Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

This year, by some miracle, our family got tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. On Friday we drove up to Salt Lake to watch this amazing show. It was fabulous and we loved every second. The girls thought it was especially fun because Edward Herrman from the Gilmore Girls was one of the special guests. Anyway, it put us in the Christmas spirit - if you ever get lucky enough to score tickets you had better go!

Christmas Clogging

The clogging season is in full force. The girls have had several opportunities to dance this holiday season - this video is of the team dance at the Christmas Studio Program. And the picture is from dancing at the Festival of Trees. ENJOY!

Pepper The Bunny!

This weekend our family had the opportunity to take care of Pepper the class bunny. I had a bunny named "Fluffy" when I was kid so I thought this would be fun. One thing I didn't realize is that RABBITS STINK! We always kept Fluffy outside in a cage but Pepper is used to being inside, so I told AB that we could keep Pepper in the laundry room. After the short ride home from school with Pepper I realized that it was going to be an interesting weekend. I also realized that the class had appropriately named the rabbit "Pepper" - a pungent aromatic herb. Definitely pungent and aromatic. Despite cleaning the cage, after only one day there is a pungent odor coming from the basement! Pepper goes back to school on Monday - and I guess we dodged a bullet by not getting to take care of Pepper over the entire Christmas Break! We love you Pepper (at school that is)

PS I think Sadie wouldn't mind some Pepper on her dog food!

Soft Bed for Baby Jesus

A few years ago our friend Jamie made us a small manger as a Christmas present. The idea of the manger is that you put one piece of straw in the manger with each act of secret service that you do for a member of the family. If everyone in the family tries hard to serve each other, there will be enough straw in the manger for the Christ child to have a soft place to sleep. Miss M has really taken this to heart, everyday this month, each member of the family has gotten special notes, candy or some act of service from someone..... Baby Jesus will definitely have a soft place to sleep this Christmas.

Happy Birthday Boo!

Boo just celebrated her 15th Birthday! What an amazing young lady she is becoming. Boo has always been dedicated and determined, her father maintains that, "Boo must be an old spirit" because of her determination and self discipline. We love you Boo! She celebrated this birthday by getting checked out of school, having a fun lunch at Olive Garden then going to the DMV to get her Driving Permit. After a few attempts at the test and a little drama at the DMV she emerged with her permit in hand and drove us home to eat some cake. Happy Birthday!

Thanksgiving Fun

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Soda Springs Idaho to have fun with extended family. Doodle thought it would be fun to show up dressed like indians. So the night before Thanksgiving we weren't busy stuffing a bird but sewing and painting Indian costumes! We also decided on Indian names to go with our costumes. Miss M = Singing Fawn (she is always singing and is little), AB = Tapping Sun (clogging and is always in constant motion) Boo = Driving Sparrow (she just got her driving permit), Doodle = Running Beaver (the marathon girl with big teeth) Me= Laughing Bird (because of my name) and TR = Chief Cracking Wind (you figure it out)

It was a fun holiday - We have much to be thankful for.

Us making the costumes....


We also we out Thanksgiving afternoon and rode 4 wheelers and shot guns - you might be a redneck if...?



Doodle loading the black powder pistol..

Happy Birthday Cubby

Each year we have the kids hold up their age with their fingers, this year it took the whole family to help Cubby on his birthday! Can you say 70?

Why I always keep an updated PASSPORT!

Months ago my parents planned a trip to Peru - it was my mom's dream. Right before they were to leave, my father got quite sick and felt like he couldn't leave the country. So, what could they do but stay home and lose all the money on the trip? Wait - what if I go in Dad's place? I found out on Saturday and flew to Lima on Sunday.

It was an incredible trip. Seeing all the Inca ruins, and knowing that much of the history in the Book of Mormon took place at these sites. It was amazing, the people were amazing and getting to walk the streets where Elder C is now serving was exciting, enlightening and emotional. No, I didn't get to see him - but it was tempting. We spent a few days right in Lima and I was tempted to hop in a cab and drive over to his area and just look around and hopefully run into him. Too bad my spanish isn't good enough to pull off such a stunt. Basically, I can ask where the bathroom is? Which I found to be useful phrase after eating a Saltena from a street vendor!

I am definitely going back - we always planned on going when Elder C finished his service. So I looked at this trip as my reconnaissance mission. The lady who planned the tour was amazing, she is a wife of an area seventy and has just started in the tour business. It was just my Mom and myself with our guide all over Peru. If anyone wants to plan a trip to Peru - let me know and I can put you in touch are director, the name is JTS Travel or Peruwondertours.com. Anyway I have a ton of pictures, I may have to post more later but here are a few....

Christ Statue in Cusco.



My feet overlooking Machu Picchu


More Machu Picchu - Go Granny!







Peruvian Mother and her two children in Ollantaytambo.



Tour operator with her family at some fountains in Lima.


I took this picture for Elder C.


Granny and me on the edge of the world. She was so nervous being this close to the edge and then when our guide handed me back the camera and started down the stairs behind us - she gave me a look like "You have got to be kidding?"



Bundled baby and Pervian weavers.



Traditional Pervian dinner or as my kids call them "pets"

Fall Break

Over fall break we went to Bear Lake. Because we were planning on cold weather we decide to make it a reading, letter writing, crafty extravaganza! Here are some moccasins the girls made.


Stylish glasses...


Doodle and AB did decide to jump in the lake. Can anybody say POLAR BEAR CLUB?



Even Sadie wouldn't get in the lake...

Finished!

General Conference gave me a chance to finish up some projects that I have been working on - I just finished my "THANK YOU LORD QUILT" . Isn't it beautiful? This was a several year project and at times I referred to it as my "LORD HELP ME QUILT"!!!!

Old Fashioned Stress Relief

The girls came home the other day with a bowl of chokecherries that they had picked in the mountains. They were so excited about their treasure that they insisted I make some chokecherry jam. So the other day after the stock market took a particularly bad hit. I decided that the perfect stress remedy was to make some chokecherry jam. Guess what? It worked - making something from nature and putting away storage against a rainy day really did help me step back and enjoy the moment. The funny part - with all the berries they picked we only got half a pint of jam. So sorry don't expect any chokecherry jam delivered to your door. And when I said putting away storage for a rainy day - I meant a really short sprinkle!

Bertha

So many people hear me talk about Bertha, so I thought I would post a picture of her.

Bertha is my 98 year old friend and mentor. We have been friends for the past 10 years and every time I visit I learn something new. Some of the lessons that she has taught me:

1- What goes around, comes around (both good and bad)
2- Use it up, wear it out, fix it up or do without.(she got married right during the depression and her and John would add to their house board by board as they could afford a new piece of lumber. Also note the paper plate behind her washed and in the dish rack -ready to be used again.)
3- Only go to the doctor if you want to get sick.
4- Endure to the end, physically and spiritually.
5- About a million other lessons too!

This is a picture of her stove - I just love it! She still throws wood and paper in the bottom and uses it every now and then.