closed (she couldn't find a blind fold). We played the game and then I opened my presents, she gave me two stuffed animals from her collection and some sea shells.

She then allowed me go back to bed and sleep for "one hour" (even though I was able to sneak in more time, hehe). I couldn't help but think through all of this, what a good heart she has and that she would think of something so special and sweet to do for me so that my spirits would be lifted while my body was totally miserable. She thought of it all on her own. Roger said he had nothing to do with it, he just let her go! As a parent I don't want to squelch this side of her. She is so creative and thoughtful and I want to nurture that because it is a good thing to express your love for someone in these ways. To take the time to do something special like this so they feel better and know through your actions how much you love and care about them.

I went to her later and told her how much this meant to me and that I loved that she thought of all those little details and that I knew how much work went into it. I told her that I could tell she loved me and I that I loved her too. Her sweet little face just lit up and we hugged. I think we are on the right track she and I. Even though daughters are complicated creatures and we don't always see eye to eye, we are showing each other our love and appreciation for each other and you can't go too off course while doing that.

What Christmas Means to Me...

2011-12-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS. Every year I gain a deeper understanding of this sacred holiday. The temporal gifts tend to mean less, and less to me and instead of making the maddening abyss of retail chaos my focus, my heart yearns to give more of my Time and Talents and to find those opportunities throughout the season where I can serve those who matter most. I also try and find those quiet moments when I can reflect on the Savior Jesus Christ and how I can become more like Him.

His very essence is Charity. Charity, is the pure love of Christ. During his ministry on this earth He set down the ultimate example of finding the time for those that needed Him and those that loved Him and followed Him. I want to be more like that and be there for the people that need me and love me. To find that balance in my life where I can see clearly what is truly important and where my Effort and Time needs to be spent. It will be a life long endeavor for sure. I am far from being where I want to be and where I know I could be, but if I give more attention to it and try a little harder each day, I know I will get there someday. In the meantime I know He is still there for me when I pray for His guidance and to give me strength in my efforts.

As part of our Christmas Activities we ventured out on a cold, COLD, Christmas Eve, Eve and went to Temple Square. In spite of the crowds we were able to see the beautiful grounds covered in lights. We were able to see the beautiful buildings that were so diligently made by our pioneer ancestors. And we were able to feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost manifest to us that we were walking on Holy ground. I love the temple. It makes me so happy to be able to go there and receive the blessings it provides. I take it for granted and I know I shouldn't, but I do. This Christmas Season I tried not to take it for granted. I tried to see it's true worth in my life and the life of my family.

Here are a few pictures of our cold night out...but despite the cold and the crowds, it was worth it!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Time Spent in the Kitchen

2011-12-25T20:42:00.001-08:00

This year is a landmark year for me in the kitchen. Last year when we were in our transitional state: waiting for our house to sale in St. George while living in a small apartment in Salt Lake...I learned to love cooking. We were on a tight budget and I had to get creative and become the chef I never wanted to be. But while I was in the midst of resisting my culinary talents I discovered that I did ENJOY COOKING. Especially for my family. It is just one more way I felt I could serve them. And as the old saying goes, "You love who you serve". My love grew and grew, I tell you!! Now that we are in our house there are two rooms that I just adore: My loft/library/music studio AND my kitchen. This Christmas was so amazing for me, I was healthy and I was able to cook and bake like a mad woman!!

I made my first gingerbread. We made little gingerbread men...

Chester and Ivy decorated them. (notice how Ivy patterned them after her and put one blue eye and one brown eye!) We plan on starting a tradition next year where we will design our own ginger bread houses. Now that I know how to do the gingerbread dough it should be a lot of fun!!

I made Peanut Butter Blossoms

Sugar Cookies

Ivy and I frosted them with Cream Cheese Frosting that I made from scratch.

Of course I had to make Chocolate Chip Cookies

We set these out for Santa.

We always love decorating a gingerbread house. We usually buy a kit or use graham crackers. This year was a kit, but like I said next year we are stepping it up a notch and making the house from the ground up!

Max, Ivy and Roger did our house this year. We love to make it all pretty and then on New Year's Day we destroy it with each family member giving it their best karate chop!

I made my famous rolls twice this year. Once at my sister's house for Thanksgiving and then for our Christmas Feast here at home. They are TO DIE FOR!!!

Rise...

Bake...Heaven!

For our Christmas Feast I made a turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, jello (jigglers) and the rolls. We served it on our fancy dishes with our fancy place mats and real napkins and drank sparkling cider...Aren't we hoity toity, la de da!!

It was a lot of work, but so gratifying to me. We were able to give away some of our sweet creations to our dear neighbors and it made the Spirit of Christmas that much more joyous. I am hooked!

That Time of Year...

2011-12-19T09:40:00.001-08:00

This is the time of year that should be for reflecting on our Savior's Birth and spending time with family...but for most of us it turns into: busy, stress, busy, stress, eat a cookie, busy, stress! I have tried so hard this year to NOT fall into that trap and for the most part I have succeeded AND for the first time in a LONG time I have not gotten sick during the holiday. In the past I have been so very sick, sometimes to the point of pneumonia and yes, I attribute that to DOING TOO MUCH!! There are a few things I said YES to and I am happy I did.

First, the family and I attended Sting and Honey Company's The Bird of Dawning Singeth All Night Long. It is the Nativity Story told through poetry and classic mask technique. It was so beautiful and inspired. And to top it all off, it is put on by local High School Students. But this program is very special and it is run, in part, by two friends of ours, Javen and Tara Tanner, two of the most talented people you will ever meet in the theater world. My favorite quote of the night is the first one uttered in the play: "Each must make a safe place of his heart, before so strange and wild a guest as God approaches." ~ Li-Young Lee If this productions continues to be an annual event we will make it a Christmas Tradition to attend as a family.

Then I wrote a Relief Society Program for my ward and it kept me focused on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It was so wonderful to go through the scriptures and past talks given by prophets and other church leaders to gather what I needed for the program. I particularly loved reading the testimonies of the prophets. I got a strong sense that they know the Savior personally, much more personally than I do, but I know in my heart that I can come to know Him better as I read the scriptures, pray and serve others.

My favorite quote that was in my program was a testimony of Christ given by our prophet Thomas S. Monson. He said, “Our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Brother, our Advocate with the Father died for our sins and the sins of all mankind. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the foreordained but voluntary act of the Only Begotten Son of God. He offered His life as a redeeming ransom for us all. His mission, His ministry among men, His teachings of truth, His acts of mercy, His unwavering love for us prompt our gratitude and warm our hearts. Jesus Christ, Savior of the world—even the Son of God—was and is the ultimate pioneer, for He has gone before, showing all others the way to follow. May we ever follow Him.”

I also participated in our ward choir. I LOVE Christmas Music and nothing brings the Spirit more readily than sacred music. Yesterday I was preoccupied with all that had to be done at church and as I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting I was having a hard time feeling the Spirit. I said a little prayer that I would feel it and get out of the meeting what I was supposed to. Right after my little silent prayer a violin/piano musical number began...it was Ave Maria (Bach Gounod's version). I burst into tears. That song holds so many wonderful memories for me pertaining to my family and I just couldn't hold back on my emotions. Time stood still for a moment and I was able to reflect on all that was important and everything else just faded away. I had such a moment of clarity...it was just what I needed and I felt, peace...listen to this and maybe you will get a sense of what I mean:

When I got home from church I was able to spend time with my kids. At one point I got drowsy and wanted to take a nap (isn't that one of the best things about Sunday, I mean, come on!) but I grumpily pushed through it because the kids really wanted to play a board game and we haven't done that in a while and it was way over due. We decided on Monopoly (Lord of the Rings version) and Roger joined us...we ended up losing to Maxwell! It was his first time winning and he was pretty stoked. The game started with me in a grumpy mood but then I began to enjoy myself...even if I lost to an 11 year old. Haha, it was great to see him so happy.

I feel like we can coast into Christmas now. I got my presents wrapped, my bout of depression over with (it hit pretty hard last week), all the school Christmas programs are done and I still have baking to do, but that is always a pleasure!! Merry Christmas to all and I hope your season is a bright and merry one!!

Oh Tannenbaum...

2011-12-04T17:37:00.000-08:00

Trimmed the Tree and Decorated this weekend.

Flash On...

Flash Off.

Roger's mom gave us this little Disney Village...she also made the stockings. But I will take credit for the cross-stitched Santa and the wreath. I made those in my rare moments of craftiness.

Even got the Lights Hung outside. This is stage 1. We may add a bit more this week, but for sure next year we will do more.

I love Christmas!!

Family Portrait Time!

2011-12-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

The insanely talented duo, Kevin and Katie Hulett of K Hulett Photography took our portraits this year. You must check out their blog, they are so amazing. Most people can take pictures with their nice camera and they turn out great! But honestly, these two are True Artists with their camera. just stunning work. We have been friends with Katie for many years thanks to St. George Musical Theater. She was in Music Man and Singing in the Rain with Roger. Such a kind hearted human being and we were just pleased as punch when she and Kevin were available to take our photos on our way through St. George at the end of October. The pictures speak for themselves so enjoy!!! (click on a photo for a closer look)

Ivy and Max WIN Reflections Contest!

2011-11-21T13:46:00.001-08:00

Just got back from attending an Open House at the school where Ivy and Max were being honored for winning in their category and age group of the Reflections program. The theme this year was Diversity Means...

Ivy did a watercolor of dogs because she "likes dogs". Her painting is called Colorful Dogs and shows that the world is a more colorful place when there are differences. There is just something about this painting that I love...can't really say anything specific, but it is a cool picture!

Max did a stop motion film called, Black and White that shows these two different little guys coming together and working as a team. Showing diversity can mean people of different color, culture or beliefs can come together and actually be stronger as they work together instead of against one another.

He took over 500 pictures with our digital camera and worked for 2 weeks on this short film. He was amazing in his vision and the ideas that he expressed. SO, it came with great disappointment when they didn't have the right device to play it on today at the open house. Granted it was the PTA putting it on and they weren't the judges and they were doing the best they could... and they are VOLUNTEERS no less...but still it was so hard to watch Max's devastation in front of his peers. He was SO excited to show off his hard work for his class when he first entered the competition, but his teacher didn't have the right device in her classroom, THEN he wins the competition and they don't have the right device to show it on at the Open House. He is so proud of it and really wants everyone to see how cool it turned out and believe me it is cool! (we will show the final movie once the competition is completely over)

Roger and I felt so bad...we decided we would bring a copy to his teacher at our parent teacher conference today and see if one of the formats we have will work so she can show it to the class tomorrow before the Thanksgiving Break. We also need to make sure that before his entry moves on to the higher levels of this competition they will have what is needed to view his movie. Ugh! I DO NOT like seeing my kids devastated!!!

All I Want For Christmas....

2011-11-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

Is my two FRONT TEETH!!! (perfect timing Ivy)

New Blogs

2011-11-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

Hello to all my friends and family who follow this blog. I wanted to let you know that I have a new blog that will follow my path in becoming a vocal teacher, being a vocal teacher AND will highlight ANYTHING in the singing, speech or vocal arena that I find interesting. If you would like to follow it feel free!! The link is below:

One Voice At A Time

And for those who don't know I also have a blog about my other passion, Houses!! This blog will highlight projects we do with our current house and any other house related thing I find fascinating. Here is that link:

No Place Like A Home

The new One Voice At A Time blog has current performances from a recital I did at the end of October. I will post a new song every other day so if you want to view that check back on that blog often or become a follower!

Thanks!!

Sharing Talents and Family

2011-11-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity this past week to share one of my talents on more than one occasion. First, I had a vocal recital on Oct 29th for my friends and family in St. George and at that recital my Aunt Judie asked if I would sing at her son Adam's wedding dinner. This her baby and last child to get married and I didn't even hesitate, "Of Course!" I said. Even though I knew it would mean time out of my busy schedule and a 4 hour trip each way, it didn't even cross my mind to turn her down. I love to sing and I love sharing my talent with those who want to hear it. I have been blessed my whole life with this talent and I think it is a blessing to be able to share it, especially with my family.

Here is a picture of the special day. I was so happy I could make it down and sing for the happy couple's dinner and then go to the wedding the next day. I also got to visit with my extended family and stay at my sister Janell's house. We had such a nice visit. What a great trip it was!! Congratulations Adam!!

Max Gets His Arrow of Light

2011-11-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, November 3rd, Max received his Arrow of Light Award in Scouting. He is now an 11-year-old Scout and then goes into Boy Scouts! I can't believe how quickly the time goes. These kids are growing up WAY too fast!

We had a face painting ceremony before he received his award.

Right after he got his Arrow of Light we shared a hug.

Cool Face Paint

In this troop they have a bridge that the boys cross over once they receive their award. It is symbolic of a Cub Scout crossing over into Boy Scouts. Here is Max with the Cub Scout Leader Sam Tingey after he crossed over the bridge.

Then Max burns his name and the year into the bridge.

All Done!

Proud Parents. Max has worked hard in scouting and really enjoys it. He will be a wonderful Boy Scout. Congratulations Max!

Disney Trip: The Final Part (haha)

2011-11-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

We started our morning at the Story Tellers Cafe in the hotel. Chip and Dale are the hosts and this picture is priceless with Dale and Ivy. They have the same teeth!!

This is a fun photo op where the kids can pretend they are inside a toy box. Max and David showing off "action figure" style.

Chester screaming like Buzz did in the movie when he wanted to get OUT of the box.

Trisha and Ivy also want to get out. None of these toys like being in the box I guess.

A picture with the man himself!

We went to the princess luncheon and met our hostess Ariel. Trisha was on cloud nine. Ariel is her favorite! Ivy had purchased an autograph book the night before so we used it quite a bit during this day getting character autographs. That was a lot of fun.

Cinderella was amazing! This woman who portrayed her at the luncheon was one of the best I have ever seen at Disneyland. I am a Belle fan, but the way Cinderella interacted with the kids and her whole persona was so at ease with what she was doing, I was a Cinderella fan big time. Yay! Cinderella!

Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora

Belle! I had to get into the picture!!

Lovely Snow White

Ivy got her face painted on the Boardwalk.

California Adventure was fun! Ivy got to go on all the rides except she was too short for California Screamin'. She went on Tower of Terror though. I could not. I don't like that ride and was happy to sit it out with Chester since he didn't want to go on it either. Been there, done that, good enough! Roger, Trisha, Max and David went on the Grizzly Water Raft ride like 8 times and got soaked! Luckily our hotel was right there so they could change before dinner. We ended our night with the World of Color water show. It was spectacular. Afterward we went back to the hotel and Ivy had a break down because it was all over. We walked around Down Town Disney to help cheer her up a bit and then went back to the hotel to get rested up before our long journey home.

It was so wonderful to spend time with family and create memories together. I can't wait for our next adventure to Disneyland. We have averaged out at going every 2 to 3 years and that is about right. It keeps things special and fresh. We would love to go to Disney World next time. We have never been there. I think it would be fun to spend a whole week there, any takers!?

