Spread Too Thin

Ho Hum, What to do next?

2009-10-18T20:56:00.004-05:00

I did not realize how much I miss someone being in a show until this week. Usually there are multiple people in multiple shows around here, but right now it is pretty calm, and sort of boring. No shows, no choir, no band, nothing but school, work, and seminary.

Chris is going to start rehearsals for a Christmas show soon, but has been under the weather with a cold. He has been creating sets and costumes, but once Midsummer Night's Dream closed, things really settled down. He had great roles in that and a great write up in the newspaper, so that was fun. He really does act well in Shakespeare plays.

David was enjoying choir, show choir, and Man of La Mancha, but MOLM closed, and now with vocal nodules, he is not allowed to sing or talk for 6 weeks. Yeah... right. He is, however, my own personal chauffeur, and I am enjoying that. He is doing a great job driving.

Jacob is so busy at UNT. At least, I guess he is busy. He came home a couple of weekends ago and he and I had such a good time. We went to see UP, and had some long talks. I enjoyed it so much and I appreciated hearing how much he appreciates the stability of our family and growing up in the same house all his life. He even asked about the "kids", and we all know he doesn't even like kids!

Carrie is so busy trying to finish her last semester. She loved her student teaching in 2nd grade and loved the teacher she worked with. I think she is sad to leave and worried about how she is going to get all of her assignments for her Capstone class done. She's down to 7 weeks...I know she can do it! And best of all, Caden laughs when I am on the phone with him! Yeah!

Of course we are totally and completely excited about Christopher's engagement to Jamie. We love her and little Macie and are so excited to have them as a part of our family. I THINK the wedding will be over Spring Break, but can not confirm that just yet. Still planning...

Cathy seems so busy I can hardly find a time to talk to her! Out of town, in town but with out-of-town friends visiting, Relief Society, 2 institute classes, being interviewed on the tv news... just hard to keep up with that girl!

And Liz is loving her clinicals, and especially the Emergency Room, where I think she'll end up someday. (as an x-ray tech, not a patient). She 's so busy with the kids and school, I don't know how she does it all, but I remember those days myself, and I know these are the good years.

Guess I'll run. There is still a little more to do before the evening is over. Love all of you!

Surprise at Seminary!

2009-10-03T00:05:00.003-05:00

I was so proud of myself the other day. I was using the infocus projector in seminary to show some video clips from conference. I had it all set up with my laptop and I had practiced hooking everything up the night before so that I could be sure I could get everything plugged in correctly etc., etc. I was just finishing up my little intro into the video clip when my computer went to the slide show because it had been on the same screen for awhile. I noticed David saying "Mom, mom" and pointing with his head to the white board. I turned around just in time to see a nice large picture of Michaelangelo's David displayed in all his glory for my seminary students.

Needless to say, I have not used the infocus projector since!

Graduation Day

2009-05-31T20:03:00.006-05:00

The IB hood. We got to go to a special luncheon for the "hooding."

My baby.

A picture I can't figure out how to delete.

The whole gang--all 30 of us!

The proud family.

Walking off the stage

The sibs

This weekend has been so great. It was so fun to have so much family here. Poor David's 16th birthday was a little lost in the commotion, but he did get a cake on Saturday. We enjoyed having the family here and I just felt so lucky to have so much love and support from everyone. It was a little bittersweet, though, to know that one more of my children has accomplished this feat and is ready to move one to the next phase of life. I am just so proud of him and his completion of the International Baccalaureate program. As an IB candidate he had to complete 150 hours of community service over the past two years. We are anxiously awaiting the results of the two week testing all of the candidates just completed.

Conversations with the men in my house.

2009-04-19T19:04:00.003-05:00

1. Conversation with Jacob--"Mom, I got a four year scholarship to Colorado State. " Me--"Really, that's great! " Jacob--"I think I'll go to UNT."

2. Conversation with David-- "Mom, do you need the guest list for my surprise birthday party? Remember, I want to go to that rock climbing place, but be sure you don't do the party on May 16, that's auditions for West Side Story. And work around all the banquets at the end of school, too. Maybe you should just have my surprise 16th birthday party in the summer."

3. Conversation with Chris--"Can you get the vin number for my truck off the insurance stuff?" Me--"Yes, but why?" Chris--"My truck has been stolen from the parking lot at work."

Conclusion of my Sunday School Lesson

2009-03-17T10:09:00.006-05:00

On one occasion Joseph said to a group of priesthood holders:

“Brethren, I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap. You don’t comprehend it.” “It is only a handful of priesthood you see here tonight, but this church will fill North and South America it will fill the world.”

“It will fill the Rocky Mountains. There will be tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints who will be gathered to the Rocky Mountains, and there they will open the door for the establishing of the gospel among the Lamanites, who will receive the gospel and their endowments and the blessings of God. This people will go into the Rocky Mountains; they will there build temples to the Most High. They will raise up a posterity there, and the Latter-day Saints who dwell in these mountains will stand in the flesh until the coming of the Son of Man. The Son of Man will come to them while in the Rocky Mountains.” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, pp. 38,39)

"I contemplated several things as I was there, one of the most amazing to me being that from that hillside temple site at the southeast end of the Salt Lake Valley you can see three temples, Draper, Jordan River, and Oquirrh Hills. If there weren't so many tall buildings surrounding it you could see Salt Lake too. What a blessing to this place!" (Laurie's Blog on Feb. 27, 2009 )

Thanks, Laurie, for a great ending to my Sunday School lesson. Sometimes I forget we are seeing prophecieis fulfilled all around us.

Twin Peaks

2009-02-25T23:44:00.002-06:00

Cathy's story about IHOP reminded me that I, too, went to a restaurant this week. My friend and I went to lunch and decided to try out this new restaurant--Twin Peaks--which advertised food, drinks, and scenic views. So I was thinking of some kind of mountain decor or something. We walk in and low and behold--we are the only women in there, except for the ones showing their "twin peaks."

Think Hooters and you'll get the picture--lots of skin, little clothing, lots and lots of men. We went to On the Border.

Can You Believe It?

2009-01-31T08:55:00.004-06:00

I am sorry to report that cheating is alive and growing. In the last two weeks I have "caught" students cheating 3 times, and I am sad to say that I have probably not caught even more.

The first time, two students came in during morning tutorials to get help with their homework. I was standing right beside them when I noticed one copying homework for another class. I asked what he/she was doing, and he/she replied that they had lost their homework, so had gone to the teacher to get another page. So I pursued it and asked if the other teacher knew he/she was copying someone else's homework. The other student jumped in and said, yes, they saw the teacher together and she said it was ok. So I said, "Then, when I email the other teacher to confirm that she gave you permission to copy homework, she will tell me that it is okay?" "Oh," the second student said. "Well, no, not exactly, but she knew we were together and that student #1 had done the homework but had lost it." So I took up both homework pages and emailed the teacher about the copying. A few days later one of the students gave me a note apologizing (that was nice) and explaining that since he/she had actually done the homework the night before, he/she felt it was okay to copy someone else's. I did not know that if you first do your homework, then it is acceptable to copy someone else's if you lose yours.

A few days later a teacher emailed me about two students in one of my classes. During her class she had taken up the homework that was being copied. So I talked to the two students, gave them zeroes, and told them I wanted a note from their parents explaining they knew why the students were receiving a zero on the assignment. One student brought the note with a request that the student not be given a zero since the homework was actually done, but perhaps could have a different punishment because said student is very naive and did not actually realize it was wrong. Second student (who I forgot to mention, talked during a quiz the same day and admitted that he/she had asked for an answer) said the note was in a binder which was, unfortunately, left at home. So , time for phone call. Parent knew nothing about either incident nor the note, but assured me it would be taken care of at home, and sure enough the note arrived the next day. Now the student hates me.

