April sure is a busy time of year and it's only half-over.

I'm glad it gets a kick-off with General Conference. I love that family time and the feeling like we're in touch with the whole of the church, getting filled with hope.

What's been going on with us? (Facebook hiatus requires such a post)

Bryce: Loves Kindergarten. Loves Mommy. Loves adventures with his brother. Loves imagining with his sister. Loves to run, jump, climb. He has tendons like a spring-loaded monkey. He can be such a good helper as long as you don't take him to run errands.

Ella: Likes me. She REALLY likes me. She's never been one to climb all over me, but lately she's been full of kisses and need for attention. She loves drawing and is determined to be an artist. She doodles flourishes like I do. LOVE that. She is such a gentle, serene person.

Dane: Is so glad that the weather is warming up! He really enjoys scouts and his technical piano skills are great. He's always astounding us with his wide-spread knowledge. He seems to be a factoid-sponge. He is an amazing helper with his brother and sister (if she'll let him). As long as something is his idea, he'll absolutely excel at it.

Cami: My world at home has been school/genealogy/school/genealogy/housework?/school... I really wonder if I'm meant to go back to school. Math is a lot harder than I want it to be. The final will be complete in just over two weeks. I face doing it all again, only harder, for Summer semester.

The best part of this month so far was a very special event. Last Saturday, I went to the temple with my aunt, uncle, cousin, mom and Grandma Sharon so that she could be sealed to her parents. It was a perfect moment for her and we loved being a part of this.

The best news I received this month (with ALL the credit going to my wonderful husband) is that Dead Can Dance is coming in concert. I'd thought them long broken up, but now I get to see them live. Oh. Wow.



Cameron: Life at work isn't easy, but he, as ever, has a positive attitude. He loves his kids and he makes it so obvious. I try to give him an easy-out on things like piano recitals and such because he is so busy, but he doesn't take me up on them. He's there for them whenever they need him. He's the best parent to go to when they need someone with whom to talk.

Of course, we did Easter with cousins at my Aunt Jone's house.

The next day we were back in Spanish Fork with Cam's family hunting an amazing amount of eggs, thanks to the enthusiasm of Aunt Alesha.

More good stuff to come in April and the rest of Spring. I must finish my retaining wall. I must turn 36. I must replace my toilet seats.

Have a great day!

Our busy/crazy week started out with a bang on the Fourth of July. We made our annual trek to Provo for America's Freedom Fest and the early morning balloon launch. We set out our blankets, the kids are still in their jammies and we have breakfast while the balloons fill around us.The extra special balloon this year was none other than his Darthness. Very cool for all of us. He was 69' wide and 85' tall and fulling sanctioned by LucasArts.Cam amidst the Kids Area chaos.The kids got their faces painted (um, that's a tiara)and had fun doing crafts under the tent.On Tuesday, came the joy that I will never have to clean this kitchen again, because as the day continued...the room disintegrated into this

then this,

then this.The kitchen demolition began and has continued through the week.

On Tuesday, my friend Angie and I started a kids summer activity effort, beginning with painting rocks masked with letters from their names. Each kid will get a set (it took me a while to get the paint sealed for the out of doors) when they're delivered. (We have since done a fireworks notebook and pen craft and a field trip/walk. Tomorrow, we're going to attempt making animal zipper pulls out of polymer clay).

Tuesday night, my friend Anisa stayed at our house with her kids. Our kids had a lot of fun together, like no time had passed. After bed time, Anisa and I got to do some scrapbooking...until her little boy woke up, his mouth full of blood. She finally took him and his little brother to the ER and I stayed up, in the fear that her oldest would come looking for her and find everyone gone. Since my craft room is right across from my guest room...I got a lot of pages finished! Anisa stumbled back in the door at 5:45 AM and she and the boys crashed. I got to sleep for an hour (thanks, Bryce) and got Brenner and my kids breakfast. After a reasonable rest, Anisa headed home to get her boy to the dentist (where the trouble originally started).

I basically stumbled through the rest of the day. Not well.

Cam started his new class that (Wednesday) night.

Thursday, Cam and I went to the Gallivan Center to see Toad the Wet Sprocket.

It was so awesome! Cam loves this band and he had a great grin on his face the whole time. He sang along (I did too, but) and we danced and jumped around with the crowd. Glen Phillips has such a great voice and was so gracious and down-to-earth. I really enjoyed myself.

I spent all Friday looking for a present for THIS WEDDING!

My little brother got married!

Ella and Addy were flower girls, my new nieces (the bride's daughters) are just behind them.

Eric and Stephanie make their vows.

The wedding, luncheon and reception were all at the house of a friend of Stephanie's parents.

Parents of the groom.

It was a wonderful, beautiful wedding. The rain had good timing. My brother is so happy with his new wife and new family. I think he's doing quite well with being insta-dad.

The new computer is here and installed and running well.

THANK HEAVEN!!!

I'm grateful to have the means to replace when it's time to do so, but nearly three weeks without a computer really sucked.

