I love opera. It moves me so that I become a jiggly mass of Jello.
I love those soprano arias and long to do it myself. I'm ready to take on voice lessons everytime I hear Renee Flemming and her ilk raise soaring notes to the heavens.
I've been listening to an opera-based station on Pandora and I have learned a few minor things...

• Pavarotti really is amazing. Not just a parody of the typical tenor, he is the tenor.

• Puccini is quite recognizable the more you get to know his work. It begins to stand out in a crowd (La Boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly)


• Turandot is an opera I have to see. I heard of it first from reading a children's book of the same title. Nessun Dorma (lyrics translation following) should be listened to after reading the book. It floors me.

Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!

So it's snowing...a lot.

I'm not going anywhere so I'm sharing some recent happenings around here in reverse order.


I locked myself and the kids out of the house this morning without phone, wallet and well, keys. I was just walking across the street to participate in visiting teaching and as soon as I shut the door I knew. My saintly partner drove me to friend Angie's house who sadly wasn't home. Then I had my partner drive me to Wal-Mart grocery store. Can you believe she lent me some money, just in case? I figured we wouldn't be a burden on anyone and we could find something to entertain us, IE finding letters, numbers, colors...while waiting for Cameron's meeting to end so that he could come help is get back in. About 7 minutes into our Wal-Mart adventure, I realize there is no way that I'm going to keep them occupied for an hour and a half here (yeah, insert "duh"). Then I turn around and see my saintly friend Angie walking up the aisle with her kids. I'm sure my eyes bulged out all cartoon-like, knowing that I had just been very blessed because not only did she take us into her home, but she fed us lunch too. I know that "this is what friends are for" (as she kept telling me), but it sure is humbling and I feel so grateful. I'm also grateful I can give my visiting teaching partner her money back and didn't need to use it.

Ok, I also locked myself out of my house last night, too. Cam was home and answered the door after I pounded a bit. I was practicing for the Christmas program on Sunday with the aforementioned Angie. Boy, she's been helping me out a lot!

Yesterday was Sunday and a good day. My primary kids sang so well and they appreciated the Hershey's bribery. I also got to see my little sister who had me take pictures of her with her dog. They turned out cute. She's so beautiful.

Then my mom came up to see my kids. They sure do love Gwama Cindy!
Saturday became Mom and Boys day for me and Daddy/Daughter day for Cam. Between normal errands and all the craziness of Christmas errands we divided and conquered. Cam and Ella also baked yummy Craisin/white chocolate chip cookies together. However, we started the day out by taking family pictures for Christmas cards much to my family's chagrin (which shows plainly on some of their faces in the photo).

Friday Cameron and I did something I thought would never happen...we sang together...in public...in performance capacity. I've never been so happy in my life. What a treasured memory! He did so awesomely and even sang a verse of Silent Night/Stille Nacht alone and in German.

The rest of the week I enjoyed time with my family. I love having Dane off-track and home.

We're simply too too excited for next week! We have fun stuff planned, it's Cameron's birthday and of course, Christmas Eve/Day!!! Yay! This is the most wonderful time of the year even if it is 29 degrees Fahrenheit

Dane's school held their first grader Christmas Concert last night. It was so adorable and really quite entertaining. I loved it!

They all sang many songs together, then Dane's class sang "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Up on the Housetop" by themselves. Dane was supposed to bring antlers to wear for the performance. He made them by himself, without ANY help from me. He made a hat band out of cardboard, got two sticks from outside and taped them to the band. I knew that most of the kids would have those adorable stuffed and decorated antlers, but I just couldn't take that away from Dane. He didn't care. He was proud of them and I was so proud of him. He really likes to use his own ideas.

As part of the decor, each child decorated a paper stocking. Each had the name of the child across the top. As we were trying to find Dane's he says "My stocking has my name going down, instead of across the top, and it has a jedi knight on it, too." Like I said...his own ideas and I am thrilled, but not surprised.

We videoed most of it, though we didn't have a good angle at all.

During a slide show presentation of some class activities, Bryce and Ella really began to enjoy themselves and began dancing in the aisle. Yes, more Bryce dancing, but (or should I say butt) this is a lot funnier than the previous one.

Nevermind that my husband was out at 4 AM on Black Friday shopping, the real season began on Saturday when we built the fake tree. I actually like doing this with the kids.












Cam got the lights on, then I did more shopping and then finally the next day, after church, we got to put the ornaments on the tree.