Finally, we were correcting homework, and I was giving out the answer. Towards the end, one student raised her hand and said, "What is the answer you gave to 4th period?" (This was 5th period.) I asked why. Student said, "I don't know, I was just wondering what you told the other class." Now isn't that interesting. Why would he/she even wonder if the answer was different in a previous class. Hmmm. And just before that, a student who is a regular goof off and frequently does not do homework at all, gave a completely correct, very detailed answer to one of the questions. At the time it struck me as very strange because that student does not usually do homework, much less give that kind of correct detail. At the time I wondered how that had happened. But what I can't figure out is, there is only 5 minutes between classes. How on earth did they get all the answers so fast?

Here's the irony--in all of those classes I am teaching about ethics. I was using the example in the news about the lady who gave birth to the octuplets, and how the medical world was saying it was unethical to deliberately place the mother's health and the babies' health in danger. Maybe next week we'll get a little more personal in our discussion of ethics: we'll talk about cheating.

Just Passing the Time

2009-01-20T21:09:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm sitting here in the lobby of the theater in Cleburne waiting for David to finish his rehearsal. I've done some school work, still have to rip out a hem in some curtains I'm making for Caden's room, but I decided what the heck! I may as well blog a little. I always intend to on Sundays, but this past week we had an "emergency" missionary dinner at our house, plus, I didn't feel good, so it slipped past me again.

Anyway, I am here in Cleburne while David rehearses for his rather large part (150 +lines) in Kiss and Tell. I am here because MTD is in Irving rehearsing for his part in Romeo and Juliet. He's supposed to be here because he also has a role in Kiss and Tell. They are both missing rehearsal in Hurst for their roles in My Fair Lady. And if being in all those plays isn't enough, MTD is also costuming 2 of the 3 plays he is in. We now have a large hand-made wooden rack in our sunroom witht lots of military costumes, etc. hanging on it. But before that they were on the table, and before that they were stacked on the ping pong table. Lucky didn't have to say a word to convince MTD to build the costume rack--he just kept sleeping on top of the costumes, and before you know it, we had a rack.

And people ask me why I don't do theater. I do "do" theater--just in the car!

Well, rehearsal is over! Gotta drive home. :)

Plays, Books, and Movies: A Review

2009-01-11T18:57:00.006-06:00

Over Christmas I read three books, so I thought I would post about them. And, also, I would love to hear your recommendations on books you enjoyed.

I finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would, and I want to see the movie. This is the story of two boys growing up in Afghanistan before the Russian invasion. The characterization is really good, the story is engrossing, and at first I started underlining all the literary devices and stylistic techniques (thinking I might be able to use them at school), but then I got too involved in the story to keep it up. I am looking forward to reading Hosseini's second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which I have been told is even better than the first one.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult was really good. I highly recommend it. I read one other Jodi Piccoult book, The Pact, which kind of bothered me, but My Sister's Keeper was really good. Here is a synopsis from Jodi Picoult's website:

"Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life… even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? "

I really, really enjoyed this book --couldn't put it down. So, thanks, Tricia!

The last book was Diane's Story by Dean Hughes. It is part of the Children of the Promise and Hearts of the Children series. I really enjoyed all the books in the two series, but Diane's Story was very "predictable" as Cathy warned me.

Now for two plays which I had not seen before. Seussical The Musical was really cute. I enjoyed it, but I Love a Piano was fabulous! This was my first time to see this musical as well, and I want to see it again already! This revue of Irving Berlin's music was extraordinary. I urge everyone to see it when you get the chance--there is no plot, but the musical arrangements are in 6 part harmony and they are great!

I saw Boy in the Striped Pajamas a few weeks ago. It is a beautifully made movie, but of course, no movie about the Holocaust can have a happy ending. I did like the movie very much, though.

Please let me know what books, plays and even movies you are recommending!

Christmas letter and New Years Good Fortune

2009-01-05T21:23:00.004-06:00

Has it really been 3 months since I blogged? I can't believe it. October, November, and December were full of family and fun. During those months I went up north to see Christopher, to San Antonio (twice) to watch the band, to Indianapolis to watch the band, and to my hometown to be with Carrie and family for the baby's birth.

2009 is off to a great start for two reasons. First, I went shopping at Kohl's and found a great church/school dress for $4.40! I just love bargains like that!! Then, my friend Lou invited me to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert! She had free tickets, and we rode the train over to the concert and back. Can I just say, this is the most fantastic concert ever!!! If I can get tickets next year I would love to take the family. The music is incredible and the light show is unbelievable! We were not on the floor, but we were on the first row off of the floor, and it was fabulous.

Christmas was wonderful with all the family here. I loved every minute of it. As usual, Christopher had the hardest time getting here. He spent 3 hours in the first airplane before it took off for the short flight to Chicago. While he was in the air they cancelled his flight from O'Hare to here. But amazingly, he was able to get on another flight, where he sat on the tarmac for 5 hours before take-off. He finally got here at 2:00 am. Cathy and Carrie met up in Abilene and caravaned here. The baby was really good on his road trip, and everyone made it safely.

Finally, the bad news is that our Christmas letter has not yet been mailed, but the good news is that it is written and waiting on the new computer. The bad news is that the address file is on the old computer, so I can't mail it. Therefore, here is a slightly revised version to preserve a little privacy on the internet.

January 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

Our stockings were hung by the chimney with care, and sure enough, St. Nicholas came there. The wonderful Christmas season has come and gone, but we enjoyed every moment of it, including reading and reminiscing about many of you. Our family continues to grow and we’d like to share a few details with you.

Chris continues working at one of the troubled financial institutions in the land. People in his department were laid off in November, and the future is still uncertain, but for now he is still employed. He spends hundreds of hours serving in his church calling, ward clerk in the local Spanish ward, and in acting and building sets and props and sewing costumes for three different community theatres. A particular compliment to his skill was that he made a vintage-looking ladder for The Miracle Worker, and, in a space crunch, the theatre had to throw it out. He found it about a month later on sale for $110 in an antique store. Due to the space crunch at the theatre, our backyard is probably the only back yard in the entire county with a guillotine, a buckboard wagon, and a vintage lobster trap, all made by Chris from scratch. Chris appeared in 6 shows in 2008: The Foreigner, You Can’t Take It With You, The Sound of Music, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and The Merry Wives of Windsor, and another Elizabethan comedy called Volpone. Chris visited San Juan, Puerto Rico and Monterrey, Mexico with his friends this year.

I continue teaching 8th grade at a local junior high. I enjoy my job very much and work with many nice friends. In church I play the organ monthly and have been teaching the 17-18 year old Sunday School class for a few months. It is difficult to get them to listen instead of talking or texting, but it is a challenge I enjoy, and I dream of the day they are more interested in the lesson than in each other. Watching Chris and David on stage was a pastime I continued to enjoy this past year, My travels found me in my hometown with Carrie and Cathy, at Lake Powell enjoying the water with lots of family, in Indianapolis and San Antonio cheering on the band, and up North enjoying a beautiful fall and seeing Christopher’s new apartment.