We had a lovely Easter Saturday and although I forgot my camera, my sister took this of all the grandkids
Yesterday we had dinner with Cameron's family. We don't get together enough and it's really great when we do. We also had a mini-birthday song and cake for me. The cutest thing about that was how excited my kids were to celebrate with me. Love those kiddos!

As for the Christmas to-do, I:

• remade the caramels, didn't kill the poinsettia, got gifts divvied up and crafty gifts finished
• absolutely didn't exercise, unless you count walking around in 4" heels for two days and /or Wii Bowling exercise.
• The kids didn't break any Christmas decor
• didn't keep our outside bird feeders filled, but they are filled now. Happy New Year's, birdies.
• You know I made three snowmen. I also made a Christmas mix CD with the kids. They have loved it.
• My husband's mother made the popcorn balls for her son. My kids and I made the dough for gingerbread men. Santa almost didn't get any treats.
• Cam and I managed two dates this month. HEAVEN!!! Saw "True Grit." Loved it.
• Ooh, that stinkin' Christmas garland. I made the templates and bought the felt for it. I guess I'll just have to make it myself. Or have the kids help me over the next year.
• did take more pictures of my kids, even if the lighting is bad, because they're so cute and they just keep growing.
• sang in my parents ward last Sunday. It (my voice) worked.
• snuggled with babies, kept the house somewhat sane and watched the original Grinch movie.
• gave my grandparents a present.
• got no sleep until Christmas night when Cam and I stayed at my grandma's house while the kids stayed at their grandma's house. We went to bed at 10. They went to bed at midnight.
• did get to the DI and my neighbor gifts were pretty easy. Everyone brought ours to us and we just did a quick swap. Note to self: payback is next year. Get them out first.
• read to the kids. I loved my time with them and am sad that our four weeks together is almost over. As always, though, I'm glad we get to end the season with a bang (New Years) and a Birthday (DANE!)
• We read Luke 2 before bed on Christmas Eve. All was calm, all was bright.

Today so far:

• I've been organizing the formerly-crashed computer back to a functional system. Once more, I am so grateful for a husband who 'gets' technology and we never have to deal with tec support.
• I removed decorations and dismantled (with the help of my kids) our smaller tree. I'm excited to have this main room in our family's life clean and functional again.
• I suggested that Cam give a Family Home Evening lesson tonight on Resolutions. I was feeling brave. Last year I was a fussy, pathetic pill about resolutions and so I promised to be good.
• I've been throwing out those extra hang-on goodies that fill counters at the end of the season. I even put the bags of candy my mom gave me right into the freezer for another time.

I adopted the 27 thing-fling from The Fly Lady years ago and I was 27 at the time. I have just increased the # in the exercise to match my current age.

I like writing up the occasional list on this blog. Just my thoughts or even a to-do is fun for me. I combined the two ideas, for a very long Christmas to-do list. Santa has his list, now I do too.The Christmas 34-To-Do:

1. Remake my mother's famous caramel recipe because the first batch turned out crunchy.
2. Keep the poinsettia from our good home teacher alive until January.
3. Keep up with the exercise...just enough to keep me moving.
4. Hang up the rest of the ornaments on the big tree now that I have more hooks for them.
5. Keep the kids from shattering the dearest-to-my-heart decoration.
6. Keep the birds fed.
7. Make a snowman with my kids, if it ever snows on a day other than Sunday.
8. Make a Christmas mix CD with my kids
9. Make popcorn balls for my husband
10. Make ginger bread cookies for Santa with my kids
11. Divide my purchases for Cameron to see what he's getting for his birthday vs. what he's getting for Christmas
12. Do the same thing for Dane
13. Go on a date with my husband that has nothing to do with Christmas (Did you know I'm actually willing to hire teen-aged baby-sitters now? One giant step for this mom...and her marriage)
14. Go on a date with my husband so I can pick out a bicycle. Santa's getting me one.
15. Get going on that garland I've been planning since October.
16. Teach kids (yep, even the boys) to simple embroidery so that we can decorate the above garland. It involves a lot of felt, cut into a lot of trees.
17. Take more pictures of my kids, even if the lighting is bad, because they're so cute and they just keep growing.
18. Decide (quickly!) on the version on O Holy Night to sing at my parents' ward later in the month.
19. Try my hand at a great appetizer I tasted the other day. It involves chopped cranberries, green onions, cilantro and jalapeno.
20. Snuggle with this baby (my nephew)
21. Snuggle with this baby (cuz her momma lets me)
22. Put together gifts for my brother and his family.
23. Keep the house in good condition
24. Watch holiday movies. I hope It's a Wonderful Life is on TV for Christmas Eve again. Nothing like crying and wrapping at the same time.
25. Better remember my grandma for Christmas. She gives so much and sometimes I forget to be more than the spoiled girl always on the receiving end.
26. Get sleep.
27. Embrace the calories that will come into my life if when I don't get that sleep. (Hey Dr. Pepper)
28. Go to the beach. (Bryce threw that one in. I'll go in my dreams)
29. Finish Zealand's sweater
30. Whip up scarves for Dane and Bryce using my yarn stash.
31. Take our gently used items to the D.I. to make room for this year.
32. Deliver neighbor gifts
33. Read to my kids a lot
34. Read from the Gospel of Luke with my family, remembering the Savior together.