Disney Trip: Part 3

2011-11-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Halloween! We went back to the hotel and got changed into our costumes. They had a cat walk for the kids to go down and an MC would announce their name, age and who they were. A guy on the piano would play music according to their costume. It was so cute!

Chester was Buzz Lightyear

Max was Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender Series

Ivy was Rapunzel

Each of the kids were given a trick or treat bag and then they had stations throughout the hotel where the kids could go collect their candy and show off their costumes. Chester is saying, "To infinity and beyond!!!"

Grandma Pat made this costume. It is so perfect!! I wish he could wear it next year too! He looks just like the cartoon!

Little Ivy modeling her Rapunzel costume. She LOVES this wig and will wear it around the house. She wants to grow her hair this long...not sure if that will happen.

Here is Trisha in her costume. Trisha was Merida from the upcoming Pixar movie, Brave. And that is her real hair folks, no perm, no dyes....pretty much my dream hair!

David as Ezio, one of the assassins from Assissin's Creed, very cool costume.

And Roger and I, the hippie and Star Trek dude.

Halloween was so fun in the hotel. After the party Ivy and I crashed! I was so tired!! Roger took Max and David to the arcade in the hotel and by the time he got back we were asleep and Chester was just hanging out ready to go to sleep. The lights went out quick and we dreamed of our next day at California Adventure!!

Disney Trip: Part 2

2011-11-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Disneyland!

Excited to go into the park and have breakfast with Minnie and Friends. Me, Ivy and Chester with Janet and Trisha.

Max and David

Big Hug for Ivy from Winnie the Pooh

This Winnie the Pooh was so funny! He took Roger's hat and wouldn't give it back.

"Keep Away" from Ivy

"Give me that hat Chip!"

She finally gets the hat back.

Ivy and David with our hostess.

Chester and David with Captain Hook

Ivy driving her first car on the Speedway.

Frog and Toad Ride

Chester on the Tea Cups

Excalibur!

The Castle

Chester was so happy to see his buddy Woody!

I love Jessie!! I was more excited than Ivy.

Our first day was so fun. We got right on all the rides because even though it was Halloween it was a Monday and hardly anyone was at the park. It was awesome!! We were so tired by the end of the day. The park closed for the Halloween Party at 6pm so we went back to the hotel for the Halloween party they were having there.

Disney Trip: Part 1

2011-11-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

We had the wonderful opportunity to go to Disneyland the past few days with my sister-in-law, Janet, and her family. The kids and I drove down to St. George on Friday, spent some time with family there and Saturday took family pictures and I performed my vocal recital for friends and family. Saturday night we drove to Janet's house in Mesquite, spent the night and traveled Sunday to Disneyland. We pulled up to the hotel and got settled, then we thought it would be fun to hit the pool and relax before our two park days.

The kids had a blast in the water.

Chester LOVED the water slide and went down it several times.

Ivy enjoyed a shallow hot pool.

Max and his cousin David swam around and also enjoyed that water slide.

By the end everyone ended up in the hot pool making a whirlpool around Roger. We went to dinner in Down Town Disney. Janet and Dan took the kids while Roger and I enjoyed a "date night" at the House of Blues. We got to eat good food and someone gave us free tickets to see Jonny Lang. I actually liked his opening band better than him, but he was talented, just didn't resonate with me. We slept well that night dreaming of the fun that would ensue the next day at DISNEYLAND!

Max and Aang

2011-10-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

We are gearing up for Halloween! One of this family's FAVORITE holidays! I love playing dress up, always have, always will. Luckily I married a man who will dress up with me and have fun doing it! Naturally we have offspring that feel the same as we do and jump at the chance to dress up. There is something magical to me about Halloween. I have never focused on the "devil", scary, icky Halloween. It was and is always about two things: Dressing Up and Candy. What could be a better combo, I ask you?

This year Maxwell has given into peer pressure from his parents and will be Aang from the cartoon series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. (we completey discount the live action film put out a few years back, it is ALL about the cartoon in our minds) Max looks so much like Aang and he only has a couple more years of actually doing what we ask him to do (those teenage years, just around the corner) SO, Aang it is!!

We are serious about this and have Grandma Pat on the payroll this year to make his costume! She is amazing and we wanted this costume to be just right. No store bought jumpsuit with the mask that has the cheap string, NO SIR! This year we are going ALL out! Max is even going to buzz his head for the occasion. Not totally bald, but since he is blonde just a buzz will look satisfactory.

While grandma is doing most of the work, Roger and I had a couple tasks of our own for this particular costume. I would be in charge of the arrow tattoo that sits so prominently on Aang's head and Roger would make the staff that Aang carries around. First my project:

Here is the inspiration: Aang himself

I make a template by measuring Max's head and figuring out how big the arrow has to be. Then I draw the arrow on card stock and cut out the arrow.

I got some of that colored hair spray from the drugstore. I set the template on his head and spray! Voila!! When his hair is buzzed it will look more legit and I will spray it a bit less so the arrow will be a lighter blue. This stuff washes right off, so it does it's job and then goes away in the shower when you are through.

Roger got some wood from the hardware store and cut it to length. Here he is with Max sanding it down and prepping it for the stain.

Roger staining the wood. We will put two to three coats of the stain on.

Max holding the stain while Roger paints. Team work!

I will show the final pictures after we get back from our Halloween extravaganza at Disneyland! We leave in the morning! Can't Wait!!!

Chili Cook Off

2011-10-26T20:48:00.001-07:00

We have been gearing up for the annual Chili Cook Off for our ward. Roger made white chicken chili last week to test out the recipe he wanted to do. We stayed up late last night preparing the chili so that it would have a chance to sit over night and really get those spices to sink in. Much to our dismay something went wrong with the roux and the chili did not turn out. He was on his way out of town the next day and I had a booked schedule so we had to scrap the chili and not enter this year. BUMMER!

My Bear Den had plans though to make up a chili at my assistant Kelli's house. Kelli had the meat, onion and garlic all cooked up when the scouts and I arrived and then we started the fun! We added fresh roasted peppers, three kinds of beans, canned tomatoes, chili powder, cayenne pepper and other yummy spices.

Here are Dylan, River and Kelli cutting up the peppers and rinsing the beans.

Tyler proudly holds the chili powder.

Nick sneaks in some more chili powder!!

The finished product!! It turned out so yummy! We ended up winning 2nd runner up in the competition!! Whahoo!!!

The kids were able to dress up for the cook off if they wanted too. Here is Ivy in her Rapunzel Costume. We were short on time to get ready so Chester just went in normal clothes like me. Not our usual behavior, I love dressing up, but the day was so crazy so I just dressed up my two youngest.

Since Max's costume is still being made he decided to go as a mime. As former mime troupe members in high school, this choice makes his parents very proud! ;-)

Buzz Boots

2011-10-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, we are all feeling much better today after "the plague" hit our house yesterday. We slept well and woke up pretty ravenous. We all weighed ourselves and each person lost 4 or 5lbs. I wouldn't mind keeping it off but the kids have to eat, eat, eat!! Haha When I talked to Roger last night he had the same thing as we did! It was a miserable day for him at the convention. He texted me this morning and is feeling much better.

Now that we are back to better health we need to prepare for Halloween and our trip to Disneyland next week! We are so excited!!! We have been planning this trip for months and are excited to go with Roger's sister Janet and her family. One of the projects I was working on before we got sick was Chester's Buzz Lightyear Boots. I bought the costume, jetpack with the wings and his gloves. But the costume did not come with boot covers so I had a great idea...

I have had these moon boots for YEARS! I think since my early teens and they still fit. I have kept them with my costumes and thought if I ever wanted to be Rainbow Brite for Halloween, I was set! Well, they fit Chester! So I thought I would combine the basic "moon man" look of these boots with...

Colored Duct Tape and create Buzz Lightyear's Boots!

My lovely assistant, Ivy, is modeling the results for me today...

Not bad eh?! Chester pretty much jumps around with glee when he sees these boots so I know I hit close to the mark. He is going to be such a cute Buzz.

My next project: figuring out how to give Max the "blue arrow" tattoo on his head for his Avatar airbender costume. I have some ideas...will report on this later.

Motherhood: NOT for the Faint of Heart

2011-10-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Wow! Can I just say the last 14 hours have been....I can't find the words....I am very tired and have mixed emotions. That old saying, "When it rains it pours" has come to fruition at the Dunbar Household.

Step 1: Husband leaves for the weekend

Step 2: Get kind of freaked out when Husband leaves because I am paranoid and think every noise the house makes is a Ninja trying to get into the house to take my stuff and hurt me and my kids. OK, maybe Ninja is going a bit far....How about, Zombie...well, anyway, you get the point, some random dude who wears a mask and won't play nice.

Step 3: After watching a movie in my basement to help sooth me (And it wasn't a horror movie, I am not that stupid,...it was Paul Newman as Buffalo Bill...And before you laugh about it, it was directed by Robert Altman AND Paul is very soothing as an actor, don't you think?) ANYWAY, I walk upstairs to find "my sleeping buddy" (Ivy usually sleeps with me when Roger is gone) sitting up and hunched over like a sick dog....yep, she is sick AS a dog and has thrown up in my bed.

Step 4: Get Ivy into the tub and strip the bed. Throw every particle of bedding, towels and clothing that has been touched by the puke into the HOT washer. HOPEFULLY some sanitation will be going on inside that washer.

Step 5: Get Ivy ready for bed and back into my bed for some TLC...But Oh NO! We are not finished!!! She runs to the bathroom and just starts heaving over and over again. I do my job as her momma and rub her back, pull back her hair, say comforting words like, "Just let it all out sweetie" and pretty much think in my head. "Ya, I am the best mom ever."

Step 6: Somewhere around 2:30am it happens. You don't want to believe it, but Oh YES! It happens. The poor child who looks emaciated and pale and who possibly couldn't endure anything more than vomiting into a toilet for the last 2 and 1/2 hours gets diarrhea. Now I have it coming out both ends and usually it wants to happen simultaneously. I don't have to go into much detail, but you get the idea right? Code Word: NOT FUN! And now I am thinking to myself, "Ya, "best mom ever" you have to hold it together for your daughters sake. I am sure it much worse for her than me...maybe."

Step 7: Make a little bed for Ivy right at the base of the toilet. She is too weak at this point to be positioned anywhere else. I even bring the computer in and set her up with Netflix and some sugar water. I try to catch some "Z's" only a few feet away from her. I manage to awaken every time she erupts and again, "I am keeping it together...barely"

Step 8: In the Early morning light I wake up not feeling so good. Ivy has claim on my toilet so I run down the hall to her bathroom and...."Oh, for goodness sake...diarrhea....well, at least I am not throwing up...yet. Ugh! I HATE throwing up!!"

Step 9: My two boys are now up and I manage to chat with them. Chester has not thrown up nor has he experienced "the runs". Max on the other hand woke up much like myself and had had diarrhea all morning. I find some comfort in the fact that Chester is still doing well.

Step 10: Max starts to throw up. I spend the early part of my day juggling my time between Ivy and Max...Finally, I just get them into my bed together. Keeping them in the same room will make things a lot easier on my deteriorating body and mind. "Ya, I can be pretty smart that way..."

Step 11: "MOM!!" I hear Chester yell from downstairs. My heart sinks and I run down to see what is going on. "I threw up," he says. "Where?" Say I. "On my bed," he replies.

Step 12: When one has a teenage child they may recall how much said teenager can eat. OH YES, there was a lot to clean up. And feeling queasy myself I really didn't want to clean it up. But I was prepared after having two other children within hours of each other so the same thing. And miraculously, I managed to hold my breath in a way that I could NOT smell anything and it cleaned up quickly.

Step 13: Child number three is now in the tub and I decide to peek in on my other two. They are asleep!! Nice.

Step 14: I get Chester all situated on the couch in front of his favorite movie. I break out the Gingerale and Crackers. I think back on my adventure and I seriously felt like collapsing in that not too pretty sobbing scenario you see Juliet Stevenson portray in the film, "Truly Madly Deeply". But instead I dig deep and decide to find humor in the situation. I get out my camera and take the pictures below. Haha, what are moms for? We have to embarrass our children. And instead of thinking, "Oh, I wish Roger were here to help me." I accept the fact that he isn't and I am so happy that he wasn't here. He would have gotten sick too and believe me, that would not have been fun for him.

Step 15: Write a Blog Post. It seriously can be like therapy to me to just write things out and try and make sense of it all. Also, I want to warn all those who live within close proximity to us to STAY AWAY...until further notice.

Ah, motherhood, just when...Ugh, I have to go...I think the dog may be throwing up now!!...... ;-)

Toothless

2011-10-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ivy has lost two teeth this past week! One on the bottom and one of her front teeth. She looks so cute!

This is Ivy a couple weeks ago: BEFORE...

AFTER...That is a big gap for her top permanent tooth to come in. Maybe she will have "giant teeth" like her Momma! The other top tooth is loose too so we are hoping she will lose it soon to have that nice, even "All I Want For Christmas Look".

The best part of all? She lost her top tooth at school and received the tooth necklace she so deeply desired. Her bottom tooth came out at home and she was disappointed she didn't lose it at school so she could get the cute necklace they hand out to students to put there tooth in for safe travel home. (I think that is a clever idea) So here she is with her little tooth necklace. :)

The same day she lost her top tooth I took her to the dentist to get a sealant on one of her permanent molars and they found a cavity!! My kids haven't had cavities yet so this was a first for us. They went ahead and took care of it but she had to have the Novocaine shot, drilling etc. The Dentist was so sweet and gentle with her. She dealt with it like a trooper. It was funny afterward to see her a bit loopy from the Novocaine. She kept saying random things and then she fell asleep for a bit. She was sad she couldn't eat solid foods that night for dinner, but we made her a Carnation shake with chocolate ice cream so she wasn't too put out.

***And just a quick update, the Bus Driver found Max's Back Pack and he was able to get it back the next morning before school. Whew!***

Bonding Over Hernando Cortes

2011-10-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Max left his back pack on the school bus. I came home after taking Ivy to the dentist to find a devastated child in tears. It was a pitiful sight. He honestly didn't know what to do. He had been working on an explorer report about Hernando Cortes for a few weeks, it was due the next day and EVERYTHING he had been working on FOR the report was in that back pack. Now, if any of you know Max, he is a hard working, straight A student and he was just beside himself.

I quickly sprang into "Mom Mode" and called Transportation...No back pack had been found on the bus. We drove up to the school just to double check in his locker...No back pack. He remembered where he left it on the bus...We called Transportation again...NO Back Pack on the bus...Still in "Mom Mode" I talked to Max about consequences. "Sometimes, one little moment of carelessness can really mess things up and you can't reverse what has happened. BUT we can try and make the most of the resources we have available to us and try and set things right." He kept crying and I told him he had to pull it together and we had to make a plan...

