Thanksgiving with the Firths

For Thanksgiving this year, we went up to Montana to visit our good friends, the Firth family. We had Thanksgiving several years ago together when we both lived in Los Angeles. I was pregnant with Hadley and they brought home their adopted daughter, Danika, a couple days later. Here's us in 2000:

Here we all are in 2008:

As you can see...no Seth! He was polite enough to take a nap for me and I got to enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner! He got to feast on a pb&j when he woke up.

Mary made the most amazing stuffing I've ever had. I've actually thought about it several times since we were there. How pathetic is that?

But enough about the meal. We had a great weekend at the children's museum, swimming, and just hanging out. Watched a movie or two. But we had a great time talking. We sure miss being able to talk with David and Mary on a regular basis. We LOVE just hanging out and talking with them. The kids played great together too. Danika and Hadley played as babies:

And now they got to play together as little girls:



We hope it's not too long before we get to visit them again!

Sledding with Cousin Emily

For Emily's birthday, she wanted to go sledding with Hadley and Lillian, so they drove down here and we had a blast.

Seth got impatient waiting for the tubes to come back up so he thought he'd try his bum. Needless to say, he didn't get very far.

And what would an afternoon of sledding be without a minor casualty?

I thought she looked pretty cool, but it's hard to convince a five year old of that.

"Cinnamon Frosting" and "Sixes See"

But Mom, your lipstick looks so pretty on you, why not me?

Happy 2009!

I'm not sure I've ever really made any New Year's resolutions. Goals have never been a big thing in my life. Personal Progress? Never finished it. I've decided that this is one of the contributing problems to my numerous self-defeating behaviors. I've never wanted to set goals because I didn't want to fail. SO...that's gonna change.

First goal--blog more! I'd like to blog at least weekly, but since I'm coming from a place of blogging once every two to three months, sometimtes more, I'm going to instead make the goal of blogging every other week. I got a new Palm Centro phone for myself for Christmas, so I'm going to set an alarm to remind myself of this. Wish me luck!

Other resolutions for 2009:

Read scriptures daily
Keep my kitchen clear of clutter (this includes MANY other small goals that will help make this happen)
Get to bed earlier and wake up earlier
Exercise three times a week
Do my neck exercises at least every other day for three months (I have a series of exercises prescribed by my chiropractor--when I do them regularly my pain and headaches decrease significantly)
Follow a budget
Pray more

Not only is it a big deal that I'm making resolutions, it's a HUGE deal that I'm actually posting them for anyone to see. Remember that fear of failure? Trying to overcome that one. I've been trying to teach my seven year old not to be afraid of failure, and I've got to live what I preach.

So Happy New Year to you all. May the new year find you more peaceful, more prosperous, healthier and happier.

Halloween 2008

Carving pumpkins Minnie Mouse, Elephant, & Gypsy Seth's costume had the cutest padded bum. Hadley really wanted a picture of what her skirt looked like when she was dancing. She wouldn't wear her head scarf that night--without it some people weren't sure what she was supposed to be. Oh well... We had to wait a while for David to get home from work before I could take them trick or treating. It felt like every time I turned around Seth had opened up another sucker from my bowl and was chowing down.


I read one time that sugar highs in children are a myth. I decided that whoever wrote that never had children of their own, or never had the joy of sitting exhausted on the couch after a night of Halloween festivities watching your kids bounce off the walls. (Sorry it's sideways--no idea why and no idea how to fix it.)

Candyland ala Lillian

Lillian wanted to play Candyland with me the other day. I responded that we didn't know where the cards and playing pieces had ended up. She disappeared into her room for quite a while and I thought I was off the hook. Then she tells me she's ready to play and I see that she's colored and cut out a BUNCH of her own cards and has the dollhouse figures ready to play. So we did. I was quite impressed with her resourcefulness!

No Training Wheels!

Monster Trucks & President Monson

Seth has a real thing for monster trucks. I bought him a DVD about them that he loves and watched at least twice a day for a while. He takes them in the car, and almost always goes to bed with one in his hand. About two months ago, we were saying family prayer together while Seth rolled around the room, (or danced, or did whatever else he usually does while we pray). The person saying the prayer said they were thankful for President Monson. No doubt Seth heard something else because we suddenly heard his quiet voice start chanting, "monster trucks, monster trucks" over and over, getting louder and louder. We quickly finished the prayer before we all burst out laughing.

Then tonight it was his turn to say family prayer, so I was helping him. We were saying our list of things we were thankful for, "We're thankful for our family, we're thankful that we're all healthy, etc." Then he says, "and Monster truck...DDD" (DVD) and he continues on with what I had just prompted him to say. The girls couldn't hold the laughter in so we had to quickly end the prayer.