Liz and her family still live close by so we get to see three of our beautiful grandchildren frequently. Liz went back to school in January as a full time student and is pursuing a degree in medical imaging. Between her studying and running the kids around, she stays pretty busy. Laura is 9 and in the 4th grade. She still dances and is becoming a bookworm, much like her mother was when she was Laura's age. Eyan started 2nd grade this year just a couple days before turning 7. He has a natural talent for sports and loved his first soccer season. Little Donevan is now 2 and keeps all of us laughing and on our toes. He loves giving sugars, reading with Grandma, and has a crazy affection for shoes. Liz's husband Chris still stays busy working for L-3 but excitedly enjoyed his Christmas vacation. He and the older kids have teamed up to form a small army on his online computer game. He loves spending that time with the kids.

Cathy’s week is filled with working, playing volleyball, attending church activities and decorating her office and apartment. Her friends enjoy the creative costumes she wears to work, where she is popular with both co-workers and the foster families she supervises. She has now been with The Foundation a year and a half and continues to enjoy it. She regales us with her antics (she’s always up to something) through her blog. She enjoys having her sister Carrie in the same town with her where they like to get together to cook, craft, and decorate. We get to see Cathy just about monthly as she tries to make it back here to see her family members perform in their various activities. Lake Powell, Mamma Mia, Indianapolis, and her alma mater's football games were highlights of her year.

Christopher spent the first nine months out of the year in the same manor that he spent all of last year; traveling around the county developing and delivering financial planning education to companies of all shapes and sizes, including many in the Fortune 500. He loved being a professional speaker and consulting with so many different companies but grew weary of all the travel, so in September, Christopher decided to leave the investment company he was working for and accept an offer to head up the Financial Advice Division at a new company . He regretfully is still living in the land of cold and snow, but is keeping busy and having a blast with his new role and responsibilities. Outside of the office, Christopher is continuing to go a hundred miles an hour with his responsibilities, which include going back to school, sitting for his CFP exam, serving in the Young Men’s Presidency at church, Merit Badge Counseling for Boy Scouts of America, and spending time with his beautiful girlfriend Jamie and her very cute daughter.

Carrie and Devin were happy to welcome their first baby on November 21st. They are both adjusting to parenthood nicely and really enjoy every part of it. They are both officially seniors , with high hopes of graduating next December. Carrie is majoring in Early Childhood Education and Devin is majoring in Sociology and minoring in business. Fortunately for Carrie and Caden, she has been able to quit her job and stay at home with little Caden as much as her schoolwork will allow. Devin started a new job in May at a banking call center where he works in sales. Aside from the birth of their first child, the highlight of their year was spending a week at Lake Powell with lots of family.

As a senior in high school, Jacob is spending time on college applications and homework. He loved marching band, even all the hot practices during August, and was sorry to see the season come to an end. Jacob entered the workforce this past summer as a life guard at a water park. Christmas found him working at a local movie theater and trying to recover from oral surgery.

David is now a sophomore in high school. He is very active in community theater, having just finished performing in Cinderella. Other plays this year included Belles on Their Toes and The Music Man. His ever-expanding social circle keeps him very busy, and he enjoyed cliff-jumping, knee-boarding, and tubing at Lake Powell.

Well, that's this year's letter. Sorry it wasn't in the mail, but maybe this is second best. I've missed blogging and really hope to keep up more in the New Year. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully Happy New Year!

Quick Update

2008-10-30T22:26:00.003-05:00

We are in the thick of marching season. We will be in San Antonio this weekend for BOA SuperRegional and to eat at Tony Roma's, and to see L&R--three of my favorite activities. Then we will be back in San Antonio on Tuesday for the Texas State UIL Marching compeition, and to eat at Tony Roma's--and yes, I did vote early. Don't know if we'll get to see L&R again--that is a lot of band to non-band-parent type people. Then the next weekend we are in Indianapolis for Grand Nationals with David, Cathy, CJ and Jamie. Oh yeah, Jacob will be there, but we won't see him much except when he's on the field--you know how that goes. I do love marching season and will really miss it next year.

David is in the middle of Cinderella rehearsals, the Christmas production at the theater. It runs from the day after Thanksgiving until Dec. 23--a killer schedule during the holidays, but he loves it. I'll post pics from "Belles on their Toes" later--he was hilarious.

Hubby is reprising his role as the admiral in Sound of Music down in CLeburne. He's in the 2nd week of the run, and I'm having a hard time getting down there to see it between marching band and Cinderella. In addition to his prop building and set painting he has taken up costume making. My sewing machine now sits on a table in the infamous green room and he made the priest's robes and vestments completely from scratch and completely by himself. Tina's son ( Tina is co-owner of the theater) told her how much he loved her costumes--that she is just the best costumer ever. His favorite costume of all times was the admiral's costume in Sound of Music--the very admiral's costume that hubby designed and sewed all by himself. :)

And the most exciting, actually scary, thing in my life last week was a bacterial infection on my arm. Tuesday morning I noticed a little skin tag was about to fall off, then two hours later there was this yucky raised spot the size of a dime; two hours later it was the size of a quarter; by the afternoon the skin around it was red and infected, and by 10:00 pm (of course I was at a band competition and couldn't get to the dr.) the red skin looked like a tornado and the tail of the tornado had turned up , heading toward my shoulder. That was the part that really scared me, so I called my doctor and immediately she put me on a very powerful oral antibiotic and antiobiotic salve. Two doctor visits later I am declared healed, but there is still a red spot a little larger than a dime on my arm where the skin has to heal. I had just read an article about the resistant strains of strep, so this really scared me, but all is well.

Except I am really tired, too tired to even play my fourth game of pingpong tonight, so I am going to bed. And besides, when David turns in a complete circle between the time he hits the ball and I return it, I get very depressed. Love to all of you!

Wisconsin

2008-10-19T18:19:00.004-05:00

Since I forgot that the story appears below the pictures, this is my trip to Wisconsin. This gigglin' cutie is Macy, Jamie's daughter.
Even though the picture is a little dark, can you tell we are having fun together. She laughed when the doggie said, "Woof!"
Sunday morning with my handsome son--this is right by his apartment.
This is at his new office. I loved the fall colors there.
Cute couple, Jamie and Christopher

All fire hydrants have a metal rod that sticks up. Can you guess why? Yep, so the snow plow doesn't run them over when it snows! I couldn't believe it! Imagine having so much snow you can't see the fire hydrants--unbelievable.
And this is you-know-who showing us another usage of a fire hydrant.
Lake Michigan--looks like an ocean, doesn't it? It is huge.
Milwaukee sits on Lake Michigan.
A beautiful fall in Milwaukee. And now for the story I thought would be first...

I went to see Traveling Man over the Columbus Day Weekend. I really enjoyed myself, and it was very hard to leave him there so far away. My plane was delayed 2 hours, so I didn't get in until after 11:00 pm on Friday, and we had the two hour drive down (or was it up?) to Appleton, but we had lots to talk about, so it was fine with me.

Saturday morning we went shopping. I thought they would have a better selection of jackets up there, and sure enough they did. I bought my first pea coat ever and then we went to Walmart to buy some toys for Macy, so I could bribe her to like me. The plan worked pretty well because once she got used to me we sat together and read, played, and she even took my hand while we were at the park. I was very pleased because rumor had it that she didn't take too kindly to strangers, but she and I got along just fine.

Saturday night we met Jamie's parents at Tony Roma's, my all time favorite restaurant. The baby back ribs were so tender they fell off the fork, and the flavor was delicious. It was great to meet Jamie's parents and I really enjoyed the evening.