We couldn't go on the assumption that the back pack would turn up before school the next day. The report would count as a big part of his grade so we knew something had to be turned in. Even if he got partial credit it was better than NO credit. We determined that we would start from scratch. He needed new sources for his Bibliography, new notes, map, picture and the actual hand written report SO....we had our work cut out for us.

We started with the easy stuff and then he sat for a few hours and took notes from the new sources we gathered. Ha! It may have been an old encyclopedia from 1973, but heck, we had it and Cortes was in it! We also used the Internet...Thank Goodness for Home Computers!!

Once he got his notes written and the other kids were in bed it was just Max and I working against the clock. I would dictate his notes as he wrote his report. We would stop and discuss what he wanted to write. Sometimes there were words of frustration, but most of the night there was laughter and team work. He was so tired (I am used to burning the midnight oil) and his poor hand was fatigued from writing so much all at once, but by 1:15am WE WERE DONE!!!

The report turned out great! We put it in a nice folder and we glued the map and the picture on a foam board we had lying around from a previous project and PRESTO! We had a report still worthy of an "A". It turned out so much better than we thought it was going to....

The really magical part though of this whole time spent together was...I had a great time with my son! "The Worst Day Ever" didn't turn out so shabby. We bonded over a project having to do with a man who lived over 500 years ago. I learned some history granted, but I learned more about my son and how he thinks, works and what he finds funny. I love that I could make him laugh in the wee hours of the night with really simple humor and that we could spend that time together. It is a memory I will hold with me forever.

Max Turns 11!

2011-10-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Maxwell's 11th Birthday. It was such a nice and relaxing weekend because of General Conference we could just tune into each session and bum around the house. I actually got a lot done. I organized the guest room and unpacked the last couple boxes in the loft. Since we knew we would be limited with the Conference Sessions we took Max out Friday night to go bowling. He had a blast and so did the rest of us! Saturday I did last minute shopping so we would have everything we needed for his big day.

It was like Christmas morning! (only for Max that is) The kids were up at the crack of dawn and Max was ready to open his presents!

Grandma and Grandpa Williams (Roger's folks) got him this Operation Game. Our kids LOVE board games so this was a great gift. They played it a few times that morning.

Max has been hitting around an old fuzzy ball in the back yard to practice his soccer moves. His old Soccer balls had worn out and were thrown out. He is also bigger now and needed a bigger ball so he was very happy to receive this one.

The kids have wanted this game for a LONG time. We were finally able to get it for them. We have a house rule of not playing video games on Sunday so again Max and Ivy were up BEFORE the crack of dawn this morning to play this game.

Max needed a new bicycle helmet...what is it with kids and getting big too fast! Roger picked out this helmet and then...

...He surprised Max with a new bike that he found for an amazing deal. Max's previous bike we got for him when he was like 5 or 6 years old so this was long overdue. He was embarrassed to ride bikes with his friends because it was more of a "baby bike". He would just ride his scooter everywhere. Now he can ride this bike without having to worry about being teased AND it fits him better. Like I said the boy keeps growing. He is 4' 8 1/2" now. 3 1/2 " more and he will be as tall as me. I don't think that is going to take too much longer!

For dinner I made Max, Hamburgers and French Fries by his request. For dessert: A Lemon Tart...we are not too into cake as a family and this was light, but packed full of flavor!! (and no, I did not make it...Harmons had the honor of doing that. Although I bet I could now with my cooking skills improving!)

While I was lighting the candles Roger helped Max pass off one of his last requirements to get his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts. He had to whip and fuse the end of a rope.

Happy Birthday to you!!...

Make a Wish, Blow out the Candles and EAT!

It was a great weekend. Getting to hear the Prophet and General Authorities speak and Celebrate the Birth of my Son, Maxwell. Not bad...life is good!!

A Family Filled Weekend

2011-09-29T07:47:00.001-07:00

This past weekend some of Roger's family got together for some special events. His niece Amber was having having her new baby, Nicholas, blessed. His sister Carol and her husband Richard came from Maryland. Roger's niece Emily came up from BYU and his Mom came up from St. George. She stayed with us and it was a joy to have her!
Roger was also closing his successful run of Waiting for Godot in Salt Lake City for the Sting and Honey Company. He played the role of Pozzo and was required to shave his head and sport a mustache. His sister Janet was able to come up from Mesquite to catch the show. His Mom had already seen him at our house but we decided to not tell Carol or Janet about his appearance. haha You should have seen their faces when he reveals his bald head in the play!! Priceless!!

The blessing was so sweet. Amber has two little boys now, breaking the AWESOME "Bonnett Curse" of having only girls in the family (Carol has 6 girls and her daughter Melanie has 2).

Above is Baby Nicholas...

And here is his older brother Garrett.

Here are the family members that made it to the blessing from L to R: Richard, Carol, Michael, Richard's Niece, Amber, Emily, Mom, Me, Roger and (then of course the kids in front) Garrett, Nicholas, Ivy, Chester and Max.

It was such a nice visit with everyone. Some highlights were Mom's prize winning carmels, Ivy making cupcakes with her Grandma, visiting with family we RARELY get to see, sweet babies and Roger shaving off his mustache after the play closed.

A Rough Day

2011-09-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while. Life has been busy with settling into the new house and getting into the routine with school in full swing. Not only for the kids but for ME! Yes, I am finishing up my last few credits so I can FINALLY get my degree. I opted to take courses at Salt Lake Community College and then transfer them to Utah State. (Cheaper) I am taking just one class right now. (All I could handle) Pre-Algebra. Yes, I know, my 5th grader is doing more challenging math, but for me this is a huge accomplishment. I have never had any confidence in math growing up and therefore thought I didn't like it and that I was stupid. Well, I have reached a point in my life where I am throwing those thoughts away and actually doing very well in my class. I am learning to LIKE MATH! I feel great!

The kids are doing well in school for the most part. Little Ivy is just progressing so quickly in her reading and spelling skills that she struggled with last year. It is like I have a different child in front of me. I am so proud of her. Max is keeping afloat in his accelerated class. I am so happy because I think it is the first time EVER in his schooling that he feels challenged. He is getting things WRONG on his papers! He isn't used to that. I am amazed at his attitude though. He asked if I would buy him books in Language Arts and Geography so he could do more "at home" study. Wow! Not many 5th graders would ask for more homework!! He has also started orchestra and enjoys playing the viola.

While the other kids I know had a hard time with transitioning into a new school, new house, and new neighborhood. My sweet Chester has had a very difficult time. He is in 8th grade, I guess I shouldn't have suspected anything less, but it still surprised me how hard he took the big change. I have been in contact with the District since we first moved here (before school started). I was trying to place Chester in the best program they had and I was assured that I was on the right track. I kept calling to get a meeting with the District to discuss his needs and they would put me off or not return my calls or say, "Let's just wait and see..."

THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL and Chester has a full out, dragged out 'melt down'. He was pulling out all the stops. I won't go into too much detail, but needless to say it was a ROUGH DAY. SO rough in fact that there was a person from the District at the school the following day to discuss Chester's needs. I wonder why we have to wait for the "Dam to Burst" before help comes. Why can't we just be prepared and take preventative measures beforehand? As a mother, I know my child and what he needs and it has always surprised me that professionals (Doctors, School Superintendents, etc.) don't seem to think you...the parent...know what you are talking about when it comes to your child. I will say that there have been those rare occasions where I have been listened to, and especially on that day when a District representative was there, trying to find a solution. Yes, they were all ears. I do see both sides, the professionals are busy and have a lot on their plate (I sincerely mean that, I would not want their jobs), and I also see my child TRYING to fit in like a round peg in a square hole. He knows he isn't being given what he needs. Granted he made some poor choices that day, but given the environment I honestly don't blame him on some level.

The bottom line is that NOW, we are ALL working together to fix the problem and it has gotten much better. Communication lines are open and we are all doing the best we can. I am so proud of Chester for making this adjustment. We have thrown so much at him and he is handling things very well. I still have every hope that he will lead an independent or at the very least a semi-independent life as an adult. I am so grateful that he is my son. He has amazing qualities and attributes about him...some, his close family only knows about that have yet to emerge on the social scene. Being a teenager is hard...I wouldn't go through those years again if you paid me! But with the right support from those around him and help from a loving Heavenly Father we are going to make it to Chester's 20's and then the fun will really start...

First Day of School

2011-08-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

The kids started school today. All of them are attending a new school from last year since we moved out of Canyons District and into Granite. Chester is going to Bonneville Middle School and is in the 8th Grade. Max is at Oakwood Elementary in their accelerated program and is in the 5th grade. He will be doing orchestra (viola) and taking Spanish. Ivy is also at Oakwood and is attending the 2nd grade. She is in the school choir and will also be taking Spanish. It is not a dual immersion school, the Spanish program is funded by the parents and it is class the kids attend. They have a great year ahead of them and were SO excited to start a new year of school.

Chester was woken up at 6:30am...tomorrow I will wake him up at 6:45am. We had a lot of time on our hands. He gets ready pretty fast!!

His bus didn't come...there is still some confusion with the District and Transportation so I will be taking him to school until we get the kinks worked out. His first class is at 7:45am...ya, I am not a morning person, so this will take some getting used too. ;-)

Ivy and Max were both up at 6:30am and ready to go!! They don't catch their bus until 8:32am so...there was a lot of pacing and nervous energy going on.

After two hours of pure torture from "the wait" they got on the bus and I hopped in the car to meet them at their school. It is a brand new building. They tore down the old one and have built this beautiful new school. Roger and I were commenting on how when they get to be old-timers they can tell their grandchildren (in your best granny voice), "We went to that school the first year it opened!"

All in all it was a great day. Good Luck kids on a successful and fun school year!

Taking Risks

2011-08-21T12:55:00.001-07:00

This past Friday I ventured out and participated in a vocal competition. It had been YEARS since I competed and I had the opportunity before me and decided that I would go for it. Why not? It was sponsored by the Priddis Music Company and the title of the event was "Utah Top Talent Singing Competition".

It was an all day affair with four different age groups and three rounds to be judged in. There were four judges with various backgrounds in music and they rated each contestant on things like vocal expression, vocal sound and quality, stage presence and entertainment value. The first round was 30 seconds of your song done a cappella and if you got a certain score you moved on to the next round. The second round was a 1 1/2minute cut of your song done with tracks. Again if you made a certain score you moved on to the third and final round done in front of an audience.

I made it to the third round and was pretty stoked! I chose to sing Maybe This Time from Cabaret. It is a song I am comfortable with and the arrangement that I was doing was pretty jazzy and I felt it could be a crowd pleaser. Most of the contestants did pop songs so I wasn't sure if I would come out on top doing a musical theater piece. I did the same song for all three rounds, although you can change it up if you want to. I sat there watching the younger contestants perform, thoroughly enjoying myself. There is SO MUCH talent in Utah. I was amazed at the younger generation and their courage to get up and share their God given talents. I especially enjoyed the 10-12 age group they were so uninhibited and raw. They sang from their hearts and I was blown a way.

By the third round we all sang the full length of our song with our track. After hearing all the aspiring "Carrie Underwoods", "Adeles" and "Katy Perrys", it was my turn. I felt really great but the nerves got to me a bit at the last of my song and I didn't have as much control as I would have liked to. I pulled it together for the last few notes and sat down in a daze wondering if it had sounded OK in that one section. Soon they were announcing the awards and I was proud inside because the people I had picked to win in each age group won! I didn't win in my age group so I thought it was over. I felt so grateful to have been there and so proud of all those who did so well....then the announcer said that there was an overall prize for a competitor that had gotten the highest score out of anyone in each of the three rounds...and...I WON!! I jumped up and sprinted in my platform shoes! I was so excited!! The official title on my trophy is: Utah Top Talent 2011 Overall Winner. I won a cash prize, 2 hours of studio time at The Castle Recording Studio, some vocal performance products and a cute little trophy that you see in the picture above! YAY!

I plan on using the studio time to record a CD for my family for Christmas. They will love that. My family is so awesome and supportive. This past year I haven't been able to take vocal lessons so I have worked very hard with recordings of past lessons from my teacher Brodie Perry. Luckily I was able to take a lesson via Skype (since Brodie is down in St. George) before I competed. He reminded me of certain things I needed to do to improve my overall vocal performance. Thanks so much Brodie!

The thing I am most proud of though is the fact that I got out of my comfort zone and did something risky at my age. I have been singing in the comfort of my own home for over a year and when I told Roger about the possibility of competing he said, "You should do it honey. What good is all that talent if you don't share it and push yourself to perform in public." That really struck a chord, I knew he was right. I needed to meet the judges, I needed to meet the other people competing. I have to get myself out there if I am going to be a vocal teacher and present my musical firesides to the youth. It was hard and I know my nerves got in the way at one point of the song, but the more I do this the more comfortable I will be. This is the start of something AWESOME!!! :)

Trip To Yellowstone

2011-08-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

We decided to take one last summer time trip before the kids start school next week so we headed off for Yellowstone to CAMP!! Honestly, I LOVE nature. Hiking, taking in the beauty that surrounds me, seeing an occasional critter...um, I have to admit though, I don't like actually sleeping in a tent. I will do it and deal with the cold and the bugs, but I would rather go out during the day, take in all the nature I can stand and then retire to a hotel room for the night. BUT, I think it is important to "rough it" at times and give the kids an opportunity to determine if they like sleeping in a tent or not.

The first night we stayed at a hotel in Jackson. Here are the kids in the morning eating Pop Tarts, The Breakfast of Champions!!

The Grand Tetons, seriously an AMAZING mountain range. I couldn't get enough of these beauties. (the kids aren't bad either)

Roger and I with the Tetons in the background.

More Tetons...

Jenny's Lake and Roger, always teaching. He does it so well! :)

The Men in My Life

Ivy and I on Jenny's Lake

Max pondering Lewis Lake

My family strolling along the bug infested boardwalks to see the hot pools, mud pools and mini geysers. We went at dusk the first night and it was so thick with bugs we had to put our hoodies on so they wouldn't crawl into our ears. I kept thinking, "Where are all the bats when you need them"?

Chester enjoying a the stroll.

Steam Heat!!

Our camp site in Grant Village. We spent two nights here and it got purty cold at night! brrrr

Bison!! Walking around a boiling hot mud pool. Bison (or buffalo) do WHATEVER they want. Gorgeous creatures!

The Dunbars and a herd of Bison.

The kids pointing to...

The lower falls

Along with the Bison, we saw an ELK! A black bear, a coyote, a ground squirrel, a raven, Roger saw a Bald Eagle, we saw some chipmunks, and geese...just to name a few.

Hot Pool

Mud Pool

Heat Vents

One of our favorite geysers, The Fountain Geyser. We were so close!

Old Faithful :)

The Old Faithful Hotel

Inside the Hotel, cool tree house!

Pretty Waterfall

A Park Ranger teaching us the difference between horns and antlers

The kids after receiving their Jr. Ranger Badges!! They worked hard to get these bad boys, congrats!!

