Amy's Open House

SO HAPPY TOGETHER...AUGUST 2010...BOULDER CITY CELEBRATION


(I should title this "The Rest of the Summer" since I haven't posted for so long. I'll just play catch-up again as needed...)


You may remember that Amy got married this summer up in Utah. Lamoni's friends threw them a really nice party there. Friends and ward members here wanted a party too. So we held an Open House at our friends' house. (Thank you SO MUCH, Andy and Rachelle!) It was a LOT of work, and so NOT my thing. When Allyson got married we hired someone to do the reception. This time it was a little smaller so Mom, Allyson, a few really close and good friends (thanks Michelle, Rachelle, Carol, Gertie, Willie, and Kimberly) and I did it ourselves. Whoa. Never again, thank you very much. I am NOT an entertainer! Too nerve-wracking. But actually, it turned out very well and was lots of fun. I'm glad we did it, and I'm especially glad it's over!

Jeff said our "table spread" was the prettiest he's ever seen. It's so nice to have an easy-to-please husband. We made chicken croissant sandwiches, veggie trays with Dad's special Zesty Bleu Cheese dip, cherry-cheescake brownie bites, peanut-butter fudge puddles, meatballs, crab-stuffed mushrooms, cream puffs, mini-cheesecakes, caprese ka-bobs, strawberries and dip and Sunshine Punch. I think that was all of it...Yum. Yum.

My friend Leisel took Amy and Lamoni on a photo shoot before the Open House and got some incredible pictures.

Arriving at the Open House.


Nice guns. Notice Amy's reflection in the door.

A cute black-and-white.


The "Princess Bride" shot. Yes, Leisel was lying on her back in the grass for this one...


For some reason, we all love this old Power and Water Building at the Reflections Park. This photo is called "New Life, Old Building." (Leisel gave them all names. My favorite was "I Can't Even Think of Another Name for Another Photo.")

Lanterns lined the path to the front door.

Amy's eyes and tiara.

Climbing to Rapunzel.


My creative, thrifty friend Michelle did the centerpieces and displays. It was so beautiful. AND so affordable!

The happy couple.


Allyson did the announcement, guest book with photos, and lots of cooking and support. Grandma D. was a big help too.


Leisel's photos were so good and are so much fun to have. I wish I could post everyone of them.

At the Lake Overlook.
Yes, it did cost $100 to clean the dress after the photo shoot...(But it was worth it...)

So the photo shoot and the Open House turned out successes. And boy, am I glad they're over. :)

AH, UH AH UH AH, UH AH AH AH! (or: Tarzan Yell)

WOW! Disney's "Tarzan" at Tuacahn Theatre outdoors in St. George, Utah. WOW, again!

Allyson, Julie, Maddie, and I went on a quick road trip to see this incredible show last night.


It was amazing! From the opening scene where Tarzan's family's ship literally sank and water flooded down the mountain, across the stage, and straight toward us (till it drained out a trough at the front of the stage) we were hooked!

"Apes" tumbled, danced, and swung from "vines" on cables across the stage and above our heads.
Tarzan descended literally from the mountains on a vine and he and Jane swung above our heads, too.
Because of copyright laws, we couldn't take any pictures during the show, but let me just say--the sets were incredible, the singing and acting were great, and we were very much entertained. (And the girls waited in lines for half an hour after the show to take pictures with and greet the very accommodating actors.)

Our first (but definitely not our last) trip to Tuacahn was a success!

I Have a Confession to Make...

...sometimes (well, lots of times, really) my husband is right. And I should listen to him.


Last fall, when we were trying to conserve money and make expenses as low as possible, we cancelled our cable TV. I thought we didn't watch much TV anyway, but I really missed my 15 minutes of the Today Show every morning while I made the bed, straightened the room, got ready for the day...I mean I REALLY missed it. Ever since 9/11/2001 I have turned on the Today Show every morning to be sure the world is okay and to keep me company. I felt like Matt, Meredith, Ann, and Al were my "friends."