There you have it. Now, I think I'd best be getting on to one of those thing-flings myself and clean my house!

I did my first Black Friday shopping this year.
I had a lot of fun. I wanted to go along with my mom and her sisters and my cousins. The sisters dropped out and so did all cousins but Brandon (who rocks) and I added my friend Angie (she's the reason I didn't die on the way home from Utah county).

We started at 10 PM on Thursday night at Toys R Us. This turned out to be a STUPID mistake. It was ridiculous there. CHAOS. After the line moved no more than 5 ft in 20 minutes, it was time to leave.
We met my mom and cousin in Payson's Wal-Mart. We shopped, dodged, snatched, lined up, waited, nibbled, shopped, drank Dr. Pepper, played cards and shopped the night away.

After hitting Target and Kohl's we were done and had been shopping for 12 hours by then. I honestly was having a hard time standing. After breakfast at Denny's we drove my mom home then headed back to Salt Lake. Angie had to drive the whole of Bangerter because I was not going to make it.

However, I had such a great time. We bought what we came for (and a lot more). It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be and I am totally up for next year!

What do you wanna bet that she doesn't sit down the whole meal?
My great-grandmother never sat down during family dinners. My grandmother never does. My mother and her sisters are the same. Looks like it was passed down from long ago.

You see, my grandma and great aunts have always been proud of the fact that we have ancestors that came over on the Mayflower in 1620.
In fact, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem The Courtship of Miles Standish is about my ancestors John and Priscilla Alden. Miles Standish was too shy to give an offer of marriage to Priscilla himself, so he had his good friend John Alden give her a letter containing a proposal. Little did Mr. Standish know that John was already quite taken with Priscilla himself (at least that's how I remember it going).

Anyway, below is the Merrie Melodies version of the tale entitled "The Hardship of Miles Standish." It's pretty funny. Elmer Fudd plays John Alden.



Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

I am so glad Halloween is over. I love that Cam wanted to dress up, but sometimes I get myself in too deep because it makes me happy to do things for him.

Cameron was Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series and I was Bellatrix LeStrange from the same. Bryce was Buzz Lightyear, Dane was a tiger again and Ella was a fairy of her own design. At least, Cam and I can wear our stuff to the final two Harry Potter films' midnight showings, right?Now that Halloween is over, what is next on your list?

I was in the mood to pull out a little Christmas last night. I KNOW, I know this is a crazy thing, but I have two huge trees and if I'm going to go to all that work, I'd like it to last a bit longer. So, one tree is out and assembled. I'm taking the decorating slowly, but just having it out makes me feel ahead of the game.
I'm singing at the funeral of a sweet lady on Thursday. She was my final great-great aunt, my great-grandmother's baby sister. She will definitely be missed. This puts practicing on my list.

I'm glad to have Thanksgiving figured out. My house. Cam's parents. The end. This I can handle. I'm pretty good at making that turkey. My secret.

Somewhere in all this, I'm excited to welcome my friend's new baby when she gets here. Yipee! Hopefully, Mom can hang in there?

Crafts I'm working on all include crocheting so far and that is relaxing. Hopefully, it can stay that way.

So, what's next for you?
Here's a little Z to finish up. He was Santa Claus for Halloween. The funny part is that he didn't even flinch when Aunt Bellatrix picked him up and he was making funny faces and cute dances for Uncle Snape all night.

Neighborhoods are filling up with haunting Halloween decor.

The stores have all turned black and orange with purple accents inside.

Do you do Halloween big or small?

Are you dressing up this year or not?

What about your significant other?

It's funny how cool I get about Halloween once Cameron decides he wants to participate. I mentioned before that he wants to be Professor Snape from Harry Potter.

This is what I have to sew, but I don't care because he wants to have fun!

My friend Angie and I are taking our youngest two to Gardener Village today to see the witches they have displayed all over the place (and maybe get some fudge...uuuhhhhh...fudge). I'm really looking forward to some Halloween fun!

Last question: If you've already bought your Halloween candy...how much of it have you eaten?

TRADITION!In Provo, UT each year we go to America's Freedom Festival. We start the day before 6 AM and arrive for the hot air balloon release. They fill them up all around the spectators. We eat breakfast and the kids wear their pajamas.

This year the Maynes family joined us for our crazy idea of fun. Bryce pretty much sat with them the whole time and awaits the time when Jeff and Angie will formally adopt him. Too bad I like him too much to let that happen.

Next we hit the parade and all that comes with it.

Two crazy monkeys

This was my favorite float

After the parade the kids got their faces painted, patiently waiting in line. My kids had never done face painting (Halloween excepted and then only by me)

Cam and Bryce watching the reptile show The kids were so crazy the whole time so we had a pizza eating contest just so they'd get their lunch down. Dane won by a tiny margin over Lyndsi.

The pieces were huge, as you can see from Sophie's piece.

It was a very full, fun day. And the irony of fireworks? Cam was finally willing to buy them, but we were too exhausted to bother. Happy Independence Day!