Our first trip to Yellowstone as a family was a huge success. It was so fun to be together and take in such a beautiful area of the country. We plan on going back! There is so much more to see and above anything else it was wonderful to create memories together and spend time together.

Morgan Hill Stake Reunion

2011-08-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I got to go to a reunion consisting of people that lived in the Salt Lake area that had moved here from Gilroy or Morgan Hill, CA where I did most of my growing up. My friend Wendy McAllister Graham hosted it and I thought it was a great idea! I looked forward to seeing many people I hadn't seen since my junior year in High School. We were a close group of friends and I couldn't wait! It turned out to be a nice reunion. At first I didn't recognize anyone but Wendy and her dad. But soon some familiar faces arrived and to my delight one of my best friends, Susie Hoggan Barnes showed up. Here are some pics:

Susie and I with her cute little daughter, Ashlyn in the background.

Sweet Chester

Ivy Climbing a Tree

Maxwell!

Susie and I met when we were around 10 or 11 years old in a Gilroy park. I met a whole group of girls that day! Susie and I became close as we danced at the same studio and pursued the same boy and even after high school we stayed in touch through phone calls, email and Facebook. I hadn't seen her in person for like 15 years or something and it was like we had never been apart. I love having friends like that. Now she is closer in proximity to me being in Idaho and I in Northern Utah so I hope to see her more often. Love you Susie!! And a big shout out to the amazing, beautiful gal with a consistent "glow" about her, Wendy. Thank you for putting this together. I am taking you up on the 'girls night' since my beloved Nancy couldn't be there. Let's not be strangers and get together soon!

Williams Family Reunion

2011-07-19T21:47:00.001-07:00

I just got back yesterday from a family reunion hosted on my mother's side of the family. My great grandparents, Joseph and Charlotte Williams had ten kids. One of those was my grandmother, Erma. She had four children and one of those was my momma, Irma Lajoy. Her sister Judie decided to get this reunion together and it was wonderful to meet many of the descendants from Joseph and Charlotte. The only surviving children left of Joseph and Charlotte are my Aunt Dorlene and Uncle Delore (Dee) who were fraternal twins and I was so thrilled to get reacquainted with them. It was also the first time since my wedding 16 years ago that my five sisters and I were all together. My oldest sister Laurie invited the sisters and my mom to stay at her beach house in Aptos, CA. It was so beautiful (a little chilly) but so worth the stay. We divided our time between the beach house and the reunion activities. It was a bonus to see my dear niece Ami. She is Laurie's daughter but we grew up together and are close in age so she is more like a sister to me anyway, but I was so happy I could visit with her and see her...let the pictures commence!!...

Here is my darling nephew Mike singing at the talent show. Move over John Mayer!!

Ivy and my sister Janell on the balcony of the beach house.

Ami and Me

Ivy with my sister Lissa at the beach.

Maxwell and my sister Annie doing origami with paper currency.

Chester eating a s'more.

My great-uncle Dee! Such a cutie!!

The six West girls: (from R to L) Laurie, Me, Franci, Lissa, Annie and Janell. From oldest to youngest it is Laurie, Annie, Franci, Janell, Lissa then Me

Me and my "kissing cousin" Jennifer. We grew up together and absolutely adore each other. She is my Aunt Judie's Daughter. Judie is my mom's baby sister.

This is my sister Franci and her "kissing cousin" Kristi. She is Judie's oldest daughter.

How cute is this picture?! This is my sister Annie and her "kissing cousin" Drea. Drea is the daughter of my mom's oldest sister Charlene.

And here are the West girls with our mom, Lajoy. (from L to R back row: Lissa, Franci, Annie, Me and Lajoy and down in front is Janell and Laurie) Not a bad lookin' bunch if I do say so myself! The reunion was so amazing and my sister's and I had such a great time that we decided to get together every year now at the beach house. Thank you to my Aunt Judie for all of her hard work putting this reunion together and to Laurie for hosting all of us under her roof! There was a photographer at the reunion so once I get those pictures I will post them. Yay for family!!

Neighborhood Party

2011-07-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

We have lived in our current neighborhood in Holladay for almost three weeks now and have felt so welcomed by loving friends and neighbors. We came at a great time during the summer with the Fourth of July, A Movie Night Activity Fund Raiser for the Scouts and A Neighborhood Party where the kids got to decorate their bikes with a patriotic theme and then parade to our church for activities and a BBQ dinner. Even though many in the neighborhood are not of our faith they still come and enjoy the festivities and we all socialize. It is great fun! Her are some pics from the Party:

Maxwell on his scooter. He was very proud of his pin wheel right in the center of this handle bars.

Little Ivy on her bike decorated with red, white and blue streamers. She is learning how to ride without training wheels but needed them for this event. She complained the whole way but Roger was determined she get used to riding her bike and not giving up.

Here is my sweet Chester at the BBQ. He just ate a blue snow cone. The blue dye from the cone matches his shirt and eyes. Perfect!!

A Week of Family and Friends

2011-06-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

This past week was a blast. It started off when my friend Shelly invited us over Monday night for dinner. Her cousin Kim was passing through with her children and coincidentally had been a dear friend of ours when we lived in New Jersey. Kim's husband Dallas was not with her on this trip. "We missed you Dallas!!"

We arrived Monday morning to discover that Shelly had got the days mixed up and Kim would be coming through TUESDAY night not MONDAY. But the Dunbars are not a family that turns down good food, kind hospitality nor the opportunity to play "Big Boody". So, we stayed and had a great time with Shelly and the rest of the Truax clan.

Tuesday night we were back!! We arrived the same time as Kim and it was AWESOME!! Here is a picture of Shelly, Kim's little girl Manon, Kim and Me! We had such a fun night of visiting, eating and reminiscing.

Wednesday was our last Pack Meeting as Cub Scout Masters in this ward. We had a great time with the boys. Although I am so happy to be moving into our house this week I truly will miss this wonderful ward we have been a part of this last year.

Thursday morning we pulled out and headed down to St. George for my niece Julia's wedding. It was fun to take Isabel Truax down so she could spend time with her friends for her birthday. She is Shelly's youngest daughter and I appreciated her company. The kids pretty much adore her. Once we got to my sister's house we jumped right in to help with all the preparations for the wedding and reception the next day.

Friday morning I got to go to the sealing in the St. George Temple. So wonderful. Julia and Brady were married and sealed in the same sealing room that Roger and I were so it was pretty amazing to sit there and enjoy their wedding but also look back on mine and ponder on what a great guy I married and how much I love him. The picture above is one that Ivy took of the Temple.

The kids and I with Grandma Joy waiting for Julia and Brady to come out of the Temple.

Here is just one of us. I forgot to mention that Roger had to stay up in Salt Lake to sign the closing papers and start the move into our house!

Here is Julia and Brady coming out of the Temple. The brand new Mr. and Mrs. Vincent, YAY!!

Here is the fountain that Russ (Julia's Dad) built with his boys for their backyard reception. The wind was a bit of a problem but it still turned out to be quite a party!!

Here is the cake my sister Janell made. She has us all helping her the night before making the roses, the balls and the twisty things. It was amazing to see it come together. Absolutely stunning!! I love the swag (great job Jenn) and the real flowers.

Here are Julia and Brady cutting the cake.

And the classic, "Stuffing Each Others Face With It".

I had to get these candid shots of Ivy with her cousins. This is a RARE moment of the kids all sitting quietly on the couch. Thank you Toy Story 2....no really THANK YOU!

Here is another sweet candid moment of Jackson and Ivy cuddling. I want to give a shout out to my boy Max for being such a great help with yard work, serving in the kitchen during the reception and passing out the favors. AND for playing with the little kids. You were officially the kids wrangler and they LOVED following you around like the Pied Piper!

Sunday we attended our ward in Santa Clara. It was so fun to see our friends and drive by our house afterward and see that the new owners are taking such good care of it. Then Monday we swam in Grandma Pat's pool and she and Doug treated us to Denny's. We picked up our bird Gogo from my mom's and then picked up Isabel and headed home! So wonderful to have a great visit with friends and family before our BIG MOVE this week!! YAY!!

Oona Turns 2!

2011-06-20T21:54:00.001-07:00

Our sweet little pup is 2 years old today. I LOVE it when dogs hit the 2 year mark. Completely house trained and settled into her own routine. She still has a hard time controlling herself around visitors. She get so excited to see new people, but we will work on that. Isn't she just the sweetest thing?! I love my little Oona dog!!

I don't like how her eyes get that "demon blue eye" look when I put the flash on to take her picture so I tried to get some photos of her without the flash. The slight blur shows you how spunky she is!!

Here is her famous "beg" pose. She begs better than any dog I know. Perfect form!! Happy Birthday pooch!

Daddy's Little Girl

2011-06-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Father's Day I thought I would post this recent recording of Ivy singing "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2. Nothing melts Roger's heart more than his little girl. I love how he loves her...

Love Letters

2011-06-04T14:12:00.001-07:00

Last night I had the honor of performing the play Love Letters with college friend, Jeb Branin to help raise money for a scholarship on behalf of another college friend who passed away Thanksgiving Day 2010, Stuart Lewis. Stuart and his family were traveling to visit extended family and were in a terrible car accident. Stuart and his daughter Karalee (18) were killed instantly. Stu's wife Trudy was in serious condition and his son James (15) and daughter Abigail (11) were in critical condition. Their oldest daughter MayLynn was not in the vehicle.
It was such a shock to all those who knew Stuart and his family. Stuart was such a talented designer, mainly in costumes and some set design. I also had the privilege of acting on the stage with him. He had such a vibrant personality and was a joy to be around. I hadn't seen Stuart in years but his passing deeply affected me. So, when Jeb called me up and asked if I would be willing to do this benefit play and I was so happy to accept.

The play is written by A.R. Gurney and is meant to be read directly from the script, not memorized. There are only two characters, Andrew and Melissa, and the audience learns about them through a series of letters that are written between the characters spanning from their grade school years into their mature adult years. It is a very well structured play and was nominated for a Pulitzer. Even though there is no memorization we still had to rehearse and internalize each letter. It was a great exercise in concentration and listening. I memorized the last few lines because ideally the script calls for it, but other than that it is more like a well rehearsed play reading.

The highlight for me was after the play and having Trudy come up and express her gratitude. She told me some wonderful things that I will never forget.

If you would like to learn more about the Lewis family and donate to help for their on-going medical bills go to: http://www.supportthelewisfamily.blogspot.com/

If you would like to donate to the Stuart and Trudy Lewis Theater Scholarship Fund at Snow College visit: http://www.snow.edu/alumni/give.html and click on "Make a Gift" and be sure in the notes you say it is for the NEW Stuart and Trudy Lewis Theater Scholarship and it should get to the right place.

Ivy's Puppy Party!

2011-05-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

My little girl is growing up! I just can't get over how fast kids grow. She is my baby so it is hard for me!! *pout* Now that I have all that off my chest...let's get on with the festivities!

Ivy wanted a puppy party! We only allow friend parties when the kids are certain ages and this year it was to be just family but I wanted to make it memorable for her and give her that puppy party. As luck would have it, Roger would be away on business on her actual birthday and my sister Janell and her daughter Julia would be coming up for a brief visit so it worked out to have the party the Friday before her birthday so her dad and some extended family could be there. Here is the decorated table awaiting the birthday girl and her guests...

Here is my impromptu centerpiece made with stuffed dogs, tissue paper and a balloon.

Here are the party guests wearing the puppy ears I made from pipe cleaners and felt. Ivy named each "puppy" at the table and we made little name tags. From left to right we have "Sahrina" the Black Lab, "Lassie" the Sheltie, "Black Jack" the Chihuahua, "Rosey" the Chihuahua, "Snowball" the Husky, and "Coco" the Akita. Darn it! they didn't get a picture of me, "Bell" the "Cocker Spaniel". ;-)

I put little sparkling clips on her dog ears since she was the birthday girl!

I made three large homemade pizzas that we almost ate up (leftovers, yum!) and then Ivy got to open presents. Here is her puppy family that she wanted to reside in her doll house that she got when she was 5.

Here is a special gift from Grandma Pat. :)

After presents we played games, Apples to Apples and Pin the Paw on the Puppy. I believe Julia ended up winning that game with Chester in second. I won Apples to Apples! Wahoo!

Ivy asked for plain Cheesecake and Oreo ice cream. Here she is about to blow out her candle.

This is a picture I took tonight. After being treated like a queen all day at school, I took her to Build a Bear and she picked out this adorable Kitty to build. She was so excited to finally get to go to Build a Bear. She named her new kitty friend "Mukii" pronounced "Me - U - Key" (spelling is all Ivy's doing) I am proud to attribute that name to the fact that I have exposed my children to the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki. We finished the night off with dinner at Chili's! She had a great birthday weekend as far as I could tell. Happy Birthday Ivy!!

Ivy in ANNIE

2011-05-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

A few months ago we signed Ivy up for a children's musical theater workshop that culminated in a Jr. production of Annie. The show was abridged to run only an hour and the parts were doubled up. Ivy got the part of "Ashley" which is basically Annie's little friend who goes along with her to Warbuck's mansion etc. She got to sing all of Annie's songs with her and basically be a little "mini-me" of Annie. Last night we attended the performance and it was cute! I love shows like this that display young talent. You can definitely see the ones that will probably go on to do this the rest of their life.

Ivy was one of the youngest cast members. Such a tiny thing up on that stage. She has such a beautiful voice. I look forward to seeing her progress and mature as a vocalist over the years. Such a sweet, focused little sound. Here she is singing "Maybe".

Here she is arriving with Annie and the two Graces to the Warbuck's Mansion. "I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here"

Here is most of the cast singing the final "Tomorrow".

After the show we got to take pictures of her in costume. Darling Girls!!

Ivy with her proud mama!

And her proud papa! Great job little girl!! (we will post video as soon as we can!)

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T20:02:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!! It was a great day for me. Breakfast in bed, church, presents, dinner of my choice, yummy dessert and time with the kids.

The photo above was taken in 1974. I am the little one on my mom's lap. This is the only photo session that I know of where all eleven children and my mom are together. My mom is a great lady. Talented, funny and a survivor. I love her very much.

Here is my lovely step-mother Janine. She is very sweet and generous. I am glad she has been a part of my life. I love her mucho, mucho!

This is my Mother-in-Law Patricia. I am so blessed to have her as my mom. She is one of the funniest people I know and has the best stories. I love her. So talented, giving and intelligent.

Here I am today with my 3 munchkins. I have three great role models in my life and I am so grateful for their example. I hope I can emulate their finest qualities as I continue to raise my own children. Happy Mother's Day to all and thanks to Roger for all that you did today to make this day so special. Love you!!

