Talented Gal

My niece, Sarah, has highly entertaining children and posts a "quote of the week" from one of the three on her blog. We got to see their family for a few minutes while visiting in Utah last weekend...and I'M going to steal her quote this week! (I'm sure there will be plenty more...I hope she doesn't mind.)

Sarah was doing 4-year-old Ben's Spiderman make-up for a party they were supposed to attend in half an hour. She was just whipping it out and I said, "Wow, Ben. Your mom is SO talented."
Ben's answer- "Yeah! ...AND she's good at...DOIN' STUFF!"



I think I'll have to agree...Not only did she make a great Spiderman costume...


She created a pretty groovy Fred, Velma, and Scooby Doo and an "amazthing glittery Thea Therpent!" What a fun family!

Happy Anniversary!

We've been gone all weekend, so I'm late in wishing David and Loretta a happy 12th anniversary. I am so proud of all their accomplishments and growth in those twelve years. I'm so glad to have Loretta and the girls in our family. It certainly wouldn't be the same without them. I love you guys! Happy anniversary!

A New Start

Maddie and Julie had their first junior high school orchestra concert last night. We were all prepared for squeaky violins as all the students in Julie's group have only been playing for seven weeks. To our surprise and delight, the beginning orchestra sounded great! They played four songs in unison, and they were wonderful! Maddie's intermediate group played well too and had a fun time with their last number, "Dragon Slayer." They borrowed some percussionists from the band and made their song sound really dramatic with gongs. I thought they sounded almost as good as the advanced group!

The principal wouldn't let the orchestra teacher, Mr. Schultheis, put this quote on the programs for the concert, as it mentioned God. But I really like it, so I'm posting it here:

"Bach gave us God's Word,
Mozart gave us God's laughter,
Beethoven gave us God's fire,
God gave us music that we might pray without words."
**Quote from outside an old opera house***

I never appreciated classical music until Amy joined orchestra. Now I love it! I'm so glad Maddie and Julie decided on orchestra for their sixth grade elective. I feel like I'm starting a great adventure all over again!

I am a Witch - Well, no Surprise There, Right?

You Are a Witch (or Warlock)

You are deviously brilliant and a perfect manipulator. You somehow always end up getting what you want - without anyone knowing you're working behind the scenes. Crafty and cunning, you can work your way out of any jam. And it's easy for you to get people to do what you want, whether you're working for good or evil. Your greatest power: Mind control Your greatest weakness: Making people your puppets You play well with: Ghosts

What Kind of Monster Are You?

Who Needs Toys?

It's not like Gramma Linda and Grampa Jeff don't have the coolest toys ever at their house. It's not like Gramma Linda can go to Walmart or Babies 'R' Us without finding some new fun thing for the babies to play with. It's not like the toy bins are not constantly filled with the latest and greatest of play things. No, it's not that. It's just...who needs them when there's an empty box around to play with???


Tyler, kicking back...


Little cousins can fit in together...


...till one of them gets a better idea!


Every time Maddie said, "Tyler, look at me and smile," this is what she got...


Even a "big girl" can have fun in an empty box. Ally-looking comfy...

Sydney and her Papa

Jeff was marking jobs to bid in Construction Notebook. Sydney decided she needed to help.


She thinks he should go for THIS one!

Guilty Confessions

Shhhh...Don't tell anyone...but...I'M LISTENING TO A CHRISTMAS CD THIS MORNING! I do like this new "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Song..."


I'm going to listen to Josh Groban's new "Noel" next...I hope I can finish them before anyone comes over and catches me...

I absolutely love this time of year. I LOVE Halloween-not the creepy, scary, gross part of it, of course, but the fun part - little kids in princess and puppy dog costumes, parties at school, Trunk-or-Treat at the church, making stew in a pumpkin for dinner, handing out candy, all the excitement.


Tyler in his first Halloween costume, 2005. You can't get any cuter or any more fun than this!

And, even more than Halloween, I LOVE Thanksgiving! Family, food, fun, and relaxation with none of the stress of the other two holidays this season. I love cooking the food (one of the few times a year I can actually say that.) I love having whoever can be here with us(I think that's supposed to be "whomever," but WHOM speaks like that???) I love playing games after dinner and usually trying to take the family picture for Christmas cards. I especially love it if we have extended family here. That makes it really fun.


The Duncans were here for Thanksgiving last year and we enjoyed visiting with them all together for the last time before Elisabeth got married and Stephen left on his mission.

And, best of all. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas, my favorite holiday of the year. I can't think of a thing I DON'T love about Christmas. Most of all I love celebrating the birth of my Savior and feeling the emphasis on His love in this season. I love reading the story of His birth, thinking about His life, contemplating His atonement, and pondering how I can better follow His example. I should do these things more all year, but I especially take the time at Christmas...

And, guilty confession #2, (shhh...don't tell anyone...) I don't even mind having Christmas items in the stores already! I love that part of Christmas too. I love having the house all decorated - putting out the Holiday Barbies, setting up the Christmas village, putting lights up outside, getting out the Christmas dishes, setting up the Nativity sets, buying and wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, making cookies, fashioning gingerbread houses, making and delivering treats for the neighbors, being Secret Santas and doing the "Twelve Days of Christmas," - all the fun stuff that also comes with the season. Can you tell? I just absolutely LOVE Christmas...


Last year, Christmas morning, early...

Guilty confession #3 - I have already started Christmas shopping...for the "little" girls and the babies...Still hoping to make a couple of presents for this year too...

So, although I am "confessing," I make no apologies. I LOVE this time of year. I'm glad to have a chance to sit back, count my blessings, and once again give thanks for how really, truly blessed I am.