Sunday we went to church and Christopher took us on a tour of the company where he now works and Monday I flew home. It was so hard to say goodbye. When I think of him clear up at Lake Michigan, I just cannot believe he is so far away, but I'm really glad he has Jamie to keep him company and I'm so grateful she stayed up talking to him while he drove all hours of the night with his previous job.

Sounds of Silence

2008-08-30T12:14:00.002-05:00

Most moms enjoy the sounds of silence after the kids are all back in school. But today, Saturday, is my time.

Hubby is in Mexico with the bishopric of the Spanish ward. They went to the temple first thing, and now are going to have some fun. But he got the shower fixed before he went, so I guess he's allowed out of the house. When he is in town he is not really in town because he is rehearsing in Cleburne for "Can't Take It With You." He's single cast, so it involves a lot of time.

J is off to band where he is very bored I imagine, since he and his crutches are sitting in the stands observing. Last night he and his friends were at a park, and according to the story I got, he was chasing a duck. ( A duck you say? IIIIIII know!) It was soooo dark that he didn't see the canal that feeds into the pond and unfortunately fell right into the cement embankment (it's not that high) and sprained his knee and jammed two toes. I never get used to those 11:00 pm phone calls that begin, "Mom, can you meet me at the emergency room?"

D is off playing basketball with friends. Currently he is in rehearsal for "Belles on Their Toes." He survived his first week in high school with flying colors, and I am happy to report, even did his homework. Seminary starts next week, so we'll see how it's going then. The count down is on--only three more years of seminary left for me ( and him). But then when will I walk?

I am looking forward to a very good school year. My schedule is such that I teach 3 classes, eat lunch, teach one class, have conference period, and teach two classes. Big classes this year--before school started we had registered 990 students. I am really liking the new administration. They seem very positive and very realistic. Teachers no longer have patio duty nor do we have to supervise the cleaning of the cafeteria tables. Yeah!!!! And I am no longer on the yearbook staff. Yeah!!! Yeah!!!!

Ahh, the door just opened. One of the males is home. I bid fond farewell to The Sounds of Silence.

My Prediction

2008-07-28T09:42:00.002-05:00

I finished the Twillight "trilogy" the other day. Such an easy read. I really enjoyed each book. One of the literary elements I loved , which I can't remember the name of, was the way she combined two senses, ie., "I could taste his scent." To me that's very descriptive.

My prediction for book 4 is that Edward will turn into a human. I know, I know, that is not possible, according to Edward. However, a werewolf doesn't age as long as he is actively "morphing," but Jacob said that if they gain the self control to not transform and they don't transform for a long time, then they begin to age again. I think vampires must have something like that, too.

Also, I think this sentence by Edward is foreshadowing: " If there were any way for me to become human for you--no matter what the price was, I would pay it." (Eclipse, 273) That sentence jumped off the page at me! That just has to predict something in book 4. I just hope this doesn't turn into a tragedy.

I am worried about Jacob (the one in the book, not you-know-who). I don't want him the get his heart broken again and still. I was pretty mad at the way Bella treated him right before the big fight with Victoria. I also thought she was pretty selfish trying to keep both Jacob and Edward with her, while the coven and pack were all out there fighting to protect her from Victoria. Of course, we all know how that turned out.

Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts.

And, eat your heart out, I bought another Christmas present last week. :)

Summertime, Summertime

2008-07-19T10:09:00.004-05:00

I am loving this summer! It is pretty stressfree and low key--lots of lazy days, or at least afternoons.

Lake Powell was so much fun! We enjoyed it so much. Thank you, Karl and Laurie, for inviting us! I loved riding in the boats and watching people wake board, knee board, etc. I did not realize how beautiful LP is. And to all the cooks, the food was great and I got some ideas for new recipes. I also enjoyed playing all the games and hanging out with family. It was a great get away. Sorry we had to leave early and didn't get to help with cooking the breakfast, but when David told the doctor his pain was a level 7 on a scale of 1 - 10, I was really glad we got him there and got the medicine for him.

I have finished a couple of books recently--thanks to a long car trip from Dallas to LP. :) I finished Time Traveler's Wife on the trip. It is a good, but sad love story. I will warn you, though, that the language is pretty worldly. I also finished Atonement, which a friend of mine from school recommended. It does not have a lot of action, but the author excels at explaining the plot/conflict from different characters' points of view. But again, you have to watch out for the language. Now I am reading Twillight and loving it! I'm only half way through it, but hope to finishe the series in time for the 4th book in a few weeks.

Surprise, surprise! CJ flew in on Thursday and is spending the weekend . He has training on Monday here, so will leave Monday night. I was so excited to see him. I had really been missing him lately, I think because I saw Music Man so many times and I could just picture him as Harold Hill.

Speaking of Music Man, the run is finally over. David hardly knows what to do in the evenings--he enjoyed being in the show very much. The theater owners claim over 8,000 people saw the show--and they did run 7 shows a week for five weeks--always sold out. But 8,000 people? Hard to believe. One of my favorite things about theater (second to seeing my family on stage) is to watch how the performers grow into their parts from opening night until closing night. They add so many little actions and expressions to make their character more realistic. It's really fun to see the growth.

I am really enjoying going to the movies with my grandkids and sometimes even out to lunch with Liz, when she can pull herself away from her studies, and I'm sure looking forward to seeing Carrie next week and then helping Cathy celebrate her birthday by going to see Mamma Mia (a tradition of sorts that we started last year by going to see Hairspray on her birthday). Tricia and I will hopefully continue our brown hot fudge sundae tradition while I am there.

And, finally, believe it or not, I actually bought some Christmas presents this week! I have to do it while I think about it, or I will forget! I know it will be a busy fall--band camp starts Aug 4, then back to school, band competitions in SA, Houston, Indy, and of course a cute new baby will arrive! Not to mention some theater thrown in there (Uncle C will audition for at least 2 I know of, D auditioning for 1).

Anyway, I love summer!

This and That

2008-05-31T06:34:00.004-05:00

At Grapevine High School, just up the road from us, a girl is graduating with the highest GPA in the 103 year school history--5.877. You would expect her to be valedictorian, right? Wrong. She graduated in 3 years, and the district policy says the valedictorian will have the highest average "for four years of high school." So the Valedictorian is a young man with a GPA of 5.64, which he earned in the required 4 years. So they are calling her "valedictorian--three year graduate." Somehow it doesn't have the same ring, does it? Plus, she doesn't get the state scholarship for "highest-ranking graduate" that goes to every accredited high school in the state. To make matters worse, the school counselor is the one who advised her to graduate in 3 years and told her she would be eligible for valedictorian because the spirit of the rule was to prevent students from transferring in from less-rigorous schools and then winning the award. Crazy, huh?

Mark your calendars, the big Bath and Bodyworks sale starts June 2. I love love love Sea Island Cotton. But I sure hope they also have the discontinued fragrance White Tea and Ginger.

Have you seen Prince Caspian? It is sooooo good!

A Little of This and A Little of That

2008-05-04T22:44:00.003-05:00

I don't have anything hugely exciting to post, so I'll just catch you up on what's going on around here.

"The Foreigner" is a hilarious play and C. is doing a great job in his role as Froggy. This is his 10th accent to do on stage, and he continues the British (cockney even, maybe) here at home. It's kind of funny!

D is in rehearsal for Music Man which will run most of June. He is very sad the Mavs blew it.

