One more classic Mormon clip!

Mormons can't send flowers....that explains it!!

I was reminded of this classic exchange on Cheers from Erika's blog and couldn't help myself!

Rocky Point

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here are photos of our Labor Day trip to Rocky Point Mexico with my brother Dave and his family. You may want to pause my other music as this plays! As you can see, the water slide was a hit. Only one kid needed stitches (Max...of course....was there any question?) and they even napped well!! The only bummer was catching the Labor Day traffic on the way home and we waited at the border for 3 1/2 hours. It was still SO much fun. THANK YOU HALES FAMILY!!!

Maps

I LOVE MAPS!! I know it's a weird thing to be into, but I am. I love knowing where I am in relation to everything else. Every time we have moved to a new state/city I get out the map and start analyzing. That being said, perhaps I was more disturbed than most Americans by the question and answer given in the Miss Teen America pageant by the contestant from South Carolina. UM........seriously I was speechless. See for yourself!

Actually, the statistic was highly disturbing, but the answer was completely comical. I understand people are really flustered, but c'mon!!! I'm afraid she might be one of the 1/5 they were talking about. Here is a picture of one wall of my playroom. I'm determined that my kids be proficient in basic geography!!

Good Mall Day

No, these pictures are not of my butt!!! I WISH!! I have never been much of a shopper and actually avoid the mall especially with my kids. Well, today I had a lot of returns/errands to run that could all be done at one mall 20 min. away. So, being Thursday where I have 2 hours with just Nora while the others are at their various schools I decided to brave it! It ended up being a very good mall day!!

My first item of business was to return a shirt from Banana Republic and since I used my Gap card I didn't have to search for my receipt! I love receipt look up!! Next I went across the hallway to the Aveda store to get my new smoothing serum that Sally introduced me to last weekend. Next I headed upstairs to return a shirt at the Gap that I LOVED, but was just a bit too pricey for me. As I headed up the the register I noticed a sale sign hanging over the very same shirts and low and behold......they were now 1/2 off!!! I was so excited and just got the price adjustment instead!

My next item of business was to go to Nordstrom to have my new jeans hemmed. While in L.A. with my friends they schooled me on the benefits of designer jeans and assured me of their worth. I was sold, but still winced as I handed over the debit card for their purchase. As I may have mentioned before I am a bit of a minimalist and doubled my jean wardrobe with the purchase of just those two pair of jeans. So, on my way to Nordstrom I was walking by American Eagle because a friend of mine had told me that they have some really cute trouser jeans right now. I figured I would stop and take a look. Well, they were full of great jeans and I couldn't help buy two pair.

Now, going back to the minimalist thing I was thinking...."I do NOT need 6 pairs of jeans!" I have two at home, two in my Nordstrom bag that cost more than my bedroom furniture (okay so it's old, but it sounds good), and the two I just bought at AE. So, to my Wicked friends, BRACE YOURSELVES! I ended up taking the Nordstrom designer jeans back!!! I just can't let go of my practical side yet. Perhaps I will come into the land of designer jeans, but the call of getting two pair at AE for less than the cost of one pair of Sevens, or Citizens (see above pics) was just too great. Baby steps! I did pay full price for the AE jeans though and they were $49.50. The most I've EVER paid for jeans if you don't count the designer ones I returned.

Anyway, I'm sure you all don't care a lick about this post, but I felt really good about my shopping day and I got it all done before it was time to pick up the Kindergartner and Preschooler! One thing that could have tarnished the good mall day was some guy that tried to hit on me at the mall. At first it was flattering because he looked really normal and not creepy, but then I thought..."any guy who hits on a girl pushing a stroller, and with a ring on her finger has got to be a freak!?" Happy shopping!!

Fun night at Mutual......do they still call it that?

Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas (me), Rapunzel, Glinda (the good witch), Mother Goose
Aladdin, Alice, Cinderella, Pocahontas (me), Jasmine, Maid Marian (one of my all time favorite characters) Papa Bear, Pinocchio, Gepetto........AKA the Bishopric! Aren't they fun to do this for the kids?

