Pirate Mania

There was a lot of excitement at our house on opening weekend for "Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End." Amy led the charge to dress up, and little Ally, cousins Manda and Sarah, and Maddie followed. Don't you love those pirate grimaces??

My friend Lori made a special request for this photo. If you look closely you can see that Sarah painted eyes on the girls' eyelids - just like Jack Sparrow's in the second movie. (That would be CAPTAIN Jack to all you landlubbers!)

When we went to Disneyland the following week we spent a lot of time in the Pirates ride and gift shop! I think Jimmy, Ally, Susan, and I are the only ones in the family that haven't seen the movie yet. (Shhh...don't tell the fam...I personally am not a BIG fan...I haven't made it through the second movie yet. I love it, though, that everyone else is so excited about it and that they share their excitement together!)

Dancers

I love to see how the girls have progressed in their dancing from Baby Ballet class when they were three years old. Here are some pictures from their latest show, "Sleeping Beauty," in May.

Maddie in the lobby of the theatre...

Maddie and Julie were in the Russian Trepak dance at the very end of the show.

Maddie and Julie with their ballet mistress, Miss Vickie, who played the Queen.

...with Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty, aka Marissa Walker.

...with the Lilac Fairy, Evelyn Narey.

... on the princess' throne.

Aren't they beautiful and graceful ballerinas??

I

Amy Leaves the Nest

We just got back from Amy's last cello performance in the Boulder City High School orchestra. It was so amazing to hear this eight-year-old group play so beautifully. As parents, we reminisced about hearing them play their first year at the BC Credit Union, when we all wished we had ear plugs! (Few things sound worse than a squeaky violin...unless it's a room full of them!) A select few of the Varsity Orchestra played a very difficult piece from "Pirates of the Caribbean" at the end of the concert and Amy had a wonderful cello solo in it. It was so exciting to listen to - one dad said afterward he wanted it to go on forever! It was lots of fun too, as Amy dressed as a pirate for that song, complete with a great borrowed tri-cornered hat. These past few months have been full of "lasts" for us with Amy, and I've been swallowing a lot of lumps in my throat as we approach her high school graduation. I have been thinking so much about what a joy she has been in our lives.
Eighteen-and-a-half years ago a beautiful baby girl joined our family (in response to the prophet Ezra Taft Benson's Conference talk on mothers in Zion!) She was our second daughter, our fourth child and she made two boys and two girls for us - a perfect family. Brian was almost five years old so Amy was truly the baby and we were so thrilled to have her. Everything she owned was pink and pretty and delicate and I can remember thinking and saying, "I'm going to spoil this one."
Through the years Amy has truly been a joy. She constantly surprises me with her goodness and her many talents. After all the years of music lessons for the other kids, we finally got one who could play - and enjoyed it! We love to hear her on the piano as well as the cello. She had opened up the world of classical music to us. She sings too, and loves to do that also. She is smart, and loves to read, study, and learn. She reads her scriptures daily and many times I have accidently walked in on her when she was kneeling to pray. She brought tears to my eyes one day when she was talking about names she loves for her future children. She wants a "Jack Aubrey" after the captain in the Master and Commander books, and she wants a "Martin" after Marty McFly in the Back to the Future Movies. Those were good, but it Martin's middle name I loved. Martin "Hinckley" - after the prophet, of course.
Amy babysits for people who truly need her and their kids love her and always ask for her first. The funny part of it is - Amy HATES to babysit. When someone calls and needs a sitter though, she never says no if she is available. Amy has never once been late home from a night- time activity. She is ALWAYS back before midnight. The funny part of that is - we never gave Amy a curfew! She set it herself, although I'm sure she thinks we did it! Amy has been Seminary President, president of the Creative Writer's Club, on the Science Bowl team, Laurels class president, National Honor Society secretary, on the bowling team, and has won many awards and distinctions. I could go on and on about her, but I don't want to brag (any more.)
Mostly I just want to say I'm going to miss her so much when she is gone. It just won't be the same around here without her. Maddie says we're going to have to go on a lot of vacations next year. I said, "Why? To go see Amy at BYU?" "No," answered Maddie, "Just to forget that she's not here with us..." Amy will leave a huge hole in our lives when she is gone. We will all miss her incredibly. We know she will go on to do wonderful things. I'm just grateful I DIDN"T spoil this one...I love you, Amy.

