It's a virtual forest...

It’s time to start taking down christmas…

It always makes me a little sad that the season is over, but it is always nice to get things put back in order. I thought I would take a few pics (since nobody except Heather ever makes it down to Tooele) of all the trees that make an appearance during the holidays… as you can see, I might just have an obsession…

I think my favorite is the tree in the formal living room… though it alone takes me several days to finish. So many trips up and down the ladder… but it is worth it.
I also love having a tree in the kitchen. Grab a good book, light the fire, and snuggle up on the most comfy couch in the whole house…
The tree in the family room is the one that the kids decorate… it is always the most fun. It is full of memories. Every ornament made in school, or given by a neighbor, not too mention the many many ornaments collected by the kids. It is tradition in our home to let the kids choose their own ornament every year. We put their name and date on it somewhere. The idea is to eventually let them take them with them when they get their own homes with their own trees… but to be honest, I don’t know if I will be able to part with them. I will cross that bridge when I come to it…
So I’m off to start dismantling… hope to be done by Valentine’s Day…

Sleep is over-rated...

Says the girl who isn’t getting any… I seem to have found myself with two adorable little gremlins in my bed. The kind that toss and turn and kick and prod and want to sleep on top of, if not underneath me all night. That kind of gremlin. You wouldn’t think that little somethings so small would require so much of my king-size bed…leaving me with so little. But they do. And they did. And I am stiff and sore, and oh so tired. And the best part is… I have 3 more nights of this to look forward too. For some unknown reason, these particular little gremlins insist on MY bed… no other will do. Apparently I am the big winner. My husband (who slept downstairs in the spare bedroom) thinks this is hilarious. “Wow, you look comfy”, was my greeting from him this morning… ha… shows what he knows. But here’s the thing… I happen to adore these little creatures. My two little nieces, whose most favorite thing in the world is to stay at Joey’s house. It might have a little something to do with being spoiled rotten while they’re here. That is my job. My duty. And I take it very seriously. So to my little sis I say… enjoy your break while you can… you owe me.

Happy Birthday little bro...

Happy Birthday to you....
Happy Birthday to you....
Happy Birthday dear TROOOYYYY...
We sure do love you...

Yep... the little bro is 40 today. 40. I love saying that. He hates hearing it. Bummer...

I wanted to share a breathtaking recording of O Holy Night… which was recorded by a friend of mine and my husband’s. Kenneth Cope is truly a gifted man. The artwork is by Liz Lemon Swindle… I can’t really say that I know her, though we have met. Her depictions of the Savior are truly amazing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do… Merry Christmas from me to you…

Christmas in Ogden...

So I really seem to have tradition on my mind... or at least my blog... this year, but hang in there with me for another Christmas memory. If you've ever been in the Ogden, Utah area at christmas time, you may have heard of Christmas Village. I know that Temple Square gets all the 'claim to fame' during the holidays... but hey, it's got nothin on Ogden's City Hall. Both are amazingly beautiful in their own way. Temple Square in a very classy, winter wonderland sort of way... Christmas Village in a "I've somehow taken a wrong turn, and ended up in Santa's Workshop" sort of way. ( I should mention that Christmas Village encompasses a full city block, so it is truly something to see...)

I haven't been to Christmas Village for years. I had a strong desire to see it this year... through the eyes of my two nieces. I wanted to see the magic through their eyes. So Jordyn and I drove up yesterday, went for pizza at another Ogden landmark, Tony's Pizza... (anybody who is anybody from Ogden knows about Tony's Pizza...) then bundled up to go see the lights. My nieces were so excited to see everything, though Dantley did keep asking when we were going to go into Christmas Village. She had a hard time grasping the concept of going to, as opposed to going into... and hey, who could really blame her... the temperature was hovering in the 15 degree range... a yeah... BRRR....Anyway, there were tons of lights and displays to see, as well as Santa and Mrs. Clause and the Grinch wandering around, plus some live entertainment in the apitheater. Here's a few pics...

Sarandon and Jordyn all bundled up...
Little Miss Dantley being a good sport. I was actually trying to take a picture of the very very sad, pathetic face she had been displaying moments before... but out comes the camera, out comes her smile...