Tonight we had a joint YM/YW activity that was so much fun. It was like a murder mystery, but this time we weren't solving a murder, we were trying to find out who stole the cookies from the cookie jar in the library. All the suspects were characters from the books that come out at night. Everyone was assigned a character from a book and had to come dressed up. It was so fun that everyone (almost) really got into it. My outfit was a little lame since I only found out who I was supposed to dress up like and hour before the event. I figure braids, headband, jewelry and your set....right? The kids had a blast, and it was a real success. I couldn't believe how much work went into the decor, organizing the mystery/parts, and the food. I am constantly amazed at how much service is given in the church. I hope when my kids are in these programs that they recognize it and show their gratitude.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Read this book recently. It was okay. I didn't really get wrapped up in the characters or the story which I find imperative. It was really descriptive though of life in 19th century China. I had read The Good Earth earlier this summer and it was set in about the same time, but with much poorer circumstances. The Good Earth is a MUST read.

Anyway, back to Snow Flower....I did appreciate the glimpses it gave me of customs, traditions, superstitions, and the general way of the society at the time. I was fascinated/appalled at the foot binding tradition. It went into pretty good detail of how/when/why this is done and I must say that I am so grateful to be a woman in 21st century America!!

These are some pictures of a woman in China who had her feet bound as a child. (It doesn't happen anymore.....that we know of). They usually start at the age of 6 or seven and wrap the toes tightly around the feet until they eventually break and fold under. The smaller the feet the better. OUCH!! Anyway, culturally it was an interesting book. Otherwise not a very compelling story in my eyes!!

More pictures from the Lane Wedding Weekend!

(L to R) Jenny M. (5 mos. prego with twins!), Marilee 7 mos. prego with #4, Jenny F. my SIL (holding Allie), just Me, Jjana, Julie 7 mos. prego with #5, and Lane (bride)

Here is a picture of some of the girls on our way to Lane's mini bachelorette party. We are really lame when it comes to that. So, if your ready for a story here it is! We wanted a place with good music where we could be loud, so ........we went to a piano bar!! Yes, a bunch of married (or about to be) Mormon girls at a bar.......a bar called The Tavernacle no less!!! Our first clue that we were in uncharted territory was that when we walked in and Jenny was carrying her 6 month old Allie in the car seat she was promptly asked to leave. Then the piano guy said "you have a baby......in a bar!" We all laughed so hard because Jenny had just said that was her favorite line in the movie Sweet Home Alabama! So, Jenny retired early to our hotel while we stayed and requested a few songs.
Here is Lane dancing on the piano with one of the players. They LOVED us! I'm not joking....we were the life of the party......no alcohol included! There was one guy that had a real problem with us being there for some reason and wanted to pick a fight. The piano guys really stuck up for us and when all was said and done everyone clapped when the bully left the bar. The Tavernacle has never seen a Thursday night like that one!

Here is Lane showing off her bride to be tiara and sash. Even at 32 she doesn't look a day over 18! Again, it was a great weekend!

Wicked Good Mail....from Sally

I came home from a fun Labor Day weekend in Mexico and found some GREAT mail from Sally. I am still on a "high" from our Wickedly fun weekend. This just made it that much more fun. Thank you SO MUCH Sally. I want Sally to know that even though I am not a Jelly Bean fan (YUCK!) I had to try the ones from "Elphaba" and they were actually quite good! Thanks again......you made my day!

Tell all Tuesday....favoirte painting/artist

The Starry Night is a painting by Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. Since 1941 it has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Widely hailed as his magnum opus, the painting has been reproduced many times and is one of his most renowned paintings. When I saw this painting in real life I was mesmerized. It is amazing. I could go on and on, but I won't!

Paul Ranson (1864 – February 20, 1909) was a French painter and writer. I wanted this painting for years and Paul got it for me for Christmas last year. I may have even put it in a previous post. This picture is HORRIBLE and does NOT do it any justice. The colors are vibrant and I could just stare at it all day. It has all my favorite colors.

Tell all Tuesday - UPDATE - !!!

Here the kids are helping me clean up the playroom FINALLY!! At first it was a tough sell, but then we decided to turn on the High School Musical 2 soundtrack....LOUD!! That's the way I like all my music......the only way to drown out my own non-stop thoughts! Anyway, we cycled through the whole soundtrack two times and......
VOILA! A perfectly clean and orderly playroom! It will be interesting to see how long it lasts! While we were cleaning up Ella and I had the following conversation:
Ella - "Mom, are we going to Mexico tomorrow?"
Me - "We sure are!"
Ella - "Remember all those really poor people and kids who don't have a lot of things?"
Me - "I do."
Ella - "I don't really think we need all these toys. Maybe we can take some down to those kids."
Me - "Great idea! Let's decide which ones we would like to give them."