J has finally finished his life guard training at Carrie's former place of employment. He was one cold boy when I picked him up--literally shivering, but he did pass the test to be a deep guard. His exact words were, "If Carrie can do it, I can for sure." His Eagle project is on Saturday. Can you guess where?--at the theater of course!

18 more days of school. Need I say more? I did finally finish reading The Book Thief (Linds was right--incredible language) and Water for Elephants. I enjoyed both very much, but Water had a couple of R rated scenes--just so you know.

I am looking for a good bread recipe and a good bean recipes. All ingredients must come from items you would keep in food storage--- so no eggs (not a problem with the beans, I'm sure). Anybody have good recipes that really taste good, as in people would actually eat them, and all ingredients can be stored? Thanks in advance.

And finally, I had the first watermelon of the season today. It was good and sweet. Yeah!!! I love sweet watermelon.

May everyone's week be as great as Carrie's was last week.... :)

Wild, Wild Weather

2008-04-13T18:25:00.005-05:00

This past week bad weather from Wisconsin to Texas ruined our family's plans. Traveling Man came to town on Wednesday, but only after his flight was delayed due to 4" of snow. That night we were awakened by the tornado sirens at 3:30 am. We all rushed into J's room, which is in the center of the house, but alas, we found the tornado had already struck there and there was no room for us amid the debris. But on the good side, electricity was out in many parts of the city (good for us, not the people with no electricity), so we did not have to go to school. But of course, we didn't find that out until J had already left for school, and since I forgot to tell D., his alarm went off and he got ready for school only to walk out and find me in my jammies watching tv... It's hard to remember everything some days.

Well, lo and behold, Travelin Man's girlfriend was scheduled to arrive on Friday for a fun weekend at 6 Flags with the family, but due to winter storm advisories, her flight was cancelled. So, Travelin' Man spent many hours on the phone trying to get her a new flight (part of this time on the phone was during a professional basketball game he attended with youngest bro--so youngest bro was by himself inside the arena and Travelin' man was pacing out on the concourse, talking to the airlines).
But alas, it was not to be, and many hours later all flights, not just American, were cancelled due to a blizzard. So cute girlfriend did not get to come, and sad boyfriend wondered how on earth he was going to get home, because his flights, too, had been cancelled.

Friday morning dawned beautifully. But Travelin Man found a flight out and had to take it or risk not getting home at all. So, while Traveling Man boarded his flight (2 had already been cancelled), sisters boarded the new SUV and came home to see brother, who was already on the plane. I'm sure you see the problem.

Well, to make a long story short, I enjoyed seeing my children, even though it wasn't the planned for weekend. All the girls and I ( and cute baby boy) went to the bookstore, Sam Moon's, and two other stores, so we managed to somehow salvage the weekend. :) Shopping has saved many a day.

Even though there were 6 tornados in our area Thursday night, one did not set down in our neighborhood, at least that is what the National Weather Service said. You may decide for yourself when you view the pics below. All of these pics are very, very, very close to our house.

At the park two blocks away--the roof over the dugout:

You will need to enlarge the next two:

At a little store just down the street: the debris is the roof

See the dangling traffic signal? and the bent post on the left?

We were very fortunate not to have any damage other than a few branches blown down. Some people in our church were without electricity for 4 days.

I really enjoyed my family and I'm so glad I got to see all of the "away" children again. Hopefully next time the weather will cooperate. ;)

Little Update

2008-04-01T19:53:00.002-05:00

On Sunday I thought of 3 things to tell you, but now I can only remember 2. I even jotted down a quick list, but I can't find it. Isn't that just how it goes!

Anyway--CJ is not going to be Gaston in the play after all. The original Gaston is going to be able to do the whole run, so CJ was not needed :(

Here is a quick little recipe that I remembered. Lay 2 crescent rolls out in a rectangle. Layer sandwich ham and cheese (I used 2 of each) and then cover with 2 more crescent rolls. Smush the edges together so the cheese doesn't leak out and then bake according to crescent roll directions. They should brown on both sides . Fast, easy, and tasty--my kind of recipe. You could serve with salad or yogurt or fresh fruit.

Also, the TAKS Test is over and only two of my students did not pass. One student was absent and the other one speaks very little English! So that was great news :) Now if I could just get all the research papers graded....

Happy April to everyone!

Catching Up After Spring Break

2008-03-23T12:36:00.009-05:00

I never did finish posting my pictures from SLC or from Meeting Jamie, so I'll just add a few really quick.

Cute baby Donevan at Abuelos when we went there with CJ and Jamie a few weekends ago.
Can you tell they are brothers?
Jumping back a few weeks to Alli's wedding in SLC: This is one of my favs--Tricia and I at Spaghetti Factory in Trolley Square. We went here the first time when she came up for Liz's birth--27 years ago! We had to go back to celebrate that memory. We even got to sit in the Trolley! Trolley Square is a lot different than it used to be, though. Since the shooting a year ago, many of the businesses have closed down. The mall was almost deserted.
It took Tricia and I a long time to find this little house in Provo, but since we were going down memory lane anyway, we had to find the first little house Chris and I ever bought. We about gave up (since neither of us could remember the address) until she spotted Deseret Industries, then we knew to cut through the parking lot and we finally found it without too much trouble. I decided after that little excursion that there is more traffic in the Provo/Orem area than in SLC. One final note, it is really hard to find a Utah teeshirt. We went to two malls , two grocery stores, a sproting goods store, and two Walgreens. We decided they need a little of our Texas Pride up there!

We were hoping to visit LA on our next "sisters' trip", but our hoped for tour guide is moving to India, so we're not sure where we'll go next.

Well, back to Abuelos. Carrie and Devin at Abuelo's the weekend Jamie came down. As usual, Carrie just ordered two enchiladas. Silly Girl.
Aunt Khaki and Donny, with CJ in the background. Donny is finally becoming friends with Aunt Khaki.
Grandpa keeping Donny out of trouble.
Liz and Laura, who looks pretty happy for having just eaten a lemon.
Enjoying our family at dinner. Everyone was there except Lizzy's Chris. He and Eyan stayed home because of "the rash."

Spring Break was lots of fun. First there was the Open House in Houston. As always, it was fun to see the family and eat all the good food. On Monday morning Liz and kids and I went to Lubbock to see the two Lubbock sisters. It was a long trip as we didn't get started until 12:30 pm. But we had fun going to see Alvin and the Chipmunks and going to the Science Spectrum. We also got to eat lunch with Tricia and Kathy (Sarah was sick) and with my cousin Debbie and her daughter Shandyl. It was really great visiting together for awhile. Then we went to the Science Spectrum--which was fun but really wore me out. I do not know how Carrie managed to work 5 hours after that. Maybe being around all of those shoes gives her energy--I don't know. It was especially great to see Cathy's apartment (I'm sorry we didn't get to try the pasta chicken salad) , Cathy's newly decorated office, and Carrie & Dev's decorated house. Both of those girls really know how to decorate with pictures! I am looking forward to going back sometime soon.

Today is Easter Sunday. I was having a frustrating morning--worried about two songs I had to play at church and then J woke up pretty sick with strep throat. I was running late and thinking how hard it was to get to church by 8:00 for choir. It was like everything that could go wrong did go wrong and I was feeling kind of resentful about everything that needed to be done on a Sunday morning. But once I started playing "Jesus Once of Humble Birth" and the choir started singing, it was just so beautiful--it really calmed my heart and I could feel the peace of the Savior. So, on this Easter, I am grateful for the music that touches my heart so often and helps me feel the love of the Savior. Hope you have a Happy Easter, too!