What??? Is that a lovely display of a child in bondage? Why yes it is... it took me a minute to realize this was Hansel and Gretel... but give me a break... my brain was frozen... Ha. So there ya go... another tradition revisited this year. Glad we made the effort. Be even gladder when my toes thaw out...

Tradition... to the next generation...

I read an article in Woman's Day mag last night that cracked me up... it was titled 'Here's to a year of NUTCRACKER moments'. As in a special experience you can't wait to give your kids that bombs- or at least, unfolds in a way you didn't expect. The author calls it being 'NUTCRACKERED'. She says when visions of sugarplum fairies dance in a mom's head, logic doesn't stand a chance. All I was thinking was that my turn had come at last to enter the theater holding hands with a wide-eyed daughter decked out in velvet, crinoline and black patent leather. The first strains of Tchaikovsky will play. The curtain will rise. So will the goose bumps... and then there is reality... Please bear in mind that this poor author's daughter was only 3 years old... and her son was 5. Not many kids that young have the attention span to sit through a ballet without getting restless, getting bored senseless, or falling asleep... all of which happened. Her expectations were too high. Now anytime she plans something special where her bubble is burst is called being nutcrackered... too funny. The Nutcracker holds a very special place in my heart. The very name means tradition to me, my mother, and my daughter. When I was a little girl, I would often find Nutcracker tickets in my christmas stocking. Not every year, but several times. My mom was trying to raise 4 children alone on a very fixed income, but she managed to scrape enough together to provide me with some very special experiences. When I was married and had 4 kids of my own, she wanted to pass that tradition on to them. She wanted to be the one to take them to the nutcracker for the first time. I was welcome to come along for the ride, but had to pay for my own ticket. My 2 oldest sons were good sports, and made an effort to act like they enjoyed it. My daughter and youngest son (who was 4) were mesmerized. 4 years ago mom was fighting colon cancer, and I had a prompting to take her to the Nutcracker... my treat. I bought 3 front row tickets, and took her to dinner afterwords. What a special night. She died the following September. I will never regret the money that I spent that night. Some might say frivolous... I say priceless. I couldn't bring myself to go the following year without her. My daughter asked a few times if we were going to go. I felt bad having to tell her no. She enjoys it as much as I had as a child. The next year just the two of us went. It was an emotional experience for me, but in a good cleansing way. This year my sister's oldest daughter is 5. Old enough to have her first time. I know that if mom were here she would have wanted to buy her first ticket... so I did it for her... (of course if Heather wanted to come along she would have to pay for her own... fair is fair after all... ha). What a magical night. Sarandon was anything but bored. She was literally on the edge of her seat, and a few times started dancing right along with the ballerinas. I won't say my emotions didn't get the best of me, cause they did. Mom was there. I could feel her presence. How glad I am that being NUTCRACKERED has better memories for me... though I do remember taking the kids to Disneyland for the first time... I was so excited. I couldn't wait to share that with them. And what happened??? NUTCRACKERED. Yep... they were little dream killers... " is this it? Where are all the good rides...?" Phrases that still haunt me to this day... but that's another story...

Jordyn and mom in 2004

Sarandon... isn't she adorable?

Sarandon and JordySue...

Me, Heather, Sarandon, and Jordyn...

This is a clip of mom's favorite number from the ballet... the Grand Pas de Deux . She thought it was breathtaking, and it is. Listening to it now is like having her arms wrapped around me. Enjoy...

Am I a Grinch? Nah...

I am the opposite of the grinch... though if you asked my kids, they might tell a different story. Anyway, I absolutely love the holidays. House is decked out inside and out...finally...(maybe I'll take you on a V tour someday). I have a total of 14 trees on the main floor of my home . I know this because my nephew announced it to me the other day... as in "Did you know you have 14 christmas trees in your house?" Actually, I think he said like 29, or something insane like that. He was counting things that were soooo obviously not christmas trees... but related to the pine family in general... as in wreaths, and garlands wrapped in the light fixtures...sorry Payton, but that doesn't count. I love all the sights, sounds, and smells associated with the holiday season. I love the traditions. I love to match my wrapping paper, as in I need like them to coordinate. Not only that, but I like them to coordinate with the tree that they are under... there, now you have had a small glimpse into my OCD world... (ok, not really ocd... but I do get teased about it). I came across this fun test on My Crazy Life With a Toddler, and thought I would check it out. I was pretty sure I wasn't a grinch, but needed validation... just had to make sure. Here's the consensus...