We proceeded to fill a laundry basket full of toys (not just old or broken ones) that the kids wanted to give up. It was so cute because Ella kept saying to her brothers, "you don't want this one do you", or "those kids need this more than us right". That is SO ELLA!! When we went down to Rocky Point last year she was really taken back by what she saw. It was something that really stayed with her...obviously. That is something I have always wanted to instill in my kids. We are SO blessed.
Here is the garbage bag full of the broken, old toys, and the random garbage that we found in the clean up! Yikes!
So, now you can all ease you minds knowing that I'm not a total slob. I know you were really worried about it!

Witch Switch

My amazing, beautiful, talented, and generous SIL Sue is hosting a Blog swap in honor of Halloween! Click here to join in!

Beautiful Lane...Wedding.....Friends.

This is my beautiful (inside and obviously out) friend Lane! I was lucky enough to get to go to Utah a couple of weekends ago and attend her wedding. Lane and I became friends in High School and then were roomies our first two years at BYU. Lot's of my Skyline girlfriends flew in and we had our own mini-reunion. I feel so lucky to still be so close to them. We still have so much fun together and make each other laugh. I am sorry about all the pictures, but the wedding was so great and Lane has such great taste that I had to document it all!Here we all are with Lane at the reception which was beautifully done in her parents backyard. Three of the girls in this picture are pregnant and I'm not one of them even though my dress makes me look that way! (L to R) Jenny, Jen, Lane, Marilee, Julie, and Me! Yes this is the same dress I wore to Wicked the next weekend with some other friends. I have a limited wardrobe and like it that way!Here is another shot of her gorgeous, vintage feel, wedding gown. Sorry it's so dark. I need photography lessons!Here is the tent with all the yummy food. I spent a lot of time under there!I loved this simple, refreshing little spread for the drinks. Again, my photography skills don't do it any justice.The cake was stunning! I loved it so much that I actually winced when they cut into it! When you were in the backyard you could look through the bay window at the cake. It was such a fun way to display it.As you were leaving there was this sign above a table filled with all of Lane and Britton's favorite treats. They are self proclaimed junk food junkies! Here are some of the treats. I a little treat bag home for each of my kids. The yellow gumballs were the biggest hit.Here is a closer view of the chocolate dipped Peeps. Yes, the marshmallow treats you only see at Easter time! Lane in a HUGE fan of these and incorporated them into the wedding in such a great way. She actually sent me a case of them for Easter while I was in Israel studying. My kids loved their individually wrapped chocolate dipped Peeps and gobbled them up! YUM! I knew Lane would appreciate that someone ate them!

The thing that struck me about this wedding was how perfectly it was done. I guess that's what happens when you get married in your 30's instead of 20's. It was exactly as it should be....small, yet festive! It just had such a great feel to it and was classy without being overdone, just like Lane! She is one of my favorite people and I feel so blessed to call her my friend.

JOY!!

Max has officially started Joy School! I am really excited to participate in this program. I had heard about it for years, but this is the first time I have done it with any of my kids. I felt like Max needed a little more time and attention from Mom. So, instead of sending him to preschool, I am teaching it with two other Mothers. I will only have to teach two weeks out of six, and then the other Moms teach the other weeks. Click here if you want to find out more. The parents of my incredible Cousin (in-law) Shawni (see sidebar) started it. They are amazing and if you go to their website Values Parenting (see sidebar) you will see all of their great ideas and resources. They have written best selling books and have been featured on many T.V. programs including Oprah. Anyway, I think Max is going to love it and I can't wait to teach.

Here is the pose Max gave me on the first day of Joy School last week. Typical Max.

Here is the picture I took yesterday of Max with Claire and Hannah (his cousins) when I was picking him up from joy school! I'm hoping these sweet little girls will soften Max up a little. Hopefully he won't beat them down!