Meeting Jamie

2008-03-13T20:36:00.002-05:00

At his apartment.
At Abuelos. Aren't they a cute couple?
Being silly (but they really did this all the time :)
Still at Abuelos (we were there a looong time)
MMMMM MMMMMMM good!

I'm not sure where this text will end up once I get the pictures on, so just know it is supposed to be at the beginning. I have been trying to get this post to save since Sunday, but between my internet being down and blogspot not saving anything, it has been a frustrating experience.

Anyway, Traveling Man brought his friend Jamie home to meet the family last weekend. We hope she liked us as much as we liked her! They met when he gave a presentation at her work a few months ago, and we noticed over Thanksgiving that he was spending a lot of time on the phone talking to "someone." Evidentally they are still spending lots of time on the phone talking, since they were snowed in on her birthday and they told us they talked for 18 hours straight! (They live in different towns.) We had fun playing ping-pong, eating at Abuelos, and sitting around the kitchen table late at night talking.

We are excited to see them both again in April when Traveling M an comes home to play four performances as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast! We are really looking forward to that!!!!

Wedding Pics

2008-02-18T22:02:00.005-06:00

Cute Aubrey and Grandpa Karl
Outside the temple
It was a lovely wedding cake!
The beautiful sisters. I thought it was so clever to have each bridesmaid use the same material, but choose her own pattern. All the dresses were so pretty and becoming. Good idea!
Cousins throwing kisses to cousins. We were all thinking about those who weren't there. :(

I had so much fun on my trip to Utah. I just wanted to hurry and post these pictures because I knew my girls were wanting to see the dresses and cake, etc. I'm so glad I got to attend the wedding! The ceremony was wonderful, everyone looked beautiful, the food was delicious, and the company was entertaining! I'm so glad my sister got to go with me because we had a great time together! I hope we can do it again sometime.

The Flu and Surprises

2008-02-04T20:59:00.000-06:00

Last week found me at home 3 days out of 5 with the flu which turned into bronchitis. I didn't realize what it was in time to get Tamiflu, but when David had the symptoms, we got right in to the doctor and he had to miss only one day of school. The flu really left me weak, needing several naps a day (which was actually kind of nice). And I missed hugging and holding my little grandchildren on Thursday when they came over, but I sure hope they don't get it. I think the baby would have sat in my lap and read books quite a while, but I had to stay away from him. :(

Speaking of books, I finished Goose Girl while I was recuperating. I really enjoyed the story and am so glad everyone recommended it. It was a really nice change from Animal Farm. ;)

On Friday, though, I got a great surprise from those two sneaky Lubbock girls of mine. I had talked to both of them during the day and I thought they were in Lubbock doing their thing, when low and behold, they walked in the sunroom and surprised me Friday evening! I was sitting at the computer, and I just could not believe my eyes! It was a great surprise. We watched President Hinckley's funeral on Saturday and cried together. I will really miss him.

It was really quite remarkable that they kept their trip a secret. I went to get my hair cut on Wednesday, and my hairdresser never said a word even though Carrie already had an appointment with her so Vicki, my hairdresser, knew they were coming. And she told a fellow teacher at school when she went in for her haircut, but she never said a word either!

After the girls left on Sunday I immediately took a nice long nap. They had quite an eventful trip home, but I am sure one of them will blog about it. I'm just so grateful that they were safe and protected.

I just love surprises, don't you?

A Little Update

2008-01-20T20:12:00.000-06:00

Has it really been December 30 since I blogged? Surely not. But it has been rather hectic around here. Gratefully that should be slowing down soon. The yearbook goes to print on Feb. 13, so I will get to celebrate that little project being finished by going to SLC with my sis to be at Allison's wedding. I am so looking forward to the trip, seeing our family at another great wedding , and spending some time with my sister and our Hancock family whom we have not seen in several years. In fact, Tricia has not been to SLC since Liz was born, so we are really looking forward to seeing our dad's family again. The only thing missing (besides the rest of my family) is taking pictures outside the Houston temple during the summer!!!

On a bittersweet note, another reason life is slowing down, is because I was released from being the Enrichment counselor in the RS. I still feel sad about it, but actually, it happened in such a neat way that it increased my testimony. Many, many times in the past few weeks I have left Presidency Mtg saying to myself, "How am I ever going to get all of this done?" "All of this" being not only church responsibilities, but mostly school related work. But I was very discouraged and one week I realized that J had asked me twice to play pingpong and once to play him a piece on the piano and I had refused all 3 times because I had "too much to do." On the other hand, it is very hard for me to say no to a church calling and I keep thinking, if I just have more faith, or if I organize my time better, or something, then things will work out. Endure to the end, right? And look at how much time Bishops and others spend on their callings.... Anyway, one Friday the RS president was talking to me about a new secretary and happened to mention that the Bishop was making several changes on Sunday. I just felt I had to tell her how things were for me, and she was very, very understanding. Then she said that the Bishop had specifically asked her about how I was doing and expressed that he was concerned about me. The next day he asked to speak to me and he was so loving and kind. He told me he didn't want me to be unhappy and that he wanted me to let him know when I was sad. Anyway, to make a long story short, I am now the choir pianist and the ward canning specialist, and I am very happy to be doing both of those callings.

On a final note, since on some of the blogs I have been reading the cold weather has been mentioned, I will just leave you with this tidbit of news. Christopher arrived home at 2:00 am Sat. morning from one of his trips. It was -4 degress outside (that does not include wind chill) only to find his apartment heater was broken and could not be repaired all weekend long. Brrrr!!! Talk about cold!

Also, I am enjoying all the blogs and "older" blogs very much. I really do love all of you.

I Miss Christmas

2007-12-30T02:39:00.000-06:00

I am so sad that the holidays are over. (Of course, going back to school has nothing to do with my sorrow--sniff, sniff.) I loved having everyone at home--even if it was for only one night. Thanks to the ice storm in the MidWest, Traveling Man had 3 flights cancelled, was stranded in an airport with no rental cars available so took a 2 hour cab ride home, and finally drove the 16 hours from Madison to here. He left at 8:00 am on Sunday and arrived here at 4:00 am on Christmas Eve. Cathy arrived about 12 hours later--she had to leave late due to one of her families in a crisis-- and the newlyweds got here Christmas evening, but I can't really complain because at least everyone got to come. Anyway, it wasn't the Christmas I had envisioned, but once everyone was here I was so happy to be together and so grateful everyone arrived safely.

It was fun playing pingpong and beating everyone soundly--well, almost everyone. (and almost beating them , truth be told) It was also fun going to 6 Flags and riding roller-coasters (which I haven't done in years). Another highlight was seeing the travelers from down south. It was fun to do a little post-season shopping together, as we once did pre-season shopping together, but alas they had to get back to their own family in Houston.

I am happy to make the formal announcement that my New Years letters have been mailed. Please note that I did not send out Christmas letters this year, but intentionally sent out New Years letters, which are less than a week late. Go me! It's going to be a great year!!

2007-12-09T16:17:00.000-06:00

Well, my blog reading sessions on Sunday afternoon are going a little faster than I'd like because there is not much new out there to read. I miss all of you! You don't know how much I love reading your blogs. It makes me feel so close to everyone.

I will admit, it did occur to me that it has been awhile since I blogged, so perhaps I should give it a try. It just seems like nothing is new here--two people in shows, band is over, and I'm just trying to survive a rather trying school year. Anyway...