You Are the Furthest Thing From A Grinch

You love and live for the holidays. You even love the Grinch! You're in the holiday spirit year round... because you're all about celebrating and giving.

Are You a Grinch?

So are ya? Take the test and find out.

Let me know what you find out. It's always nice to know what kind of riff-raff I am associating with...

I want to go back in time...

but just for a visit every now and again… Look at the excitement on those babies faces… they are precious. It seems like only yesterday that they were that small… and innocent. Those babies are now much bigger… and smarter… and not so much in awe and wonder of this magical season. The oldest is now 21, and the youngest was 14 a few days ago. I’m not saying that I would go back in time indefinitely. I wouldn’t. I love the time in life that I am in right now. For everything there is a season. Having older kids has it’s perks. I have a lot more freedom now. We have a lot of fun together. They do their own laundry. But every once in awhile I have a brief longing for days gone by…to see those precious babies again…

My baby boy is 14 today... 14. That's pretty old for the baby, don't ya think? I look back at pictures I have around the house, and it's almost surreal... like were they ever that little? Sometimes it seems sooo long ago, and other times it seems like just yesterday. What an adorable little guy he was... so full of it... we never ceased to be entertained by the things he would say. Now don't get me wrong... he is still adorable, but in a BIG clumsy teenage boy sort a way. His voice is in the process of changing... and he now uses a razor. Yep. One of his proudest moments was when he realized he was taller than I. It seemed to have happened over night. He used to compare heights constantly. I would always say, "Not yet, bud." Then one day, not only was he taller, but by several inches... literally overnight. That's how it seems to happen. So for you young moms out there... enjoy every precious minute with your babies... cause one day they're going to be taller than you. Happy Birthday Colton...

I remember when...

“I remember when… we decorated our house (or tree, or apartment - or whatever else!) for the holidays”.

My mom was THE master of tree decorating. Known for it for miles... well, maybe not miles, but still... anyway... our tree was always a masterpiece. Took forever to decorate. She was fanatical about the wires from the lights not showing... so you had to wind in and out of every branch, tucking here and there to disguise them. I have inherited this problem obsession. No two similar ornaments can hang too closely together, and ALL ornaments need to have equal spacing between them. This is paramount... I mean very very important. Does it take some time to set up the tree? Yes, it does. Now this might be manageable if I didn't find it necessary to have 3 full size trees on the main floor of my house... (which I do), and bear in mind that the mack daddy tree (my pride and joy) is 12 feet tall. Yep. Have I put it up yet...ummm.... no. I have saved the worst for last. It requires many many trips up and down the ladder. But it's worth it. I remember the first time my mom called to tell me that she had a genious idea. She was tired of dealing with the lights every year, and decided to just wire them on... and put the tree away with them. Aha, I thought... BRILLIANT!!! And it was. We were doing this for years before some OTHER genious started marketing pre-lit trees. Oh, to go back in time... we could have made millions.

Announcing...

Here 's a fun little diversion that I had absolutely no time for this morning... but did anyway... thanks On The Verge...I'm always looking for a new way to procrasitinate doing the things I should be doing. Anyway, I made a virtual baby... isn't he cute??? (Did I hear you say creepy??? Shhh.... you should never tell a new mother that her bundle of joy is creepy... he is Bee-utiful... and looks absolutely nothing like any of my 4 children as babies)...check out how he follows the cursor around... ohhh... cute....

missionary report...

Just a quick update from Ty...the birthday boy...