Shutup, I'm doin' it!

I have this problem. I feel guilty about everything. I should have known that when I started a blog, all it would do is add one more thing in my life I have to feel guilty about. Why do I do this to myself? I hope someday to delve deep enough into my psyche to figure out the event in my childhood that no doubt left me crippled. But until then...I will do my darndest to justify my actions (or lack thereof in this case).

So here's the thing people. Let me lay it out for you. This is a typical weekday for me. I get my daughter Hadley off to school by 7:40. Then it's getting Seth ready for the day (this includes making sure he has his favorite monster truck or car for that day--it changes every few days). Then I have to plead and beg for Lillian to crawl out of bed so I can then plead with her to get dressed (please do NOT wear those apple print pants with that brown and green striped shirt, honey). Then after I spend time explaining how Mommy can't be late for work and to please get downstairs so I can feed you breakfast (in the midst of all this I have to shower, blow-dry, make-up, etc.). She somehow manages to fit it all in just under the wire and we pile into the car. Then it's off to drop Seth at the babysitters and Lillian at her friend's house (they take her to school for me).

Then I get to spend 2 1/2 hours teaching music at a grade school. I won't go into detail here. Let's just say that, as with any teaching job, some days are heaven, some are hell.

Then I get home just in time to pick up Seth from the babysitters and head over to the school to pick Lillian up at noon. Then I come home and make them lunch. By the time I get Seth down for a nap, make and eat my own lunch, clean up lunch messes, it's usually after 1:00. And you can bet Lillian is needing some one-on-one time with me. She's not afraid to let me know. Then I have that little bit of time between playing a game with Lillian and that time of day where you say, "Crap, what am I doing for dinner tonight?" to get everything else done. And so on, and so on... I won't even describe what things are like when I'm rehearsing a show, or worse, in the run of a show. Yes, I COULD use my nights after the kids are in bed to get more done. If only my body would cooperate with me in this.

So how do I fit in all the rest? Don't know. Some days I don't. Sometimes I have energy to get it all done (pretty darn rare). Sometimes something's gotta give. Or lots of somethings. I try to not let that be my kids or my calling. I won't give up my shows because it is the one thing I do for myself. It feeds me--emotionally and creatively. For those of you who have never done it, you probably don't know what I'm talking about, but you'll just have to trust me. We all have our things we need that are just for us, and this one is it for me.


Now, I'm not trying to play the "I'm busier than you" game. Really I'm not. I'm just trying to let you all know why blogging happens just shy of never.

Anyway, here's a few pictures to pacify you all (all three of you who read my blog) until the next time, whenever that is!

The girls decided to do a lemonade stand this summer. They made about $8 (thanks for that handfull of change from your car, Brooke!)

Outdoor movie night at the Thill's. I'm already missing those warm summer nights.

Camping at Pineview Reservior with the Palmers.


It was not five minutes into our drive home that I turned around and saw this.

I'm Alive and Mostly Well...

...just incredibly busy. But things are good. Our show opens this week. Check it out at www.sleepyhollowshow.com.

Lillian has started Kindergarten and is doing very well and loving it. Hadley is loving the second grade, and Seth is NOT loving that he has to be babysat every morning while I go to my new job at Westmore Elementary (music teacher). Loves to make me feel guilty every morning I drop him off. But he only cries for about 30 seconds (so she tells me.)

I do like my new job, but it definitely has it's challenges. There isn't any teaching job that doesn't. But it's the first time I've ever taught the arts to kids who are there simply because they have to be, not because they want to be. It's been a challenge for me.

Anyway, with a part-time teaching job, directing a production, workshopping a new production, taking care of three kids, and being in the RS Presidency, I find that blogging ends up very low on my list!

Fun!

I saw this on my sister and sister-in-law's blogs so I thought I'd do it to!

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments. Or if you don't feel like commenting you can email me if you have my email address.

Are they just too cute, or am I just biased?

Diana Gabaldon & Cell Phones

I took the girls to the park a couple Saturdays ago and while I read one of my favorite authors, they pretended to have conversations with hip and cool friends on my cell phone while taking pictures of each other. When Hadley asked me to bring the camera to the park, I had no idea this is what she had in mind. These are just a sampling.

Family Night on the Farm

We went to Thanksgiving Point last Monday night and had a good time. It was cowboy/cowgirl night so the kids got to practice shooting guns (water guns) and ropin' steers (haybales w/ cows heads).




"I'm not nervous riding this pony...honest."







I dare you to click on that photo and check out the uvula on that girl. The kid was born with her Dad's huge mouth.