Pinewood Derby

2011-05-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 29th was the Cub Scout's Pinewood Derby Event. The ward that we are in has not had a Pinewood Derby in about 6 years so with Roger and I in charge of the Cub Scouts we were determined to make this happen! The Bishop and his counselors were so excited that they asked if they could have a Pinewood Derby Party for the Ward. It would be extended to young kids, youth, men and women...whoever wanted to make a car and participate. At first I thought this was weird. But as I saw the enthusiasm from ward members and scouts who did not have a Derby while they were in the program I jumped on board. So we had the Cubs do their race for the first hour and then the party started for the ward. I am not sure exactly how many cars, but there were easily 30 or more entered from ward members.

Ivy immediately volunteered her car making skills and wanted to participate. This girl has luck in her favor, I swear! She wins at a lot of things. So, I was excited to see how she did. Most of our tools are packed so we resorted to buying the "kits" that are already pre-cut. Here is Ivy before sanding her sleek sports car.

Max chose the traditional roadster looking car. I love this picture of him day dreaming and sanding away.

These pictures aren't meant to deceive anyone. Roger is the kind of dad that allows his kids to do the work! And they did! As parents we helped very little on these cars.

Max decided on a green paint with a pink stripe.

Ivy chose a blue paint with a white stripe.

Here is Max smoothing out his wheels.

Ivy decided she needed some head gear to protect her noggin as she sanded her wheels.
I about died laughing when she walked in from the garage ready to sand with her bike helmet on! I want to clarify that we are not "roughing up the wheels" as a tactic to cheat. The wheels come in the kit with slight imperfections and we just lightly sand them to make them smooth.

Here are our scouts! Max got Second Place! He was pretty happy since his last Pinewood Derby he didn't do as well. Never use Teflon in place of good old graphite on the wheels, we learned the hard way! :(

Here are just a small portion of the cars the ward members made. It was a blast!! everyone was having the best time. The young ones pulled out ahead though. Our winner was a 4 year old girl named Lily.

Ivy did triumph with 4th place overall. She was so proud of her little car! It was very fast!! Roger was just a tiny bit proud of his kids and how well they did.

In church yesterday Ivy drew this picture of Lily's car and Ivy's car and the Boy Scout Master that was helping us run the track. She writes, "It's the last race I won!!" She isn't very competitive at all! ;-)

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T11:52:00.001-07:00

Spring has Sprung! It has been very wet and cold here in Salt Lake. We are used to 80 degree weather down in St. George so it has been an adjustment, but I truly love areas that display all four seasons. New Jersey was much like this but with the added humidity. I think I will adapt to this climate very well. :)

Here is a tree just outside of our apartment that I LOVE! Talk about "Popcorn Popping"! It makes me happy...

So, Saturday morning the nearby township of Cottonwood Heights was putting on an Easter Egg "Hunt". The kids were so stoked to go and 'dominate' this hunt. Especially Max, he was SO excited. Well, we get there and it is CRAZY! A ton of families are there and they have four soccer fields divided up into age groups. The eggs are not hidden they are just laying all over the field and once the whistle is blown, thousands of children bolt and scrimmage to obtain the coveted plastic eggs with cheap candy inside. We got there just as the whistle blew and by the time my three munchkins made their way to the field...eggs gone!! In seconds, they were gone!! It was like some David Copperfield phenomenon. So, we found out we could go to the "loser" circle and pick up some eggs from the information desk. Max looks at me and says, "We are not doing this next year." hahaha Classic.

Saturday night we carried on our family tradition of coloring eggs. Here is Max on his first masterpiece.

And Chester...we are happy that Chester has discovered the way of using a tool to color the eggs instead of his bare hands. I do have a bit of sadness that he is growing up but it is nice that he didn't have dark blue and green dyed hands at church the next day. Tough to get that stuff off the skin!

Ivy showing off her egg dying skills!

The three kiddos.

And voila! The eggs are completed! Very pretty!!

Sunday morning before the kids hunted down their Easter baskets, I woke up a very drowsy Chester. Apparently, he put on about 14 t-shirts one layered over the other and then fell asleep. It was tough to get them all off so I hope he didn't struggle too much! He cracks me up and as you can see the other kids thought his stunt was pretty amusing. Ivy's face kills me!

Later that day, Max just had to try Chester's trick. They both looked so "buff"!

They found their Easter baskets!

We also have a traditional egg hunt. I think because we have had this since they were tiny they expected the aforementioned city one to be similar. You know, where the eggs are actually HIDDEN. After the disappointment they were so happy to do our family hunt where dad is an expert at hiding the eggs.

Easter was a success! We enjoyed a wonderful Easter service at church. I led a women's choir and then sang a solo in Sacrament Meeting. The lessons were so wonderful in Sunday School and Relief Society. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I know he lives and that he took upon him my sins and the sins and sorrows of the world. I know he died for me and was resurrected. I am so grateful that I have that knowledge and that because of his great sacrifice I will be able to live with my family forever and be with my Father in Heaven again someday!

Spring Break Part 3: Heritage Park

2011-04-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

Friday we ventured out to the This Is The Place Monument in Heritage Park. What an awesome place. The kids and I had a blast with all the hands on activities, historic buildings, animals and a train ride equipped with a tour guide full of facts from the past.

Here are the kids in front of the This Is The Place Monument.

Ivy on the Train Ride around the Park.

The Eagle Statue in front of the Brigham Young Academy inspired the kids to do a "look a like" contest, just like we did with the ape statue at Hogle Zoo. Here is Chester's go at it...

Max's effort...

And Ivy's attempt...pretty striking!

Here are the kids in the old school house.

Max going over the Deseret Alphabet.

Me in front of the Relief Society Building.

One of the highlights of the day was the pony ride! What kids doesn't love the ponies!!
Little Ivy on her little pony.

Max on his spunky pony.

And Chester on his majestic ride.

Maxwell is robbing the bank, shhhh...don't tell!!

The baby animal petting zoo.

My kids are funny. They don't really "cuddle" with the animals, they keep their distance and gingerly pet the goat's head. haha

Panning for gold was also a fun activity. Two mountain men helped the kids with the technique and when gold was found the kids could turn it in to the mountain men for a piece of candy. Max's piece of gold was so small that the mountain man said,"Ha, well that isn't even worth half a tootsie roll!" He was just giving Max a hard time.

Ivy finds gold!

The kids visiting the Native American village.

There are many historic buildings that were fun to go through and learn about. This one had many hands on activities...

Ivy learned how to do the laundry. Wash...

And Dry.

This was Max's favorite pioneer game. He was great at it!

Here is an old observatory. Such a neat building. We had a great day. I spoiled the kids as we left through the gift shop by buying some salt water taffy. YUM!

Spring Break Part 2: Clark Planetarium

2011-04-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday we went to Clark Planetarium...

We saw two movies, one on the IMAX screen in 3-D called Born to Be Wild and one in the Dome Theater, The Violent Universe. Born to Be Wild was amazing!! I highly recommend it.

The kids enjoyed all the hands on displays...

Here is Chester in front of models of the 9 planets.

Here are my children walking on the moon! Or "posing" on the moon. haha

Our planet Earth.

And trip on Mars. We had a great time and plan on a return trip soon.

Spring Break Part 1: Art Gallery

2011-04-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

This week the kids have been home for Spring Break. It has been a fun week as we have tried to fill it with some educational yet entertaining activities. We started on Monday just taking it easy and lounging around the house. Tuesday we hit the movie theater for a matinee screening of RIO. Cute.

Wednesday we went to The Gateway and Salt Lake Art Center Gallery. I introduced the kids to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory...

Bear Country Cookies...

And the Olympic Fountain. I must note with our family being a fan of the Avatar: The Last Airbender Cartoons Ivy saw those fountains dancing about and in her imagination she began "Water Bending" pretty impressive!

Then we visited the Art Gallery at the Salt Lake Art Center.

The most interesting to the kids and I was an exhibit of student works that were performance art oriented and sculptures of the human experience. The one behind the kids in this picture had to do with the different stages of light during the day.

This one was pretty awesome. The artist made a Barbie Double-Wide House.

Here the kids are watching a performance art piece that was filmed. As you can see it was pretty amusing. :)

Just Some Fun Things the Kids Are Doing Lately...

2011-04-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

I was reminded recently of a funny quote that Chester said this past year and it just made me laugh again. Out of the blue he turned to Roger and said something like, "He came back to life." Roger feeling all proud thinking that Chester was referring to Jesus said, "Who came back to life"? And Chester replied, "Yoda".

Chester doesn't sleep much. He spends some nights playing "dress up". He wears all of his clothes...at once. Could the boy be wearing anymore clothes?

Max is gearing up for the Pinewood Derby next week. (More on that later...) He has such a clever little sense of humor. Once while creeping along I-15 with Roger during a blizzard things were getting pretty monotonous. Roger turns to a very bored Max and asks, "Do you want to play a game?" Max says, "I spy something white..."

Ivy has fallen in love with the scarf that Roger got me for Christmas. She ties it around her head and lets it drape down...voila! She is Rapunzel!! She spends hours looking like this. The dog just likes to chase the tail end of the "hair" around. It is all very amusing until I need the scarf to go out in. Then we have a brief game of "tug-of war"...poor scarf.

Chester Loses His First Molar!

2011-04-18T20:29:00.001-07:00

So...today as I gave Chester his breakfast he informed me that his tooth was loose. I checked in his mouth and sure enough a molar was VERY loose. I told him how exciting that was because it would be his first molar to come out and those are some big teeth!! Well, lunch time rolls around and the tooth comes out! I was so surprised! Chester hands me the tooth and says, "The other tooth is coming in real fast." I looked in his mouth and sure enough, I could see the permanent tooth just under the surface ready to rock and roll! I am so amazed at this kids tolerance for pain. I had no idea that this tooth was even loose and then suddenly, there it is!!

I snapped this picture just before Chester retired for the night. We put his tooth into an envelope and under his pillow. I told him he had to go to sleep because the tooth fairy can't come unless he is sleeping. I asked him if he knew who the tooth fairy was and he said he didn't know. So cute! The little stinker doesn't sleep much so I hope the "tooth fairy" can deliver!! It should be a fun night. I just laugh in delight at the things we do for our kids. The little rituals and traditions that just keep going and going from generation to generation. It certainly makes life fun and full of richness and pleasure.

My 200th POST!!!!

2011-04-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

I have finally made it!! This is my 200th post on this blog! Wow! It has only taken me 4 years! Yup, 4 years exactly because I started this blog in April of 2007. My, how time flies and how things have changed. When I started this blog I lived in our first house in Santa Clara. The very first house Roger and I ever owned. Now, within the next month or so we will be buying our third house and putting down roots in Salt Lake. My kids were 2, 6 and 9. Now they are...well you can do the math, just add four to those ages. ;-) At any rate, I love to look back and see how far I have come personally. One of the reasons I started this blog was to help me get through some tough times and now I look back and I see that I have made quite a journey and honestly I am in a very good place in my life right now. I feel very centered, balanced and at peace. I am happy! So, I guess in a small way this blog worked! I achieved my goal of getting "the happy" back into my life. Wahoo!

April is also significant because it is Autism Awareness Month. In April of 2007 I did my first post about Autism, it was entitled: Autism, Rain Man, Chester In 2008...well, for some reason I didn't post anything in 2008 until July, must have been crazy busy. BUT there was an interesting post called Adventures With Chester: A Sensitive Topic that had me dealing with Chester saying some very inappropriate things at the most unsuitable times. In 2009 my post The Preamble shows Chester in action as he recites the historical document. In 2010 Chester's Bike Ride recalls the time when Chester got a real sense of independence on a boy scout biking activity. Very enjoyable posts because this kid is truly one of the brightest lights of my life.

He is 13 now and being in Middle School has it's pros and cons. I know I would never want to repeat my Middle School years in a THOUSAND YEARS! No thank you! And now having a son who is starting down puberty road just takes me back. He is testing the waters to see what he can get away with. He is becoming more independent and yearns to do things on his own. So far he has maintained that inherent sweetness and charm. I hope he never loses those attributes, or if they do go away, let it be just for a couple years and then have them come back at full force.

I think he is starting to understand his Autism. He has to see that the other kids think differently and that they can't do some of the amazing things he can do with that brilliant mind of his. I love those moments when he sits and carries on a conversation with me or goes off on a tangent and tells me about the time we went to Disneyland or to Aunt Janet's house. When he was first diagnosed I never thought he would be communicating as well as he does now and it just keeps getting better.

I am so blessed to have him in my life. It has not been an easy road to parent a child with special needs but I would not trade it. I have learned and grown so much as a parent and an individual because of the lessons he has taught me. I look to the future with much hope and optimism. We still have some hurdles we need to jump over, but all in all I think he will transition into each phase of his life with greater results than I can ever imagine right now.

People with Autism are pretty amazing across the board, whether high or low functioning or somewhere in between. (It is such a broad spectrum) Please take the time and learn more about it. So many individuals are being diagnosed with Autism and it is time that everyone gets on board to educate yourself. Chances are, you will know at least one person with Autism in your life time and it would be amazing if you could approach them with the respect and understanding that they deserve. A good place to start is: http://autism-society.org/

181st General Conference

2011-04-05T13:48:00.001-07:00

This passed weekend was the 181st General Conference for my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For those who aren't of my faith we hold this conference twice a year, once in April and once in October. We have been having these Conferences, as you can see from the "181st", for many, many years. It is a time when we forgo our regular Sunday meetings and take Saturday and Sunday to listen to our Prophet and other appointed men and women leaders in our church. It is funny because as an adult I truly look forward to this event every six months. When I was younger that wasn't the case. It used to be that my family considered it a "weekend off". I really don't remember listening to or watching many General Conferences in my youth. It was hit or miss. Once I got married it became a little more important and then an experience I had while living in New Jersey solidified my testimony of General Conference and I have never looked at it the same way since.

In New Jersey we traveled 20 minutes to a half hour to get to our meeting house (church). Back then we had to go to the church to see the broadcast via satellite, we didn't have the luxury of watching it on the Internet like we do now. The ward members would usually have a potluck meal in between sessions (there are two 2 hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday and then a 2 hour Priesthood session Saturday night). It was a big sacrifice to stay at the church all day Saturday and most of Sunday. As you can probably guess the turn out wasn't that great. I remember thinking, "Here I am, I have small children who don't want to sit still for 2 hours at a time in a dark chapel." I looked on it as a slight inconvenience. Then Barry and Luba came into my life.

They were new converts to the church and were so very excited to attend their first General Conference. They arrived and sat through the first session. Afterward I overheard Barry say, "Why are there so few people here. There is hardly anyone from the ward here. I just don't understand why they wouldn't want to come hear a Prophet of God speak to them." Those words hit me hard. Sure I was there in body, but having been a member of the church all my life and not fully understanding what General Conference was, I wasn't there in Spirit. I had taken it for granted until that day. The next session I was all ears and from that day on I have grown in my testimony of what a privilege it is to listen to a Prophet's voice and try hard to act upon the counsel that is given each Conference.

General Conference is such a blessing to my life. I am spiritually recharged every six months. I have since taken things a step further and I prayerfully prepare myself before Conference that I will hear what it is I need to hear to help me become more like my Savior, Jesus Christ and to be with my family and Father in Heaven again someday.