So what the heck happened. All i could do was call this telelphone number that is free, call "tell me" and it seemed like a close game at half.. but then i called again and we got creamed. I was not happy. I was nervous here before the game, Elder COoper said he had never seen me like that. ha. But i still refuse to talk about byu with anyone. I still wear my byu watch and pin, but i dont talk about it. It pretty much made me sick. Im kinda glad i wasnt home for it because i would have been much more upset im sure. But Saturday here was awesome. We started going to the pulga again. The pulga is a flea market around here that we sometimes go to with a little table/booth and talk to pppl. We teach them a little and have some free pamphlets and stuff, but the purpose is to get referals, or in other words, to find ppl that will let the missionaries come by. Its kinda hard cause ppl are in a hurry, they want to shop and enjoy their saturday and its noisy. But we went and it was good. THere are 3 shifts that are 2 hours each. The first shift got like 5 refs. 2 elders from the other zone. The middle shift, 2 from our district got 4 more, so that put us at 9 for the day. THats not bad, 9 people/families that want the missionaries to visit. And me and elder cooper did the last shift. We are both pretty competative, so we decided that we would get more that 9 just by ourselves. Ha. that was our goal. Well, i dont know what happened, but we did pretty good, cause he got 5 by himself..and i got 16. it was fun, he was shocked. He was like, what are you doing man? 16? 5 other missionaries combined got 14. I told him that i was just talking to them, being me, and just bearing my testimony. I really love spanish ppl, its alot easier for me to talk to spanish ppl about the gospel. I just feel at home with them. THings are going well here, im happy, i had a good bday cause the ward took care of me, i had 3 cakes. I loved it, but it was really funny, cause my comp only has like8 days left and he wants to look good for the girl that is waiting for him, so he didnt like all the cake. But it was good.

Nope, I'm not proud at all...

GO MIGHTY COUGARS!!!

Here we go, here we go...
That day is finally here...
that oh so awesome game of the year...
how's it going to end, you ask?
Let's only pray that the Cougs can pull this one out...
They are not favored to win this year. But anyone who knows anything about this rivalry game knows that statistics don't matter.... AT ALL...
It doesn't matter who has had the best season...which by the way, is pretty evenly matched this year. Utes perfect season... BYU one loss... pretty impressive for both, eh?
So it all comes down to emotions. Always does. Who wants it the most... who can keep thier heads in the game... stay focused... keep mistakes to a minimum...THAT is what will determine the outcome of the game... and win all bragging rights associated with it.
So for all you COUGAR fans out there, let me hear your mighty roar!!!
And let the game begin!!!

RAH, RAH, RAH RAH RAH...
RAH, RAH, RAH RAH RAH...
RAH, RAH, RAH RAH RAH...
GOOOOO COUGARS!!!!

Happy Birthday Tyson...

Isn't he adorable??? Just look at that face... precious! And that sweet little boy is 21 years old today... 21!!! I cannot believe that I am the mother of a child that old... I am not sure how this could have happened... it truly confuses me... cause I know that I'm not that old...sometimes time just doesn't make sense...

Have you been waiting???

Have you been waiting??? Are you there right now? It is 10 o'clock here in Utah, but 6 minutes ago, in the eastern part of the country, film started rolling... finally...(yes Robyn, I know you are taunting me...)
Ok, I gotta fess up here... while I am excited to see this movie, I had absolutely NO desire to see it at midnight... I want to see it when I am awake, and can enjoy it properly. JordySue and I will be in our seats for the 5:30 showing tomorrow night, then off to a great dinner after that. We are taking along a few 'twilight' fanatics with us... Lindsay, Porshae, and fun for me, my roommate from college, Dawn. She is from Washington... ya know... up there where Forks is??? Makes her almost neighbors with Edward...right? And speaking of Edward... have I mentioned that I am a JACOB girl??? Yep... I know... we are a very rare breed. That boy makes my heart pitter patter...anyway... enough about Jacob... I do need to get to sleep tonight...hehe..sweet sweet dreams, my little wolf boy...I'll be seein' you tomorrow...

A real fighter...

So winter time has set in at my house... ok, not really, but we have had some VERY cold days... snow even. The winter frost has done her handiwork...

Look at this poor poor planter box...

and this sad pitiful peony...

and how about my gorgeous tomato plants...

Yep... she has really done a number on my garden... except for...

TA DA!!!!! Take that would ya frost... I am not going down without a fight!!! Isn't it gorgeous? I love a flower with spunk =)

I know, I know... you're telling me to take pity and put the garden to bed for the winter all ready...

I have won a MAJOR award!!!

See it??? Right here on the left? Isn't it beautiful??? I am sooo excited... imagine, me... winning such a prestigious award! Ok... it is possible that I am making a bigger deal over this than I should be... but I am pretty jazzed...so thanks Christine... you made my day! (go check out her blog... she is one of of my favorite new blogging buddies).

