Final Performance Night

Cute picture, but I was feeling terrible when Peter took it.

The final night of the Stake Musical I came down with yet another bladder infection--argh
I took some over the counter meds to get me through the night. They made me so sick I was sure I would barf sometime during the performance. Note to self: take meds with food.

Gratefully I held out long enough to survive it. Peter had not seen the play yet, and I wanted go with him.

Feeling like crud, I completely forgot flowers. We were there an hour early to get front row seats and when I remembered Peter left to the florist down the street.
They were closed, but prom was the following day so they were still there and were kind enough to open the door for him and make him a couple of small arrangements.
Brownie points for Peter.

Rebecca's best buds

John's 5th Birthday

We opted for the family party because we spent more money on presents this year. John got a whole bunch of pirate stuff from Playmobile--my favorite brand of toys.
He also got a new bike (and a helmet from Captain Safety Dad).
We had cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory with a couple of candles stuck in it.
We all had a great day and spent the next few days assembling toys!

I tried to convince the kids I slaved over this cake myself,
but the little paper dividers kind of gave me away . . .

Surprise!

5 balloons for 5 years--awwww
Is it wrong for me to feel that with my youngest being five, I've finally arrived?

101th post!

Day at the park

Stake Musical

Our stake has had the most incredible musical. Never would I have thought my kids could be involved with something like this. It is fantastic. This area is so culturally saturated in music and dance and art. I can't believe in one stake they could have so many performers. Not just people who can sing, but people that are actually musically trained! Even young kids!

I nominated myself the unofficial photographer and took photos of all the acts at the first dress rehearsal.
Some of the acts included "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof, "Go Go Joseph" from Joseph and the Technicolor Coat, "Who I am" from Wicked, "We go Together" from Grease, "16 going on 17" from Sound of Music, a fantastic duet from Phantom of the Opera, "Somewhere over the Rainbow" from Wizard of Oz, "Circle of Life" from Lion King, "One Day More" from Les Miserables, etc.

My girls were in a song from my favorite movie of all time--"Annie." They did "Hard Knock Life" which also happens to be my favorite song from that movie. I have seen the show 4 or 5 times and can't wait to go again.
Check out the pics on the bottom of this blog if you like.

Laugh until you cry

Darling Lily came to visit me this week. She was witness to my panic-before-finals and the last week of the tax season. Hello stress.

She provided me with some much needed comic relief. She introduced to me totally new phrases and killed me with her dry sense of humor. We watched movies and cried a lot. She sobbed during "Marley and Me." I sobbed in "Fried Green Tomatoes" (even though I've seen it like 20 times.)
We watched Extreme Home Makeover and cried some more. Then, when we were finally done crying, we found ourselves laughing until we cried.


We had fun. We didn't get out much, but we really had fun.

2002 was one of the worst years of my life. I had my first experience with serious depression, mom died miserably, we had some major financial setbacks, and then my most beloved and vibrantly alive grandma just went to sleep one night and didn't wake up.
At the time I felt nothing good could possibly come of that year.

But I guess life brings the good with the bad. That was also the year dad married Linda--the most stabilizing factor our family has ever had.
And Linda brought Lily.
:)

Drawing

This picture is one John did on Sunday.
Apparently for him, the Holy Ghost is a pretty spooky concept.
(Notice all the people in the picture running in fear)
Being that I am his primary teacher, I don't think I did my job.

I feel like drawing is a strong point for my boys particularly.
This did NOT come from their mom.
My mom, yes, their dad, yes, their uncles, yes. No way from me though.

Nathaniel has been taking art at the Junior High this term and one day he came home with this picture (which I had to sneak to see--arghh.) Sometime later I was looking at something and I saw this photo of Grace Kelly and knew it had to be the one Nathaniel used to draw this.
I asked Nathaniel if he knew who it was and he said "some old movie star."

Shhhh... don't tell him I put this on my blog.

Rebecca's 2nd grade class

Spring has not quite sprung

Can you find the "Y" on the mountain?
(I can't find it either and I took the picture--but its there,
in the snow . . . somewhere)

The bell tower that I pass everyday--In case I forget that I am once again late for my class it reminds me with annoying regularity.

Peter recently sent these to me for . . . well, nothing in particular--

There was an amazing note attached to it,
but I don't think he would want me to share:)

I'll say this much--
It was good.

Achievement Days

Recently the Achievement Day girls had an activity about temples. I volunteered to be the designated photographer just so I could set my new camera up on that tripod practice.
I was surprised to be the only mom with two girls in AD right now in our ward--
Heck, I'm still surprised I ended up with any girls at all!