Thanksgiving was wonderful. I loved having my family all home and it was so much fun. CJ even went shopping with me at 4:15 am on the day after. Of course, I was home in bed by 5:30, so I didn't sacrifice too much. When I got up at 4:15, the nicest surprise awaited me--a beeeutifully clean kitchen and living room. All the sibs were still up talking and they had cleaned it up for me and I REALLY APPRECIATED IT!! Following our usual tradition, some of us went to see "Enchanted" after Thanksgiving dinner. It was a cute little musical, but here's the ironic thing. You know Idina Menzel, the original Elfaba? She was in it --but she didn't have a singing role!!!! Go figure that out!

Moving forward, "Oliver" opened this weekend and I have seen it twice already. David is Charley somebody...I thought it was Charley Bone, but then I remembered that is a character in a series of books some of the kids are reading... I really like the music in "Oliver". This theater is not theater in the round (I would say persinium, but I don't really know how to spell it) so it seems very different to me. But I am enjoying it, and so is he.

"Meet Me in St. Louis" opened two weekends ago. Methedad is the trolley driver and a fine one he is, too. But what really steals the show is the trolley itself--which Methedad made. It is very creative, and hopefully I can post a pic of it for you to see.

Marching band is over for this year, but it was a great year. I hope they go back next year to defend their title, but it hasn't been decided yet. I thought it was odd that they didn't give the students a medal or patch for winning, but they didn't. However, never fear, we get to buy a rather expensive championship ring! The letterjackets finally came in this week, so now the poor boy has a coat to wear.

As for me, I'm just working hard at school. There is so much pressure this year for the famous (dare I say infamous) state test the students have to pass, that it is overiding everything else. For the first time, we now have to have the students make graphs of how many questions they answered correctly on each objective every time we have one of the practice tests. It takes class time from when we could actually be teaching. But at least we can do it as a class. When it was first announced, we had to have a one on one conference with every single student--I have about 120. Where was that time going to come from? Anyway, enough of my griping. I'm just so frustrated with it all...

On a positive note, I'm getting ready for Christmas. I got organized this weekend (which was a good thing because I discovered I actually bought 5 copies of one movie) so maybe I'll be ready this year. I love having my family home and I can hardly wait until they all get here. The weather turned cold, so it's finally starting to seem like winter.

Well, enough about us. Hope to read about all of you soon!

We won!!

2007-11-18T18:13:00.000-06:00

Saturday, November 17 the L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band received 1st place in the BOA Grand National Championship Marching Contest in Indianaopolis, Indiana!!! We are so excited for the band and proud of our own band nerd for the part he played.

They received First in Class, Music Caption, and General Effects Caption in prelims. In the finals competition they again recevied the Music Caption and General Effects Caption.

This performance is the completion of a trilogy started in 2005 with "The Ascension." In 2006 they place 2nd with "The Remaining." This year was "Transcendents."

The video is available on YouTube. (Just google LD Bell Grand National Champion) Watch the Edited for Time version first. It cuts off right at the end. So then you have to watch the one and only performace of part 6, which is called the Extended Version and is only the new ending. It was a great show and I hope all you band lovers will watch it! Hopefully I can post pictures at a later time. We will leaving shortly to go greet the band on their triumphant return. The Bedford police will be escorting them. :) What a great weekend!

To my Hunny Bunny

2007-10-28T19:23:00.000-05:00

Hunny Bunny
You're so funny
Thanks for doing
all the laundry.

The garage organizer is so grand.
You have quite a creative hand.
Chips and drinks won't roll on the floor,
You've got them stored forevermore.

I'm so looking forward to the rain gutter,
and never again will you hear me mutter.
And a new roof on top of the house--
all thanks to you and your laptop mouse.

So here's to you, the man of my dream,
Of the crop, you are the cream.

Columbus Day in Chicago

2007-10-11T21:31:00.000-05:00

This picture is supposed to be at the end. This is a Saturday picture. This mirror sculpture is called The Bean because it looks like a lima bean. It's located in Millenium Park, which is where we caught the Trolley. The rest of the story is continued below. Can you find my photgrapher in the background?

This is the Chicago Skyline at night. I arrived in Chicago on Friday night and we went straight to the Hancock Observatory.
You get to observe 2 Hancocks for the price of one!
C's acrobatics were appreciated by many people at the observatory. Everyone was copying his antics, even men in suits.
We both had to hang on for dear life-- 95 stories is a long drop.
This move is named "The Christopher." The employees at the Hancock Observatory told us they had never seen this particular pose before, and they dubbed it for its creator.

The Rest of the Story: On Saturday we rode one of those double decker city trolley tours, which was great because there was a great breeze up on top. I got my first glimpse of a Great Lake, Lake Michigan, which is so big that you cannot see the shores when you are in the middle. Trip trivia--- 3 of the 4 tallest buildings in the US are in Chicago: #1 Sears Tower #2 Aeon Building (or something like that) #3 Empire State Building #4 Hancock Building which is called "Big John" by Chicagoeans (sp?). Can you you guess why it's called "Big John"? We ended the Chicago leg of the trip by attending The Blue Man Group that night. I was very grateful we did not sit in a "poncho row" and I was also very grateful I was not called out of the audience to participate in one of the skits. The show was very funny and some of the skits reminded me of the old Red Skelton mimes. After the show we drove to Madison and on Sunday I got the big tour of the capital of Wisconsin, and it is a very nice city I have to say. It has two lakes, a university, the capital building, and of course, the famous Quaker Steak and Lube (see C's blog for further info). I had a great time on my weekend in Illinois and Wisconsin, and I was very sad to leave my boy up there. I wish he would move back to the warm country very soon.

Eggman Cast in December Production of "Oliver"

2007-10-04T18:20:00.000-05:00

The wolves attacking Belle. "Our" wolf is the 2nd from the left.

The Beast
Eggman on Gaston's back . He gets thrown to the floor in a minute.
Cogsworth and Lumiere
Mrs. Potts and Chip

Eggman with Lefou
During "Gaston"
As a Spoon in "Be Our Guest"
During "Beauty and the Beast" reprise

Anyway, now he's in rehearsal for "Oliver, " which is at a different theater. So we're hoping it will be another good experience.

Truck pics

2007-09-30T10:02:00.000-05:00

This is a moose Methedad saw on his walking tour of a park in Anchorage. Since her calf was close by, he turned around and went the other way. (I know, this isn't a truck, but evidentally the moose was as big as a truck.)
Here is the new truck. It seems pretty big to me, and I drive a van. It has "gizzmos, and gadgets, and whatsits galore. " Every day MetheDad comes home with a story of some new feature he has discovered. Wondering what kind of truck it is? It's gray ...or maybe silver. J says it's tan, but I think he's colorblind.
It recognizes if the key is for Driver 1 or Driver 2 and adjusts the settings accordingly. Well, it would if I knew how to program the little computer to do that. I do like that the seat automatically moves back when you turn the engine off. By the way, I went and looked on the papers, it's a 2004 GMC with an extended cab, as you can see. During this truck buying experience I learned the difference in an extended cab and a crew cab. My one question, after all this, is----where do you hide the Christmas presents?

Where Is That Cordless Phone?

2007-09-26T07:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry I don't have pics of the truck yet, but the delighted owner just got home from Alaska last night and I don't even know if he's taken a picture of it yet. But we will move that to the top of the list! Thanks for your interest :)

However, I do have a story to share with you. We have not been able to find our cordless phone for days. Last weekend we looked for it everywhere--under the furniture , in the couch, you know all the standard places cordless phones migrate to when no one is looking. I assumed the battery was dead because we couldn't hear it paging, so I was beginning to think it had joined Methedad's glasses (which also cannot be found --a fact I learned about because he was sitting in his recliner at 6:00 am reading the newspaper with his sunglasses on) Anyway, D. came home from school Monday and told me he had found the phone.
"Hurray!!" I shouted. "Where was it?"