16th Wedding Anniversary

2011-03-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

16 years ago today Roger and I were married!! Happy Anniversary Hon! It has been an amazing ride so far. Ah! We look so young!! This is our engagement picture. I was 22 going on 23 and Roger was 23. BABIES!! :-)

Max is Movin' On Up!

2011-03-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

In January Max did some testing to see if he could could qualify for the gifted and talented program in our school district. Well, today we got the results back and he has been accepted into the program! His scores were so high that Roger and I were blown away! I mean we always knew we had a smart kid on our hands but when you see it in writing...I don't know, I was just surprised at how well he did across the board. In every subject he ranked as one of the highest. I am so proud of him and I know if we can keep him going on this path his future is limitless!

I am so happy that our kids are doing so well in school. I hope we can continue to nurture their brains and talents. We had parent teacher conferences this month and Chester got straight A's and Ivy is way above the benchmark for her grade level in math and reading. We will probably test her next year for the same program Max is in. Okay, I am done bragging, haha...I am just so grateful for my kids and so very proud!

Temple Grandin at ISU

2011-03-10T20:39:00.000-08:00

It has been a great week. My sister Janell popped in last Thursday on her way up to Ogden to visit her daughter Julia and future in-laws. Julia just got engaged and they are starting the process of planning the wedding in June. AND I got to go up to Rexburg and visit my other sister Lissa and her son Mike. She had invited me up to see Temple Grandin speak at ISU. I felt so blessed to see two of my sisters in one week. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my sisters. I am one of those lucky individuals who has FIVE sisters. And they are the most beautiful and talented sisters in the world. I am not kidding. I will have to do some posts on each one to brag because they truly are some of the finest women alive today.

ANYWAY, this post is all about Temple and her amazing contribution to Animal Science and Autism Awareness. For those who don't know, she is a doctor of animal science and a professor, a best-selling author and a consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior. She is in her early 60's and has high-functioning autism. She was listed in Time magazine in 2010 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the "Heroes" category. A movie based on her life called, Temple Grandin, was released on HBO last year and has since won some Emmys and a Golden Globe. But my favorite things are her books. I would recommend Thinking in Pictures. It is so fascinating to have the world of Autism articulated through the eyes of someone who is Autistic. Since my son Chester cannot express to me right now how he thinks and how the world effects him I am so happy to have someone like Temple who can describe it for me so I know how to deal with Chester better and understand him more fully.

Now, people with Autism are all so very different and I know Chester doesn't experience the world in the exact same way as Temple, but the similarities are close enough that it can still help me very much. Temple was such a joy! Chester has always had an amazing sense of humor and it was no different with Temple. She had me laughing with her dry humor and wit. She truly is a brilliant mind and a delightful person.

She was full of so much information, but two key points that struck me was first the different ways in which people think. You have the Visual Thinkers, like Temple, who think in photographically specific images. The Music and Math Thinkers, who think in patterns and then the Verbal Logic Thinkers, who think in word details. And there are some individuals who may have combinations of these categories. Right now it is hard to tell with Chester if he is just one of these. He has some amazing talents in each category, but I am sure as he gets older we may begin to see if one emerges as a dominant way he tends to think about things or if he has a strong combination of two or all three of them. His verbal skills are improving all the time so it will be interesting once he can tell us his thought process.

The other thing that stuck out to me was allowing your child to get out there and work! The worst thing you can do is leave an autistic child to himself or herself. She sited the scouting program as an excellent way for these kids to get out and do a variety of different things as they socialize and earn their badges a hidden passion or talent may emerge. Give the child a job(s) to do around the house like walking the dog everyday. That is their job. They need to learn a work ethic because their minds are capable of so much and if they can find what it is they want to do they will have that work ethic and be able to be valuable in society. They will hold a job and contribute so much to whatever field they go into. They need mentors, people who will try to understand how they think and embrace their individuality and nurture them.

The latest statistic was that every 1 in 110 children in the USA are autistic. When Chester was diagnosed just over 10 years ago it was 1 in every 150 children. This is something we cannot ignore and if you are reading this and don't know what Autism is. Start doing your research. We need to think about the fact that in the next 10-15 years or so these children will all be adults and how they are brought up and cultivated will decide whether they will be a "burden" to society or a "benefit" to it. Parents, educators, professionals all need to take a second look at people with autism and embrace ways of helping them to succeed. They are so capable. Just because they have some social impairments and use their minds differently doesn't mean they cannot be of value. Even though the spectrum is broad, from non-verbal, low functioning to people with Aspergers each child has a potential and whatever they are able to "do" let them be the best at that.

Thank you to Temple for a great evening and to my sister and her friend Michelle for making it a fun "girls night out"!

Knitting...Are You Kidding?

2011-03-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to do this post for months now! As most of you may remember I was in a production of Dancing At Lughnasa this past November. It was a wonderful experience and to top it all off I learned how to knit! Well, really, really basic knitting. My character would be knitting gloves in the play so I went to my local craft store and chose very small metal needles and yarn that one would knit socks with. Most people who knit would suggest that I start with big needles and get the basic pattern down and then graduate to the small needles. But I am always up for a challenge (and a short cut) so I opted to go with the small needles from the start. I didn't know any different so how hard could it be?

I jumped on YouTube and watched some "not so helpful" tutorials. The teacher on the videos would go way too fast or it was hard to see certain steps because of the video quality. Roger came to the rescue and helped me decipher what exactly the knot pattern was and how it worked with the needles. With his background in scouting it really helped. When you break it down knitting is just making certain kinds of knots so he was able to figure it all out.

Above is one of my first attempts. haha You can't really tell in this picture but it looks like a baby "ruff" collar.

This mini-scarf I made during the rehearsal process. I just kept knitting row after row to get the flow and movement of knitting. I had to look like I knew what I was doing even if it turned out looking like "Swiss Cheese".

The cast would tease me pretty bad and it was hysterical! I took it in stride. I didn't pretend to be an expert so I would joke along with them. This piece above was my first attempt with the gray wool that I would be using during the show. I decided I would never be seen knitting a "Glove" it would always look like I was just starting a project and each couple nights of the performance I would start anew.

This picture goes from top to bottom of some of the samples I knitted during the performances. As you can see, I did get progressively better as time went on!! Less holes and the rows were more consistent. You can see at the bottom one of my needles. They were little guys and as I would knit they would get a natural bend to them. I made it a character choice to straighten out the needles every once in a while. During the more intense scenes where I took out my frustrations on the knitting, those needles would get pretty bent up!

I didn't end up enjoying the knitting very much. I gave it up after the show was over. Recently I found these samples and thought, maybe I would give it another try. I have so many friends and family members who love to knit and crochet. I talked to Roger about it and he said, "I bet if you had an actual project, a hat, a scarf, you would like it more. You would have actually made something and it would be fun to have that sense of accomplishment." So, I think I will give it another try. It would be fun to take a class or sit down with family members and have them work with me. We will see! :)

My 39th Birthday!!

2011-03-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

Today I turn 39. I am not ashamed to say it. I have earned my "creases" as my son likes to call the wrinkles between my eyebrows. I plan on growing old gracefully, because in the next few years, I won't be able to hide much but my gray hair, and even then I think in my later 50's I will embrace that as well. I hope it turns pure white like my mother's, so beautiful! No plastic surgery for me, I will age like Dame Judi Dench in all her regal gorgeousness! I have decided to take a trip in pictures on this day and tell you 39 things you may not know about me:

I was born in San Jose, CA on this day. The last of 11 children. Bless my mother up and down sideways and backwards. That is pretty amazing and so was I! Look how cute! I was born ready to take on Hollywood and the Great White Way, no doubt about it.

I had blond hair as a child. I hated it curled like this.

When Star Wars first came out my brother Ben and I went to see Honey Suckle Rose with Willie Nelson. My brother John saw Star Wars. Our movie got done first so we asked the usher if we could sneak into Star Wars and find our brother. He let us in and I saw pure magic on the screen. I felt completely gypped! 5 years old and I knew I had a lapse in judgment.

I played Annie 3 times...I look forward to playing Miss Hannigan now so I can rough up some orphans. Payback!

I had a HUGE crush on Ricky Schroder for Years!

I played dress up every day from the time I was 2 until 16. My mom would come home from work and ask, "Who are you today Tamari"? I kept her on her toes. And I know what my friends are thinking from this time, "THIS is dress up? She would wear this to school!" And I just laugh and say, "I would never wear sunglasses to school."

I have great hair! That is one thing about me that I love, love, love. My hair has been good to me through the years.

I love the ocean. It has been fun in my life to live on each coast. I have always dreamed of having a beach house. The sound of the ocean is very soothing to me.

I was a magicians assistant one summer.

I was very serious about dance in my teenage years. Especially ballet. I danced 14 hours a week and competed all over the country.

Bob Fosse is my favorite choreographer.

Speaking of Choreography, I had this album completely choreographed and realized in my own front room by age 6. "Robert E. Lee!"

I designed hats as a kid and had a huge collection of them growing up. For a long time they were my signature fashion statement. I still love hats and wear them whenever I can!

I did some modeling as a teen. Graduated from the Barbizon Modeling School. Kind of hard to believe now since I stand only 5'2" tall.

I fell victim to "big hair" in the 80's and 90's....yeah, cast the first stone ladies!

My favorite song is "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder

The Beatles...my favorite band. I love you George! Thank you Roger for introducing them to me since they were banned in my house growing up...either because John Lennon was rumored to be a warlock or because my brother Matthew played their songs on his guitar WAY too much.

I love folk music and the blues.

Charlie Chaplin is probably my favorite celebrity.

Gene Kelly is someone I never tire of.

I love to read and Frankenstein is my favorite book.

Documentaries are probably my favorite type of film. I just consume them. I love history and the stories of the human experience given first hand.

My favorite artist is John Singer Sargent.

My favorite architect is Frank Lloyd Wright.

My favorite singer is Barbra Streisand. I LOVE this album cover, isn't she gorgeous!?

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays...any excuse to dress up. Here I am as a lion with my sister Franci...I am wearing a costume, she is not. ;-)

I cry, no bawl at live performances of musicals. I LOVE musical theater with a passion. My favorite play to see live is West Side Story.

What do you get when you add a Sondheim musical with playing a crazy lady? My favorite show I was ever in, Sweeney Todd. I am the short one dead center.

I love Disneyland! My family has bought into this franchise BIG TIME! We love Disney movies. Pixar movies cannot fail in our eyes. My favorite Pixar: The Incredibles.

I had everyone of my babies naturally. Yes, I am going to brag! Have you had children!?! Try having them without any drugs! I am WOMAN!!!

My oldest son is Autistic and will change the world someday with his brilliant mind!

My middle son is a peacemaker and will change the world by bringing it peace.

My daughter is our little comedian and will change the world by bringing it out of sorrow and making it laugh.

My husband is indeed my best friend and I will love him forever.

I need 8-9 hours of sleep now. Just like my daughter above. Otherwise we get kind of grumpy!

I love to SING!

My testimony of the gospel began at Girls Camp.

I love my religion. It gives me full purpose in life.

My favorite kind of cake is Carrot.
HAPPY 39th!!

A Realization: A Story of a Dog and a Mother

2011-02-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here is my sweet little dog Oona in the sweater that she hates. One wonderful thing that has come out of living in this small apartment is my relationship with my dog has strengthened. She is confined to be with me more hours than I think she would like because we no longer have a yard that she can patrol, dig up or prance around in. She is completely dependent on me for her exercise, potty time and entertainment. And I am actually beginning to understand my mother better! Let me explain...

When we were growing up my 10 siblings and I had to compete with a dog for my mother's affection. ALWAYS, a dog. There were times I felt that the dog got fed more, talk to more and definitely cuddled more than I did. On the rare occasion the dog was not with us she would talk about the dog and how smart it was. Every dog my mother has had is the "smartest" dog. Obviously I came to the realization that my mother's dogs were not just her pets, they were her companions and now that she lives alone they are her children.

My mother was not in the same vein as those that throw birthday parties for their dogs or dress them up in designer fashion on a daily basis. She just simply has a tremendous bond with her dogs. She doesn't have to yell at them or nag them, it is all in how she gives them a "look" or talks to them just like she would a human. I have witnessed it, and the dog UNDERSTANDS my mother.

Because of my resentment towards these oblivious and innocent creatures, I never thought I would have a relationship like that with a dog. My kids wanted a dog so badly and we tried once with a Labradoodle named Roxie and it was just poor timing. I started a job a few months after we got her and I knew with me being away so much it wasn't going to work. SO, we gave the dog away and later when I was ready we got Oona.

Indeed, I was ready for this one and have loved taking care of her. It hasn't been easy all the time as most new dog owners know. When we first moved to this apartment I wasn't sure if I could deal with the little 'watch dog' inside of her coming out in full force. EVERY. LITTLE. NOISE. "bark, bark, barkety, bark!!" But she settled in and so did I. We have our routine now and I get glimpses of my mother as I work with her and talk to her. I try very hard to keep the perspective that she is the family pet and the children come first. haha She is my little companion and I can't imagine our family without her. And you know what? She is the "smartest" dog I know. ;-)

Max Gets His Webelos Badge

2011-02-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

Roger and I were called as co-scout masters a month ago....probably the toughest time to be called because the Blue and Gold Banquet is in February! So, we had a month to carry out the Banquet that also included a scout's Arrow of Light ceremony. We had to learn how to be cub masters, plan a Blue and Gold Banquet and figure out how to do the Arrow of Light ceremony, whew! All I can say is, WE DID IT! And I am so relieved it is all over!! And to make the night even more special Max received his Webelos Badge and his Silver Religious Knot. I am so proud of this little guy, he is a very goal oriented kid, very motivated and I know he will continue to well in scouting. It is such a great program and he loves it.

Now we look forward to the Pinewood Derby in April. Whahoo!!!

Are You....Comfortable?

2011-02-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

Have you seen these shoes? On an actual human person?...IN person? I hadn't....until a couple days ago. Now, I had seen pictures of human people wearing them. Mostly celebrities....walking on the red carpet....for about 10 minutes!! I thought they were part of their costume, not actually a shoe that someone wears in everyday life. So, back to my personal encounter: I am walking (comfortably in my running shoes) into Walmart. I had to get something really cheap and Walmart is usually the winner on cheap items. So there I was enjoying the walk from the parking lot to the entrance of said store and I hear this irregular "clopping" noise. Even the sound of these shoes rang out, 'uncomfortable' and I had to look. There she was, a beautiful 20 something girl in a beret, with the 80's sweater look going off one shoulder, skinny jeans and THESE SHOES!!! I was so surprised that people actually wore them for every day wear. Where have I been? I slowed down a bit because I had to watch her walk in these..."clomp", "clomp", (uncomfortable) "clomp"

...Truth be told I have a dark side to me...I pride myself in how I can walk in high heels. After years of ballet training I honestly feel I walk BEAUTIFULLY in heels. I can even RUN in them. Yeah, I am not going to lie, high heels and me are a perfect match. So of course I am going to slow down and critique this innocent young girl and how she manages to walk in these things. All I could think was, "Eh, I'd give her about a 5 on a scale from 1 to 10 on walking in these heels." I had to fight the urge to stop her and ask if I could try walking in her shoes. Probably would have looked like a crazy lady so I just followed her silently into the store. She split off from me at cosmetics and I went...wherever it was I was going and didn't find what I was looking for. But that is another story.