Here's a before shot taken by Dane. Oops! Looks like Bryce absorbed the flash.




We start with the crocheted snow flakes and then we tell the kids about the first ornament we bought as a couple and why it was our first and why it goes on the tree first.










It is a carved, olive wood Nativity inside a bell shape. We put it at the heart of the tree to remind us that Christ is at the center of our Christmas celebration.

After that we get the rest of the ornaments on the tree as fast as I can unwrap and unbox them.

Here is the 'after'.

Yes, we are missing the star or angel on top. This week, we are getting a new tree topper. One with lights. I'm voting for a really cool star. We'll see if I get my way.

By the way, if you got a chuckle out of this post, then you should know I'm on the program for another one today. You'll be missed, Uncle Bob! xoxxx

I am sure that many of you have heard of The Wedding Singer. The only charming movie made by Adam Sandler in the comedy genre.

Anyway, part of me hesitates on posting this subject as I don't want to come across as disrespectful, but I don't know anyone that has sung at more funerals of people they don't know than I have. I have sung at funerals of people I loved dearly as well, but don't you find the former fact odd? Thus I have often dubbed myself:

The Funeral Singer



I have sung the funerals of:

• two of my great-grandmothers
• a dear, life-time friend
• my husband's cousin
• both of my step-grandfather's parents
• my mother's friend's ex-husband
• my little sister's 'adopted' grandmother
• my great, great aunt by marriage
• my step-grandfather's sister's boyfriend's daughter

There are seriously some odd ones in here, I know.

Some of the songs I remember singing:

• Where is Heaven?
• Daddy's Hands
• Somewhere My Love (theme from Doctor Zhivago)
• I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus
• Song to the Siren
• Bridge Over Troubled Water
• How Great Thou Art

The best thing about singing at funerals is the wonderful and comforting spirit there, knowing that through Christ we will all live again. I've never really found a funeral boring. I have loved learning about others lives through those who loved them best.

You know, I've sung at weddings too, but the pay is not worth it. I guess I can't stand thinking that I might ruin someone's wedding, but when you're dead...you're really not going to say anything, are you? And I prefer doing it for free...no one is going to pay you to sing at a funeral.

Friday:
Met my aunt Suzanne, my cousin Summer and her son Gabe at Gardner Village. Shopped a bit and fed the ducks, but oddly only took pics of us. I took 13 photos of this pose and this is the best one? Yep. These two are tired of looking at this camera in their cute faces.

Snacked on Oreo cookies ===>

The kids loved the kissing sound the koi made as they ate pieces of bread.


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Friday evening: Summer and I did a fun photo shoot together. (she stayed at my house)

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Saturday: The Adams Family Reunion (oh, you know you're already humming the TV theme and snapping your fingers...) This is my dad's mom's family.

After breakfast, the kids began to build rockets of paper and foam to be launched over and over again.

And i think it's gonna be a long long time till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think i am at home

Oh no no no i'm a rocket man

Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

As we were doing the rockets, lunch, the pinata, the waterslide, and tie-dyed shirts, Cameron went with my dad, my uncle, my dad's cousin (younger than me) and two of my great uncles on a foolishly long hike and they about killed themselves and came back completely exhausted...and hungry. We packed it up shortly after that (7:30 PM now) and we all fell into bed before 10 and slept hard!

You've gotta click on these photos for a bigger version. They're pretty cute!

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Sunday: Summer came to church with us, then we went down to my parents house. Attending were: my family of five, Grandma & Grandpa Mortensen (with me, here), my uncle Dennis, Suzanne, Summer and Gabe, my aunt Carrie and her grandson Dillon, my uncle Tad & aunt Grace, Leanne, Kristen, Ciara, my brother's family of four, Mandy, Jonathan, and my grandpa's brother Val and his wife Diane. FULL HOUSE!

Summer and I did a bit of scrapbooking as well as an impromptu concert at Uncle Val's request. I sang I Stand All Amazed then Summer sang You'll Never Walk Alone. We then reprised a song we sang for my grandparents farewell back in 1999, a powerful arrangement of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief (which Summer amazingly remembered the descant). The spirit was so strong there and beautiful. I haven't started choking up during a song for a long time.

I love when my dad's family gets together. There's always guaranteed to be some kind of interesting gospel discussion going on and I was not disappointed. It's such a blessing to have these folks in my life and in my family. What a blessed weekend! We missed you, Eric!