"In my backpack at school"

Go figure.

Dangers of Eating in the Car

2007-09-22T22:54:00.000-05:00

Reading Cathy's post about her mascara reminded me of her recent story about choking while she was driving. And that reminded me of a news story I meant to share last week, but I probably fell asleep or something and forgot.

Seems there was this man who was driving while he ate his hamburger and onion rings. (Sound familiar?) Unfortunately he choked on the onion ring and blacked out. Since he was no longer conscious, his car hit a tree. Hitting the tree caused the airbag to implode. And guess what, the force of the airbag dislodged the onion ring, and he woke up.

Believe it or not! But it's true. The man's name was Mr Bryan Rocco, 43, from Vineland, New Jersey. I would say Cathy was pretty lucky. This guy's car was totaled, but at least he lived to tell the tale. Personally, I'm not going to eat in the car anymore.

Weekly Update

2007-09-09T10:22:00.001-05:00

I didn't post anything last week because I couldn't think of anything worth posting, but after reading everyone's updates this week, I'll just let you know how things are here.

The man of the house was still carless because once the insurance company decided to total the car, they took away his rental. Nevermind that they still haven't sent the final check so that he can make a downpayment on a new car. He was not a happy camper, so yesterday went out and rented a car on his own. His play "Man With the Pointed Toes" closed yesterday, so we can check that one off the list.

The band nerd marched in the first football game of the season on Friday. The hair was pretty long so he told me to just pin up the sides--"like a Mohawk"-- and he would stuff the top and front under the shako himself. He was plenty early for call, which was a good thing because he left one piece of his 10 piece (including shoes and shako) uniform home, and he called me desperate for me to race home and get it and race back to give it to him before call. Being the ultra-organized mom that I am, I had already made his fleshies. Did you know that you cannot wear white underwear under white band pants? Please note that I would not stir and boil white boxers in tea for just anyone....

Beauty and the Beast gets better and better. I am really enjoying the show, and the eggman is having a good time as well. The wolf's head stayed on all week, and several friends have been to the show, so that makes for a good time. All the shows are sold out, so I am #18 on the waiting list for closing night. Seminary is taking its toll. He is one tired guy, but he's not complaining. He does want to stop for donuts everyday, though.

Labor Day was fun because C & C were here. We made it to the temple in the morning and then C,C and L went to see their dad in his play while I babysat the grandkids. A good time was had by all.

Traveling Man was on the road again this weekand I think he visited the Nestles/Butterfinger/Babyruth factory. I am trying to get up to see him on Columbus Day. I keep waiting for plane tickets to go down...

Piano lessons began again this week, but I have only three students, and one is Little Lady. She's doing a great job and her mom helped her learn the letters of the Grand Staff all in one week, so she is a prize student. School is going well for me. I have fewer students than last year, so that is a blessing. In my last class I have only 10 students, which is really nice. Well, speaking of school, I need to go grade some paragraphs and the RS president just called to see if I could go to her meeting for her. So, that's all for now. Hope everyone has a great week.

Busy Week.....again

2007-08-26T10:56:00.000-05:00

I was planning to post a couple of pics of our trip to Boston, but alas, the picture genie has yet to upload them on my little memory card, so I will just update you on a busy week.

Traveling Man just left this morning. He was only here for about 24 hours and just made a quick trip to see his dad in "Man with the Pointed Toes" and his brother in "Beauty and the Beast." I sure miss him.

The band nerd has been at band all week--3 times a day most days--and is one tired, but brown young man. Hair is really long (or should I say bushy?) so he can pin it up in his shako. School starts tomorrow and summer reading projects are due then. Can you guess what he'll be doing today? Also, he has a cute girlfriend who is a senior.

The youngest actor in the family had a relatively easy week with the rest of us gone most of the time. Beauty and the Beast went really well last night, despite the fact that his wolf head fell off in the middle of the attack on Belle. He is also an "eggman" in the opening scene during the "Belle" number. At the first rehearsal where they used the egg basket, the prop lady forgot to tell him that the eggs were real, but not hard boiled. He noticed all this liquid dripping down from the basket. You guessed it.... Anyway, his summer reading is also due tomorrow, and we've only had to buy 2 or 3 copies of Ender's Game throughout the summer. Fortunately he remembered to bring home both his book and his Sunday shoes from the theater, so he should be all right. Did I mention he is also a very handsome spoon in the play?

MetheDad is still a little sore from the car accident. He is not bouncing back like I thought he would. Of course, he never really has time to recuperate. After the accident he didn't take a single day off from work, but at least he worked from home. And the day after the accident he performed both the matinee and the evening performace at the theater, which is about 50 miles away. He couldn't drive, so we had to arrange to meet someone in order to get him there. Then the next day he stayed at church for 5 hours doing his calling in the Spanish branch. And he wonders why the pain is coming back. ... The litle yellow car was totalled, so I guess he'll be car shopping soon.

And I was at school last week planning and preparing for what will be an extremely busy year with yearbook and a new pre-AP curriculum. Good thing I really like my job! Having also attended 2 mid-week activities and one presidency meeting last week, I'm really behind here at the house. Oh, well, life goes on. At least my scrap-bookin girl is cooking dinner today. We will enjoy that. And I'm looking forward to seeing my two L. girls next weekend. Hope they both get to come.

Love to all of you out there in blog land. I love reading about your thoughts and families.

Good Books

2007-08-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

In Relief Society we have an enrichment activity book group (they were called Midweek Activities back in the day) that meets once a month. This month we read The Hiding Place, the true story of Corrie ten Boom. The writers tell how Corrie and her family ran an underground resistance against the Nazis during WW2. It takes place in Amsterdam, which is where Anne Frank and her family were in hiding. This was really interesting to me because I teach the play The Diary of Anne Frank in school and my students do a research project on the Holocaust.

However, I did not realize how I would be touched by this book. Up until now, the book that I have re-read the most through the years was Little Women, and my favorite modern book is Wish You Well, but The Hiding Place is right up there on the list now.

I don't really like most "Christian" books that are advertised to build your faith and stuff, but this one is not like that. It is very unpresuming and simply tells the story of a very amazing family. The thing that most impressed me, was that it honestly answers the question of "Why bad things happen to good people." If you are looking for something that is easy to read but very worthwhile, inspiring, and amazing, I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

Beginnings

2007-08-09T16:05:00.000-05:00

I kept hearing about blogging, but never participated in it until this summer. Then I began reading my daughters' and son's blogs, and soon discovered my nieces' blogs, and now I'm hooked! What a great way to keep in touch with everyone all at once! I just wish others in my family and circle of friends would blog because they all have great stories to tell and I would love to feel closer to them.

If you're wondering about the title "Spread Too Thin," it isn't meant to be a description of my physical self (because that would be the "spread" part, not the "thin" part), but actually a description of my life, or how I generally feel about my life. Just when I think things are beginning to slow down (no one graduating, getting married, having a baby or moving in the near future), something at school or church seems to pop up...like being called to the Relief Society presidency at church and being asked to advise the yearbook club at school (which takes tons of extra time). Oh, well, maybe it will keep me young and I really do enjoy all the activity, but sometimes I just feel Spread Too Thin.