I was just catching up on my friend LaRae's blog and I noticed her "books I'm reading this year" list. I spent some time on Amazon looking them each up and reading excerpts. It made me realize once again how many good books there are in the world and how I'm never going to have time to read them all.
It's always a frustrating realization for me...I LOVE to read. Always have...since the summer after third grade when we moved to New Mexico and books were the only friends I had in that new place. I can remember sitting on the bed in the room I shared with my brothers and reading all summer long. I have never quit...I always have at least one fiction book I'm reading upstairs and one downstairs. I have a "church book," a "serious book," and a classic most times too. I read my scriptures and my church lessons and magazines. I read three scrapbook magazines, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, Family Fun, Desert Saints, LDS Living, Boulder City Magazine, and Woman's Day.
When I find a new author I enjoy I have to read every book in the series, most preferably in order. I read while I curl my hair; I read while I put on my shoes in the morning; I read while I wait at the doctor and dentist; I read while I wait in the car to pick up the kids after school; I read at least a little in bed every night no matter how tired I am. I listen to books on CD when I drive the car alone. I sometimes even sit down in a chair in the middle of the day and read for ten minutes.
I love the feel of books. I love to hold them in my hands. I love to see them on my shelves. I love the feel of the paper and the smell of the ink in new books. I love to bend the spine and flip the pages of a new paperback. (Sorry, Amy.) I just LOVE books. One of my favorite children's books is "Inkheart" and if you've read it, you'll immediately understand why.
There are four things I LOVE to do when I ever have any spare time. I love to scrapbook. I love to sew, especially quilts, dolls, and kids' costumes. I love to write. And I LOVE to read. But if I had to give up everything else and only do one thing I love, I would have to choose reading. If I couldn't read, my life just wouldn't be the same.
I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to indulge my "passion."

Baby Sydney

I am constantly amazed by what happens to me when a new child joins our family. I am one of those strange people who feel no bonding to a baby before birth. Even during my own five pregnancies, I never felt connected to a real person till after they were born. From talking to other mothers, I realize this is odd, but for me it is true nonetheless. So I always worry if I could possibly love the one coming as much as I do the ones I already know and love.
Thus, the amazement when the child is born. I got to be present at Sydney's birth, and from the moment she was "out" I felt an amazing rush of love for her-so strong I could hardly stand it. She was my sweet little granddaughter-already showing her strong personality by lifting her head and looking all around the delivery room. She did not want to miss a thing. I loved her immediately and tremendously.
And it continues. Every time I see her adorable little face I just want to squeeze her and kiss her. Her open-mouthed, crooked little smile is so precious and her squeaks and squeals are adorable. I wait anxiously to see what cute things she does as she gets older, yet I don't want these precious baby days to go by too quickly. I am so grateful Heavenly Father sent us to earth in families and gave us an unending supply of love for them. I'm so happy to have four beautiful grandchildren and another on the way. Life is grand! It truly is "a wonderful life."
And honestly, have you ever seen a little girl any cuter than this??? I don't think so!

In case anyone hasn't seen her yet, this is Sydney Noelle, our newest little granddaughter, born to Jimmy and Allyson November 22, 2006. She has the sweetest little face, the cutest crooked-y smile, the happiest "voice" and the most adorable legs you'll ever see. We love her lots!

Learning exercise

This is a test, this is only a test. I am learning how to post a picture on my blog with my online/on phone tutor, Allyson. Thanks Ally for bringing me into the new age. As you can see, Amy and I went with our good friends, Hayley and Vicki to Disneyland in January. It was a fun girlie trip and my feet have never hurt so badly, even when going full speed across the park all day with the "little girls." Now that I know how to do this, hopefully I'll update a little more often. Thanks, Lori and Ally for finding me and reading!!