I have drawn 2 conclusions from this encounter: 1) That girl is going to have bunions by the time she is 30! Why does Hollywood do this to impressionable young people! and 2)....I gotta get me a pair!

My Valentine

2011-02-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

I am the luckiest girl alive! Seriously. Roger is...well, he is "Roger". And those who know him KNOW what I am talking about. He is pretty incredible. Roger has the unique trait of being as brilliant as he is talented and then to top it all off he is good with people. Just an exceptionally well rounded guy that can fit in just about any situation with ease. He is my best friend, we like being together and we laugh A LOT! For the past several months he has been working from home and it has been a blast! I am going to miss him when he has to go back to the office next month. I am so grateful for him in my life. I cherish every day and I am so happy that he continues to choose to be with me and love me with all his heart.

Now, I am going to brag and show this clip of him in my favorite role that he has played, Cervantes/Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. LOVE IT!

Ivy Loses Her First Tooth!

2011-02-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight Ivy's tooth was looking pretty loose. I felt it and told her it would probably come out very soon. I showed her how to twist the tooth instead of just wiggly it back and forth. She was pretty excited.

Just after I got the kids into bed I heard a knock on my door. It was Ivy, she said her tooth was bleeding. I had her come in and get on the bed and I gave it a good twist one way and then the other. She dealt with the pain so well! Then she reached in and tugged at it and POP! Just like that it came out between her fingertips!

Here is her tiny tooth.

And here is one happy little girl! What a big milestone in a child's life, their first missing tooth. She can't wait for the tooth fairy to come, she says she will try and catch it in the act and maybe even capture it. So, watch out Tooth Fairy, Ivy has it out for you! ;-)

Dream a Little Dream...

2011-02-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

I find it interesting that MOST of my dreams (while sleeping) have the same component: at one point of the dream I tour a house.

I have done this since I was a child. I over came my fear of the dark because of a recurring dream where I would tour the same house and there was a dark room I would never go into. Finally, after the 4th or 5th time of this same dream, I went into that dark room. I fought a scary witch in the dark, defeated her and was never afraid of the dark again. I have 'flying' dreams and 'teeth falling out' dreams and even in THOSE dreams I may stop to tour a house.

I seriously think I am obsessed with architecture and design. The funny thing is...I am not an architect or a designer, but I truly appreciate it and I am constantly moved by it. My favorite aspects of architecture and design are:

Victorian Houses. (particularly the Queen Ann style) This is my favorite Victorian House. I know the owners personally and I have been inside. FABULOUS.

Dutch Architecture. This house is not too far from me now in Holladay, UT...it is for sale....I can't afford it, but boy, I can dream about it!

French Cottages. Don't even get me started. When I go to Europe I will stay in a French Cottage. Even if it is just for one night. Heaven!

Frank Lloyd Wright. His architecture, his furniture and his stain glass; I am brought to tears when I view his work...he speaks to my soul.

Art Deco. Furniture, jewelry or architecture...I could look at it for hours and never get tired. I know the Chrysler Building isn't a HOUSE, but it is one of my favorite buildings in the Art Deco Style that I have ever laid eyes on. I would get a little flutter in my chest every time we drove into Manhattan because I knew I would see it.

Stair Cases. I have a love affair with Stair Cases. Whenever I cut out pictures from magazines I end up with SO MANY Stair Cases. I am not sure why I love them so much, maybe it is the mystery of, "What is up those stairs"? or just the pure beauty of a well done stair case. I can't get enough!

Wood Work. I am fond of wood being put to good use in a home. I miss the mastery of a carpenter in the 'everyday' architecture of today. Houses are put up so fast in most areas that I wonder if they will still be standing in 20 years. The Arts and Crafts style of Architecture is appealing to me and how they incorporate wood into the design.

Entry Ways. There is nothing like a house that makes a grand first impression. You have the curb appeal, the front door and my favorite: the entry way.

Home Libraries. I am determined that my next house will have one. And if it is a loft library...even better!

Sleeping Nooks. Maybe it is my Scandinavian Heritage, but I adore Sleeping Nooks. Just being all cozy and boxed in as you sleep or read or daydream seems ideal. (A close second is reading nooks, oh! and window seats.)

I could go on and on about houses and what I like and what is contained in my dreams. It is one of my favorite topics. Some nights I look forward to sleeping because I wonder what style of house I will tour. We have been looking at houses quite a bit lately as we prepare to buy a new home (once our current one sells) and I just lie awake at night thinking about how I will renovate a certain house or how I would decorate it. I guess that is just my way of "counting sheep". Good Night!

TEENAGER!!!

2011-02-08T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's official, as of Feb. 7th Roger and I are now parents of a TEENAGER! Here we go!!!!
Here is our (now still sweet and non-attitude ridden) teenager Chester with his two favorite people: Max and Ivy.

The presents!

The Cake

Blowing out the candles!

Max laughing at his dad teasing me...

Ivy and Roger being silly. I live with a bunch of comedians!

Chester had a great day. His school class threw a big party and they all made cards for him. He enjoyed a dinner of sloppy joes and then I made lemon cake with lemon frosting at his request.

I feel the same as I always have except now I am the mother of teenager. One the one hand, I am thinking, "Wow, I am getting older!" on the other hand, "I have made it this far in my marriage and my parental life. What an accomplishment!" I know I am only at the beginning and who knows what adventures Roger and I will experience as parents from here on out, but I honestly could not have asked for a better husband and kids to be on this journey with. Here we go!!!!!

A Little More Kindess...

2011-02-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

We have been living in the Salt Lake area for just over 6 months now and I have to say, for a place that I have "never wanted to live" it is pretty spectacular. Honestly, I love it here. But, there was one thing that threw me for a loop. My perception was that it would be much like Santa Clara (St. George), but "a city". I would be living amongst a predominately LDS crowd, there would be more theater, more diversity, it would be easier to get around...And I was right...except for the curious realization that there is this 'tension' beneath the surface that I have not experienced to this magnitude in any other place that I have lived...

This city was settled by LDS pioneers over 150 years ago and since that time a real culture has been defined. As non-LDS members move in and non-active or less-active members remain living here there is a clash between those who "believe" and those who don't. Most of my social interactions have been within the theater and here in Salt Lake a large portion of the theater family are people who are not members or people who were members. I am used to being one of the only active members when I do a show because I have spent most of my career years working outside of Utah. Outside of the state people are more ignorant of the LDS faith, (although this is changing) many are still under the impression that we practice polygamy. They ask a lot of questions and it is pretty casual. Because they are not as familiar with the LDS culture and because there is so much more diversity in the places I have worked there is a higher tolerance level for allowing others to believe what they will.

HERE it is a different story, people know about the church because it is the predominate religion and many used to be LDS. They seem pretty bitter towards the LDS faith and they are very vocal about those things that they don't see eye to eye with. Why is there such a tension? I have to ask myself the question. I think there are probably a myriad of answers, but a couple things come to mind. One is that at one time or another, they have been offended by someone of my faith and my other impression is that when one has been brought up in the church and has had a testimony of the gospel and then they fall away from it, they don't particularly like or don't feel comfortable being reminded on a daily basis that they are not doing what the the church has taught them they should be doing.

Now, I cannot control how people feel about the choices they have made in their life or how the actions or words of others have affected them. But I CAN control how I confront this situation from now and into the future. I basically have two choices:

#1) I could keep the tension brewing and stay on the existing course that most are choosing to take on either side by complaining about people outside/inside of the church either verbally or all over my Facebook wall. I could point out the faults of those around me with harshness and malice, trying to make them feel bad about how they have chosen to live their lives.

OR...

#2) I can open my understanding, set aside my pride and treat those around me with the utmost respect, kindness and lack of judgment. As I treat those around me in this way my hope is that eventually attitudes will change and harsh words will be spoken less on both sides. That we can all heal from whatever the past might have been and create a future where we can co-exist peacefully and respectfully...I have decided to take option #2

I know there are other members of the church that feel the same as I do. I know there are non-members and less-active members who feel this too. In this community if we can all inwardly decide to change our hearts and minds about how we will treat people who are in the church or out of it (or somewhere in between) then outwardly act upon those changes, hopefully perceptions will be altered and respect and love will spread instead of hate and contention. I know I can be more civilized and kind. Yes, a little more genuine kindness can go a long way and have a healing power that could really turn things around in this amazing city.

A Night With Stephen Sondheim

2011-02-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a "conversation" with Stephen Sondheim hosted by the University of Utah. It was just him and Nancy Melich (a former theater critic and literary seminar director for the Utah Shakespeare Festival) on stage talking about everything from critics to his writing process. Nancy had some planned questions that she posed to him for about an hour and then there was a musical interlude of songs from Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park With George by the School of Music opera students there at the University and then Nancy asked him questions that some audience members had written down before the evening had started.

I loved when he talked about the structure of a show and how the first song should give the audience an idea of the show they will be seeing that night. Then you must DO what that first song has set up and end the show by telling the audience that you HAVE done it. He talked about how Rogers and Hammerstein had introduced the idea of a song furthering the plot and not just being a pretty song. The songs had a beginning, middle and an end. We laughed when he talked about how he has a hard time with choruses singing about things that don't make sense to him. Like 40 cowboys singing, "Every night my honey lamb and I....alone and talk....watch a hawk" He could make sense of them singing about the State of Oklahoma and how wonderful it was but this sentimental stuff, "honey lamb" and "lazy circling hawks"....In his musicals when the chorus sings all together there is motivation behind it and it makes sense, like "More Hot Pies!" The chorus has gone to the pie shop because they like the pies. He said he is very literal.

He was asked what his favorite musical was (besides his own) and he said that there has been nothing to top Porgy and Bess. He had a great story about Katherine Hepburn (a neighbor at the time) telling him to be quiet in the middle of the night by knocking on his door in frigid weather wearing no shoes, her pajamas and a babushka. He was composing Company at the time and she was in her first musical Coco and she needed her rest. The funny thing was, she asked her director if she could leave rehearsal everyday at 3pm because her "neighbor" kept her up all night writing some musical. And they let her go. haha

It was awesome when he talked about theater critics and how most critics really don't know how to write like they used too. They don't understand theater and their writing is poor period. He talked of some great theater critics and had some fun stories about that. He also explained about why musicals on Broadway are all taken from tried and true sources like movies, pop artists and shows that have done well out of town. It costs a lot of money to produce a show on Broadway, A LOT of money and he said that the producers have to raise that money and they want to make sure the show will be a hit. He said that he abhors this BUT he wouldn't want to be the producer having to raise the money.

This truly was a great master class. I learned so much and was surprised at how wonderful a conversationalist he was. So down to earth, honest and intelligent. He made his interviewer feel at ease and the audience just ate him up! I started crying when the opera chorus sang "Sunday" from Sunday in the Park With George. It brought home to me how much Sondheim has influenced my life. I relate so much to his works and I feel privileged to have gone tonight and been a part of the whole experience.

And just to give you a taste of Mr. Sondheim in an interview, here is Stephen Colbert with Stephen Sondheim, great stuff!...

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Stephen Sondheim

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

Video Archive

My "True Grit" Experience

2011-01-31T08:46:00.001-08:00

Recently Roger and I took some time and went to see the movie True Grit at the cinema. I had heard good things about it and had seen the old movie with John Wayne many years before. I remembered that I liked it and the famous scene where a rugged, John Wayne with the classic eye patch holds his horse reins between his teeth and charges towards four of the bad guys shooting with guns in both hands. So exciting and classic! Little did I know that this new version, directed and written by my favorite Coen Brothers Joel and Ethan, would bring me so much joy! I had such a blast watching this film. I was laughing out loud and in one of the more intense scenes I was was squirming in my seat and screaming out...I was amazed at how involved I got! I bought into it wholeheartedly and thoroughly enjoyed myself!

It was funny because about 15 minutes into the film Roger leaned over and said, "You know who that girl reminds me of"? (speaking of Hailee Steinfeld)...I shook my head "no"....he said, "YOU, she is totally you at that age." We both started laughing. I came home and looked through some pictures and I found one that is kind of close...haha

Miss Steinfeld....

Where Have All the Good Dads Gone?

2011-01-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

Why is it that most dads on television nowadays are portrayed as idiots or buffoons? I was recently watching a show with my kids and I thought, "Man, this dad is driving me nuts!! Can he really be THAT stupid?"....this got me pondering...I tried to think of one dad on TV today that is portrayed in a positive light. A man that is intelligent and loving. A man who provides for his family and outwardly loves his wife and children. A man who does not take to substance abuse, or womanizing or illegal activity. A man who has integrity and who can act as a moral compass for his children.

I thought and thought and I had to go back 20 years because the only example I could think of at first was Cliff Huxtable from The Cosby Show. Now, there was a TV dad who was intelligent and loving; a provider who outwardly cared for his wife and kids, who had integrity and a moral compass and to top it all off....he was funny! The show was actually amusing and entertaining! This guy didn't have to be a doof or a lecherous person to be interesting. But why did I have to go all the way back to a show that was made over 20 years ago to discover a TV dad that was respectable? What is happening to our society where we are portraying men in such a negative light? I think it is a shame.

Granted I have not had cable TV for over 4 years and there may be something I am missing. I do try to keep tabs by watching shows online. And I do admit to be "entertained" by shows like Modern Family and Mad Men but if you look at those two shows as an example the dads are either buffoons or womanizing alcoholics. I Googled in the Top 10 Dad's on TV for 2010 and among the chosen few was a serial killer, a mafia leader and a bubbling idiot by the name of 'Homer Simpson'! REALLY!?...I will say that the dad on Glee, Burt Hummel, was listed and I agree that his character is a good example of a father with the attributes listed above...but that is just ONE out of the 10 listed and this was a TOP 10 DADS ON TV list...pretty sad.

Now, I know, I know, these shows are just for entertainment purposes, they are just actors or cartoons that are fabricated and really should have no business influencing the general public, but honestly I think that in some way it does have merit. Whether we want to admit it or not, a large amount of our population look up to Hollywood stars and the people they portray and some people have a hard time defining the line between the two.

I think that there needs to be more of a balance in entertainment today. They have proven with shows like The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Happy Days, Little House on The Prairie, Leave it to Beaver, My Three Sons, The Brady Bunch, Eight is Enough, and The Andy Griffith Show that you can have entertaining shows that depict fathers in a more positive light. I know as a kid growing up without a dad in my home that these shows provided an example to me of what a father was. I had other "real" examples, thank goodness, but I spent a lot of down time in front of the TV. I was impressionable and these shows helped me see what life could be like with a positive male role model around.