So here's the scoop on the bestowing of this grand award business...

The qualifications to receive the award are:
A. Display a cheerful attitude.
B. Love one another.
C. Make mistakes.
D. Learn from others.
E. Be a positive contributor to the blog world.
F. Love life.
G. Love kids.

The Rules:

1. Must link it back to the creator.
2. Post the rules.
3. Choose 5 people to give it to.
4. Recipients must fill the characteristics above.
5. Create a post to share this.
6. You must thank the winner.

So here's the hard part... choosing 5 blogs to bestow this amazing honor on... and the winners are:
1. What is done in love, is done well
2. On the verge
3. From Melissa's desk
4. Cinnamon, Spice, and everything nice
5. The Junk Drawer
Check them out... good stuff I tell's ya...

Roadshows...

And the winner is..... ok, there wasn't a winner... no awards at all, but if there had been...
Our stake had roadshows this week. The theme was Disney movies... but then got changed to Animated movies... for fear of copyright infringements...yeah, I think we would have been safe, since they were original scripts and all, but I guess you never know... anyway, our ward chose Aladdin...the story line went like this. Aladdin is welcomed home by his father the Sultan (I know... Aladdin was a beggar boy, but there is a twist here...) from his two year 'mission'. The Sultan has hand picked 3 beautiful girls(also known as the Chica Mamas) for Aladdin to choose to take on a date. It becomes very apparent that Aladdin is more interested in the servant girl... Jasmine. The Chica Mamas become very conniving (with help from Jafar...who's costume had an uncanny resemblance to the devil...haha) in their attempts to win Aladdin's heart. They set Jasmine up, make it look like she has stolen their precious things...(ipods, cell phones, etc.). Jasmine is sent to prison. Aladdin works with the Genie to prove her innocence... she is released from prison... the 3 Chica Mamas are taught the gospel by some wandering missionaries, and everyone lives happily ever after.... Ta Da!!! I have to say the kids did a fabulous job. Their costumes were adorable. The music was good. And the choreography was second to none.... Broadway quality, baby...





Jordyn as a Chica Mama...


























Colton playing both a missionary, and a palace guard...



Cameron as the Sultan...(we know Cameron's not in our ward, not even in our stake... but he is my unofficial son, so they let him play)






And Peter as Aladdin, and Jasmine as Jasmine...
Great job guys!

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN...

So check out the cute penguin to your right ---> See him? Is he not DaBomb? Now I know what you are thinking, and before you start lamenting about Christmas Countdowns starting too early, hear me out.... I am helping... trust me. See, look at it this way... he is not telling you that you ONLY have 42 days left to shop, but that you STILL have 42 days left to shop... see the difference? It's all in your perspective, my friend... I like to think of myself as a glass is half full kind of girl...and yes, you're welcome...

Back

Well... I'm back. Got home Saturday afternoonish... tired, but happy. When we flew out on wednesday morning it was a near blizzard outside... BUT.. we flew home to 51 degree weather... see? Worked out great. The weather in L.A. was of course perfect. I had a nasty cold for the whole trip, but still had a good time. Sorry Kori about the extra extra loud snoring... =(... she says no prob... she wore earplugs... couldn't hear a thing... then in retrospect says she maybe shouldn't have, just in case I suffocated myself from the congestion... maybe should have listened for you to stop breathing she says... hmmm... cute. Anyway, as promised, I took my camera into Pantages Theater this time around. Turns out I probably should have taken a shot of just the theater so you could see the grandness of it all, but you'll have to make due with our ugly mugs...

So this is Betty, Crystal, Cindy, me, Kori, and Heather...
Betty is Heather's mother-in-law (yep, her face got cut in half... stranger working the camera, ya know? sorry Betty...)
Cindy is Betty's sister, and Crystal works with Cindy. Cindy lives in SanDiego. Mark, Heather, Betty and the kids went for a quick visit, and the girls drove up and met me and Kori at the theater.




Ok, this shows a little more of the theater, but not much... I could have done so much better... so I guess the only thing to do is to go again.... and speaking of going again... Wicked is moving to San Franciso sometime in January, and Phantom is taking it's place!!! Who's in? (K Shan, this is your official invite... sometime in the spring... be ready girl =).