Wicked Weekend

I was so lucky this past weekend to go with some friends to see "Wicked" the musical. Unless you silenced my play list (which I would totally understand) you are listening to my favorite song from the show. The next song is a classic too, and is my kids favorite! I have been wanting to see this for about two years, and to be able to do it with such great people was SO MUCH FUN! I read the book a few years ago (not much like the musical) and have been fascinated with the story ever since. I don't necessarily recommend the book because it is long, detailed, and a lot darker than the story of the musical. That said, I actually want to read it again after seeing the musical. Here we are with our darling Wicked T-shirts that Marcie made for us! (L to R) Sally, Julie, Marcie, and Me!

The best part by far though, was seeing some of my good "old" friends Sally, Julie, and Marcie from my days in Kentucky. I seriously LOVE these girls. We talked and talked and shopped! We all flew in from different states and met for a much too short 46 hours, but it was worth every second. I could go on and on about my friends and the show, but I will spare you. All I have to say is that I could see a Broadway show everyday and not get sick of it......especially if once a week it was Wicked!

Tell all Tuesday - Room with a view!

Well, there are a lot of views you will see of our rooms, and none of them are pretty! I think we were supposed to document our favorite room, and I will do that. Before I show you the favorite, I will have to show you some others so you properly understand.

I was away this weekend with some girlfriends (post coming soon) and this picture (to the left) pretty much sums up what probably went on in the house while I was away.

Paul was a fun Dad and set up the tent in our big empty (except for the piano) front room and let the kids sleep there........it's still there and has now become an extra playroom.

Here is some of the laundry I came home to. This picture was taken after I finished four loads!

I know! (I think I actually heard an audible gasp) This is the playroom......not much playing being done right now in here. Perhaps that's why the tent has become the playroom. I'm sure every puzzle piece, Lego, and game card is on this floor. Quite the contrast to Sue and Marcie's clutter free playrooms. I need some major help guys. We actually don't have that many toys. The shelves are used mostly for storing our decorations, scrapbooks, supplies, etc.

While I am grateful that the kids had a great time with Dad, and that it wasn't too stressful for him......I now understand why! I think when men are in charge of the kids they take that to mean that the kids just have to be alive when Mom gets home. As fun as it is to go away for a couple of days, I dread the clean-up/catch-up that goes along with it when I get home.

TA DA!!!! This is my favorite room in our house right now. No, not because of the great decor. It is because it is the easiest to clean. My poor boys have beds in their room with a CD player on the floor. THAT'S IT! Nora's room and our master bedroom are pretty similar on the lack of furnishings and decor, but it makes my life SO MUCH easier. Someday I will have the time, money, energy, ideas, creativity (I'll need help for the last two), and desire to decorate. For now, SIMPLICITY!!

Hannah Montana Birthday Party

I just had to post this darling invitation that Ella got for a birthday party. Her friend is named Hannah so it worked out great. It could be easily adapted for any girl.

The front shows her dressed up like a "pop star", while the back shows a picture of her as we know her. The inside of the jewel case has cute paper cut to look like a CD and contains the details of the party. It really wouldn't be that expensive of an invitation because you can get packs of the empty jewel cases for cheap. Anyway, for all you Mom's of girls I hope you like this idea. I'm not sure Ella will still be into Hannah Montana in a year and a half when she has another party (we only do friend parties on the odd years), but if she is I'm set!!

Tell all Tuesday! Late once again....notice a pattern?

My friend Marcie (see sidebar) decided to come up with "Tell all Tuesday". Since it is Wednesday I decided it was time to get to this weeks subject! WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK?

There is no way I could choose my favorite children's book. I can never have enough books, and someday we will have a library with cozy chairs and perfect lighting to enjoy them all. I will list a few of my favorite books here, but this only scratches the surface of my love for literature.

A classic from my childhood that my mother read to me often!

I hope my kids will always use their imagination like Harold!

Maurice Sendak is brilliant and I actually love everything he did, but this one is an obvious classic. Funny thing how the Max in this book sounds a lot like my Max!

Still cannot get through this book without crying. Love EVERYTHING Shel Silverstein does.

Another tear jerker. My kids think I'm crazy when I read it to them....someday they will understand!

Last, but not least.....the genius Dr. Seuss. I love that Max was born on his birthday! Someday he will have a Dr. Seuss birthday party! Sue, start coming up with your brilliant ides for that one!