We need more of that. Men and their role as a father should be taken more seriously in entertainment. I mean, explain this to me, have we really gotten to the point in society where fathers like Steven Keaton, Charles Ingalls, and Howard Cunningham are so "good" that they are boring? Are their characters too "old fashioned"? I know that the men that I look up to in "real life" who are good examples of what a father should be are FAR from boring. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with "old fashioned" values. And I am not talking about the old fashioned values that focus on the dominant male. I consider myself to live in a home with old fashioned values and my husband and I are partners and equals, no question.

We should never underestimate the awesomeness of fathers everywhere and the example they can be to their children. They are a vital role in a child's life. I can see it with my own kids. They look to Roger in a different way than they do me. They admire him, idolize him and treasure him. He is teaching my sons how to be good men in this world and how they ought to treat women. He is teaching my daughter what a good man is and what a good man does for his family. He treats me and Ivy with a deep respect and he never degrades us. We are all of worth to him. He is honest, faithful and yes, he has a great sense of humor!

There are a countless number of other fathers in our society that do the same for their families as Roger does. Wouldn't it be nice if our entertainment industry could reflect that more? It has been done before and I can't see why it shouldn't still be done. I look forward to the next sit com or night time drama that will depict fathers in a better light. Like a said, a balance would be nice. Sure, go ahead and give me an Archie Bunker (funny stuff), but please let me also see a Cliff Huxtable. I miss that guy!

Concert For Children With Autism and Their Families

2011-01-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight we attended a concert at the Capitol Theater in down town Salt Lake that was put on by Utah Opera's Ensemble Artists and the Utah Symphony. It is a concert that is in it's tenth year. The Opera and Symphony community realized that there were a large amount of families that had special needs children in the area and they normally could not take their child(ren) to this type of event because they were afraid that they would act out or be too loud and then be scrutinized by those around them for disrupting the performance. They decided that having an event like this would allow the children and their families to enjoy the arts and be in a safe environment where everyone in the audience would understand an occasional outburst or loud laughter or a child who decided they wanted to get up and run around for a minute...whatever the case may be. The event was also free to everyone in the audience, so no matter the financial situation everyone could come and enjoy performances by professionals.

The Utah Symphony was amazing. They played some fun songs that I am sure they knew would be relate-able to this audience. Like Gilbert and Sullivan overtures from HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance and Offenbach's "Can-Can". The opera performers sang songs from Die Fledermaus by Strauss and Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck. I particularly liked the two sopranos that performed, such beautiful voices and so much energy. They were lovely and very entertaining. The audience just ate it up!

Here we are in the lobby waiting to go in. Ivy has a velvet pillow in her arms that they hand out to smaller children to act as a 'booster seat'.

Here are the boys being silly just before the concert started.

And here is Chester after the concert finished right outside the Capitol Theater. I think he really enjoyed it. There was such a relaxed atmosphere to the crowd and when a child would scream or have a melt down no one batted an eye. We all understood. "Can-Can" was the last song of the night and everyone clapped to the beat and got into it. We stood up for the final curtain. The room was full of gratitude for this opportunity. I know some of these parents don't get out much (if at all) and it was probably a real highlight for them to be able to attend this wonderful event.

I realized that Chester had come a long way. He was older than most of the children in the audience and he doesn't have melt downs like he used to in crowded situations. He handles himself well and is able to process 'change' better. I thought, "We are very blessed at how far he has come and I am sure we could take him to any symphony or opera performance and he would be just fine." BUT I appreciated this night so much and being in a room with families who understand and who are so accepting and loving. It was a great night!

Roger's Birthday

2011-01-06T20:42:00.001-08:00

Today is Roger's birthday...I love him. My eyes say it all in this picture. I am so blessed to have him in my life. He is the father of my sweet children and he is my best friend. We laugh a lot. I think he is so funny. He is also highly intelligent and for some reason that aspect of him has always made me feel safe. He is very talented in the arts and in technology. He is beloved by those around him. I have always loved that he accepts people for who they are and has an open mind but yet he grounds himself to this internal moral compass. He doesn't let others sway what he knows to be true...I guess that makes him a leader. But he is one who leads with love and compassion. He is approachable. Sometimes this can be a big responsibility because he gets asked to serve and use his talents, A LOT! For the most part he accepts those who are asking, BUT after much life experience he has learned that it is okay to say, "No" sometimes. I respect him for that. He has a talent for teaching and can explain things with such ease. He has a good perspective on life and is very grounded. He is perfect for me. He is everything I need and I am so happy that he chose me. Happy Birthday Roger!

Aspirations for the New Year

2011-01-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

I have a list of goals and aspirations set down for 2011, they are simple really and very personal. My experiences of 2010 have changed me in many ways. My life is simpler now. My life is a calm and happy place. I don't have to travel far from home to have life changing moments or instances that take my breath away. I am content, although I still strive to become just a bit better than I was the day before. A kind person to the core who does not judge or place myself above others. But, one who will be there in time of need. One who will show charity outwardly and stand up for what I know to be true when the time arises. I will be a person who speaks and not be one to bottle things up anymore. I will not repress myself. But, when I do speak it will be out of love and honesty with a bit of tact thrown in. I will be the mother my daughter and sons can admire, yet feel close too. I will be the wife and friend to my husband that he cannot possibly live without. I will be the family member who thinks of those she loves and sends out words of encouragement just when they need it most. I will be the friend that is loyal, yet fun and able to let my hair down and just..."be" when we are together. I will be a woman of grace and virtue. I will dance, laugh and listen. I will be still and feel at peace with the person I am and look forward to the person I will evolve into as the years pass.

New Year's Eve Festivities

2011-01-01T10:30:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!! Ivy's joy in this picture says it all! We had a blizzard hit our area just after Christmas dumping much wanted snow. We took the kids to a near by sled park on New Year's Eve and they had a blast!

Here is Ivy giving Chester a little extra push to get started down the "little hill". Max and Roger where taking the "big hill" but the rest of us decided the "little hill" looked good to warm up on.

Max and Roger...survivors of the "big hill". Max turfed it pretty good on one of his first runs, but you know kids, they just bounce back up for more.

Cute picture of Roger and Ivy after he rode tandem with her half way up the "big hill".

Me coming down the hill full speed. Don't let this fool you though, I only had the guts to go half up the hill and then come down.

The kids at the end of it all. Ivy did NOT want to go home. This picture shows it all, she was just getting started!

We kept the kids up until Midnight but Ivy needed a nap around 10pm. We let her sleep and woke her up at 11:55pm.

New Year's Toast right at the stroke of midnight.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Ivy was disoriented and asked me in all sincerity, "Mom, why do we celebrate this?" I told her that it was the first day of 2011, we are bringing in the new year...she perked up a little. (We put her to bed shortly after this picture.) Max looks like he is drinking the hard stuff back there, haha. It was apple-grape sparkling cider, I swear!

Chester got an incredible second wind after midnight and was being so funny. He was doing slick dance moves and telling jokes. We were all laughing so hard.

I got him to stand still and get an awesome picture with Max. Aren't they handsome? Happy 2011! I am looking forward to this year and all the adventures we will have.

My Top Favorite Books of 2010

2010-12-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

What can I say about 2010...3 plays and a big move to Salt Lake City. It was a challenge to get any reading in, but I managed to get in 9 books this year...pretty sad. I think for 2011 I am going to take the advise of a few friends and get into audio books. I have been hesitant because in the past Roger got into some audio books and I would listen with him and almost immediately fall asleep. But I think that I will try it again. I do a lot of taxiing the kids around and there are a few hands on projects I need to focus on, like getting my scrapbooks up to date. I think if I can keep my hands busy or I am driving or waiting in the car while listening it will help. I will report back next year to let you know how successful I was. I still think I will try to actually READ some books as well. Find a balance...ANYWAY, the nine I read were:

1. Teacher Man, Frank McCourt
2. Ingrid Bergman, John Russell Taylor
3. A War of Gifts, Orson Scott Card
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Mary Shaffer and Annie Barrows
5. A Little Bit Wicked, Kristen Chenoweth and Joni Rodgers
6. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
7. Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism, Temple Grandin
8. Waiting for Superman, Karl Weber
9. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett

My Top 5:

1. A War of Gifts, Orson Scott Card
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Mary Shaffer and Annie Barrows
3. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
4. Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism, Temple Grandin
5. Waiting for Superman, Karl Weber

My Top Book of 2010:

1. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

I have to give a shout out to Temple Grandin's, Thinking in Pictures. It gave me so much insight into the mind of an Autistic person. I am blown away by her mind, talents and perseverance. As the mother of an Autistic child this book was very enlightening and it gives me so much hope for my son's future and the potential that lies inside him. But, The Book Thief was unlike anything I had ever read. I loved the structure of the book and the story within was so touching. I am drawn to WWII stories and this one did NOT disappoint.

A Dunbar Christmas

2010-12-28T18:47:00.001-08:00

This Christmas will always be remembered as a time for family. Things were very scaled back this year. And although there weren't as many presents under the tree as there have been in the past this Christmas was more about the activities we did together and the scriptures we read about the Savior. On Christmas Eve we acted out the Nativity and the kids opened up their traditional Christmas Eve gift of new pajamas. Christmas morning the kids walked out to view the scene pictured above.

Ivy was so excited to get a Rapunzel Doll (from Disney's Tangled), a new scooter and stuffed animals like the one above. She is in love with the Skippy Jon Jones series and so we got her the first book and Skippy himself!

Max also got a new scooter, some books, a yoyo set and art set.

Chester was most pleased with getting Toy Story 1, 2 and 3 on DVD.

Roger is showing off the knitted socks that his mom made for him!

We had to laugh at how Max organized his toys as he opened them.

They were all very pleased with what they received. Here they are with the movie Despicable Me from Grandma Williams. Roger and I had decided not to get each other anything, but neither one of us could stick to that decision, haha. We love Christmas and giving gifts is so fun. I broke down and got him Inception on Blu-Ray and he got me The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo book set by Stieg Larsson. It was a great Christmas!!

The Lights at Temple Square

2010-12-23T10:04:00.001-08:00

We drove into the city last night to look at the Christmas lights at Temple Square. As we rushed out the door I knew I didn't want to take my purse so I quickly grabbed in to get my camera. When we got to Temple Square I pulled out my "camera" and saw that it was my CELL PHONE! I was very disappointed because I wanted to take lots of pictures. Roger came to the rescue and said that we could use his phone. It takes better pictures than mine. ANYWAY, above is the beautiful Nativity...

Ivy, Chester and Max in front of the Nativity.

The Gorgeous LDS Temple.

Me!

More of the grounds all covered in lights. It was a nice night. There was a light rain and a man was playing Christmas carols with his bagpipes. Roger got a gift card from his work for Red Lobster so we took the kids there afterward and enjoyed a meal out.

This week has been pretty awesome. We have done a lot of activities together as a family. Because things are scaled back this year we have had to be creative and keep things simple and as a result I am feeling the true meaning of Christmas more than I have in a long time. It was so wonderful to go mid week to such a sacred place and see the Temple and the Nativity and realize the main reason we celebrate this time of year. When you visit the grounds you see, hear and feel the true Spirit of Christmas. I am grateful for places like Temple Square. Places where I can take my children and make memories that will hopefully stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Ice Skating!

2010-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

We got a bit of snow yesterday and Ivy and Max suited up to go play in it! They have mostly known the warmer climate of St. George so snow is still very exciting to them. I wonder if that will wear off as the years go by here in Salt Lake?...Max quickly got to work on his snowman.

Ivy wanted to make a snowman but her imagination got the better of her and she decided to make the base of her snowman into a snow....Penguin!

Meet "Mr. Chilly" the snow penguin.

Here is Max with his snowman affectionately known as "Bob".

Max received a free pass to the Cottonwood Heights Rec Center where they have an ice arena. So we decided we would go as a family. They had a public skate last night and it was quite fun! Ivy and I had ice skated before so we gave the boys a few pointers and off we went!...well, off we went clinging to the side wall and flailing to keep our balance!!

We started to get the hang of it and by the end we were all talking about coming more often so we could start practicing our triple salchow...haha I kid, we just want to come back and smooth out our basic skate and then maybe attempt a toe loop.

I love this picture of Ivy and Roger. Looks fun, huh?

DONE! We had a great time and plan to go back soon. Christmas is just around the corner and it has been great to do activities like these with my family during this season. For me, it is a big part of what this season is all about, spending time with family. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

Dealing With Loss

2010-12-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

I know this is the Christmas Season and it is a time for good will, joy to all men and peace. But December has been a month of great reflection for me and one thing that keeps coming to mind as I ponder on the mysteries of the universe is 'loss'. To be more specific the loss of a loved one. I have experienced this kind of emotion and gone through this type of trial on more than one occasion in my young life. (yes, 38 is STILL YOUNG) I know that we aren't here on this beautiful earth for very long. We are born, we live to the best of our ability and then we die. It is just a fact. We are mortal. Some of us know when a loved one is sick and that they aren't long for this world and we get to spend quality time and say our goodbyes and be there in that sacred moment when they take their final breath. For others it is sudden and unexpected. Those last moments of seeing the person who has passed are turned over and over in our minds and we may regret how they were played out or we may find some peace that even though they were taken suddenly they knew we loved them because we showed them on a regular basis. Whatever the case may be there is a person left behind who must mourn, who must deal with grief, sorrow and pain. As I have pondered this inevitable trial that will be experienced by all of us at one time or another, I must conclude for myself that when I turn to the Lord this process is made...I don't mean to sound flippant but, easier. Let me explain...

"Surely He has born our griefs." In the Garden of Gethsemane the Savior, Jesus Christ, took upon Him not only our sins but our afflictions and our sorrow. He has the purest form of empathy. And when I allow Him to carry the grief, sorrow and pain that I simply cannot, it is much less of a trial to go through.

I have done it both ways. I have lost someone dear to me and I have turned away and done it on my own. Suffering much darkness and anger. It was more than I thought I could bear. I carried it with me for years and sorted it out on my own and tried to make sense of it from a logical point of view. I was left feeling lost, numb and empty. After many years things were sorted out, I still miss this person to this very day, but I can deal with life much better and I feel like, "I got through it". Then I lost someone else and I turned to the Lord...I was older, wiser, humbler and more willing. I had gone through this without Him and I knew it wasn't something I wanted to experience on my own again. I prayed earnestly for comfort, understanding, and peace. To my amazement all those things came and more. My heart was even filled with gratitude for the experience. I knew I would see my loved one again. I knew I was not alone and I was able to find happiness and joy amid the tears of sorrow.

I know not everyone can relate to how I experience 'loss' and it is not my intention in this post to offend those who do not agree with my perspective. All of us have our own path and our way of dealing with something so personal and significant. But this is how I have experienced it and how I truly feel about it. I can't deny it. I know God lives and I know that if we turn to Him, and rely on Him our burdens will be made light. And for that I am filled with hope and much gratitude.