Now that we are working again I wanted to turn the cable back on. Just the basics this time--so we could watch General Conference on TV and I could have the Today Show again. Jeff, who has cable at the RV park he lives in during the week in California had mentioned several times how worthless it is and how there is nothing worthwhile to watch on it. He said, "No. Don't turn it back on."

I figured I knew better. I would be watching at a different time of day than he does and I knew specifically why I wanted it back on. So I signed up for the $15/month basic cable service two months ago.

And...guess...what. I have turned on the Today Show exactly four times in those two months...Don't think I've watched another thing on cable, either. As a matter of fact, when I've been making the bed and thought about turning it on, I usually ignore it, as it feels like it would be an intrusion. The only time we've had the TV on is to watch DVDs we borrowed from the library. We get to pick the ones we want (The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Burn Notice,) we get to pick when we watch them, and we don't have to watch any commercials.

Guess I should have listened to my husband. I'll try and remember that next time.

Happy Pioneer Day!

We thought we'd be in Utah today, but didn't make it up there. So we got to go to our own ward's Pioneer Day celebration.

It included a homemade giant slip-n-slide that Tyler...

...and Nathaniel...

...and Aubrey loved.

"The kids" went ice-blocking...

including the bishop. I think he's the only one who made it ALL the way down the hill.

This little girl is not afraid to try anything. We're going to have to watch this one...

Nothing like a good ice-block run to cool you off in the desert.

I thought Maddie might be the only one her age there, but she had plenty of girlfriends to accompany her down the hill.

I'm not sure what was going on with this little hummingbird, but he even let the kids pet him!
When it is 102 degrees by nine o'clock in the morning, it's best to have your ward party first thing. Even if it means eating your hot dog "lunch" at 10:30am!

Getting ready for the sack races.

Everybody had a fun time and went home tired...Happy Pioneer Day!

I Help You...

Aubrey LOVES to "help you." Whenever I get anything out to start a project, she pulls up a step stool and says, "I help you, Nana." And she does.

She sticks to it till the project is done. Here she is helping me make cookies for our bishop's family. They had a kitchen fire and have had to move out of their house for two weeks. (Bummer!) I'm so blessed to have a good little helper like Aubrey.

Maybe I'm Not a Dummy...

I haven't taken a test that counted for anything for 21 years. The last time I worried about my score was on my Nevada driver license written test in 1989. I have been feeling like a real "dummy." But today, I took a test that means something.

In order to get my substitute teaching license I had to take the Nevada School Law test and the Nevada Constitution test. I read the text on our trip to Utah this past weekend and I reviewed yesterday and before the test today. I thought it would be a breeze.

It wasn't as easy as I thought. It has been a LONG time! There were 70 questions on the NSL test and 55 on the NC exam. All were true or false or multiple choice questions--my worst nightmares, as I ALWAYS tend to over think them...I was the next to the last person to leave the testing room-out of about 45 students. I seriously thought I might have to pay another $115 to re-take the tests.

But. I didn't. I passed. And I don't have to do them again. Hooray! Now I just have to study for and pass the Praxis general knowledge test.

(I got a 91% on the NSL exam and a 90% on the NC test. Not bad for a dummy...) (Hey, if I can't toot my own horn, who will??) (Ha ha.)

Dragonfly Cupcakes

Aubrey's previously-planned big birthday party was on the same day as Amy's wedding, so we missed it. We had to have our own auxiliary party.

We made dragonflies from pink-dipped pretzels and cake decorations, then had the kids come over for a Family Home Evening cupcake-decorating party.

Dad thought it would be too much work, but we had a lot of helpers...


The kids frosted cupcakes, put dragonflies on top, then ate their creations.


It was hard but satisfying work!



Sydney couldn't believe what she created!

Aubrey loved her tea-set and dishes and tiny picnic quilt. She also loved her Pool-Party Barbie from Ally and Sydney.

We loved having them over and creating cupcakes!

Notes to self: (1)Keep camera STILL when shooting photos. (2)Divide cupcake frosting into individual bowls for individual grandkids. Then the entire color of frosting will not be compromised when the grandkids use the spread-and-lick frosting method...