Joke of the day

Hazel has started wearing her sweatshirt to school in the mornings!
The current temp (7AM) is 84.

I am Me!

Today at church we had a presentation about the "I am a mormon"publicity campaign. We watched a few of the video clips about people who are members of the church.  They are well done.  We were encouraged to submit our own profile.  It is an interesting opportunity to reflect on who I am and how that relates to what I believe and who I hope to become.  I feel a little plain next to the cool video clips, well decorated homes, and well chosen music.  I once submitted an essay to This I Believe.  When I was writing it I felt empowered.  When they sent me a letter saying that it was not chosen to "spotlight" I felt plain.   I do sometimes wonder if I am leaving the world any better than I found it.  I hope so.  I did submit a profile, it takes a few weeks for it to go through the screening process.  I wonder if it will just seem plain to people who read it.  I once had a friend tell me that Mormons are too extreme.  I have a hard time thinking that my plain life is extreme.  I suppose that not drinking and smoking are not the norm.  I freely admit that 7 kids is going a bit far for some people.  I don't feel "cultish" or "weird".  I feel confident and secure.  On second thought, I do feel a bit extreme... Extremely blessed.  Extremely Happy!

Da Bomb!

So I think the party was Da Bomb and so was the cake!  It was a Pirate themed Murder Mystery Party with a cake that looked like a bomb complete with a lit fuse.  The party was surprisingly easy to put on and the kids had a fun time.  Sydney did the host job and really enjoyed it.  Abby and Rebekah dressed up crazy and greeted the partiers out front.  We served Rum in 3 flavors: Vanilla, Cherry, and Root.  We just used IBC and Abby relabeled them.  All these nice Mormon kids thought it was pretty funny to ask for more rum. The costumes were great.  All in all there was much laughing and eating.  My idea of success.  I hope we do it again soon! 

Forever Soccer

This is the report on Abby's game 1 this season.  This is not Abby it is Christian, but it was taken during Abby's game.  I think he is a pretty handsome kid! 

Kenneth was gone on a campout with the scouts.  Abby and Nate's game were at the same time on adjacent fields.  I watched 1/2 of Nate's game and then I watched 1/2 of Abby's game.  It was nice to see that she is still playing with her usual fury.  She did play keeper one quarter.  She did score the one point her team made.

Game #1

Rebekah hasn't played soccer since Kindergarden.  Saturday was her first game!  She was A-Mazing.  She happens to be the biggest on her team this year and so has many advantages.  Her coach had her playing defense and she was doing really well.  Fourth quarter the score was 8 to 2.  The Ref came by and told our coach to do something about it.  "What do you want me to do?" "I don't know, move your defense to offense."  So Rebekah was moved forward.  She scored the last point of the game by running through the pack of girls,  bringing the ball out with her and kicking it right past the keeper.  Way to go Rebekah!

Nate's 1st Soccer Game

NATE's 1'st   soccer game.

 We had to split up.  It was hard to keep the ball away from the other team.

 I almost kept kicking the ball out of my teams grasp.

                                           

I almost kicked a goal.

It was the hardest game of my life.

The End.

The Great Unveiling

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  In this case I think that the immensity of my thoughts must be great (or perhaps the photos extraordinarily bad) because they are far greater than what an image can capture.   Let me begin at the beginning.  We have new marching band uniforms.   I help on the uniform committee, and there has been different stress this year getting the band outfitted.  I love getting to know the kids better and seeing them work so hard on their show.  They change so dramatically over the season.  Friday night was the "public debut" of the new uniforms.  The band was just marching to the stadium as we were arriving, so we stood and watched.  Truman came by with his sousa on his shoulder and I was surprised at how impressive they were in appearance as well as demeanor.  Here is what the band director said, and I couldn't agree more.  "while the audience was captivated by the new look, it was the commanding presence that each of you assumed in uniform that profoundly impressed me."  The other component is the really grainy photo below.  Christian is the one in the center of the picture.  I was remembering his performances as a freshman, there was a hint of uncertainty.  He was a little uncomfortable looking; in his uniform, in the stands, at his instrument and with the dancing and moving with the music.  Two years later he is at home.  He looks sharp in his uniform, he is the instigator of dancing, he is at one with his marimba.

So as I stood in the stands watching my little boys become men, I wanted to shout out: Those are my boys! Aren't they Amazing!

The Lioness

Abby had an awesome mane of hair today!  It was "much more...muchier" after a day loose at school, but we forgot to photograph it then.

Sydney Soccer Stud

Sydney is playing soccer this year again.  It will most likely be her last year because soccer and Marching Band conflict.  I love to watch my beautiful long legged girl run with her long braid swinging.  She is so different from I was at this age.  She is so confident and outgoing.  She joins clubs and plays sports, she wears clothes without worrying about what everyone will think.  I didn't actually see the game in the photos, I was at Nate's practice.  Kenneth reported that she played the whole game and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran!  I am so proud.

THE Ninja Arrives

My new blender arrived.  This morning there was some serious banana milkshake making going on.  The Ninja blender didn't bat an eye at 8 bananas, fistfuls of ice and several large scoops of vanilla (with a fudge ribbon) ice cream.  The entertainment level makes me rethink my netflix account!

This is Truman (below).  He was not on the same side of the island as the other kids so I took his picture separately.

Is it still "sweet" 16 if you are a boy?

We celebrated his birthday by going to the zoo without him.  ( He had other plans)  We went swimming and had his birthday dinner (Spicy chicken sandwiches, homemade fries, and corn on the cob).  We had cake and opened presents, then he and Truman were off to a church dance.  He reported that he had a fun time.  The girls (who were at the dance with them) say that he danced with more girls than last time!

Christian requested mint chocolate chip icing on his chocolate cake.  Kenneth said it couldn't be done.  What better motivation.  It was so perfect that Hazel was convinced that it was actually ice cream.

 I finally finished the quilt that I started at Christmas.  Charlotte and Kenneth helped me tie it on Friday. He liked it.  Hooray!

Phoenix Zoo

We went to the zoo with Kenneth's sister and Brother-in-law and their family. It was Christian's birthday and I thought that would be much fun.  However, his busy schedule wouldn't allow it.  Christian and Truman had a leadership conference at the high school.

Abby in front of the African Savanna.

Rebekah and the komodo dragon.

Hazel at the elephant enclosure.

And Nate, also elephant.

Addison looking out a faux tree, with a real cracker.

Sydney and the spider monkeys.

Madam Secretary

Abby and her friends decided to run for student council, but they didn't want to run against each other so they all chose different offices.  Abby decided to run for secretary.  She had a great speech and an awesome poster.  The day after the election she called me from school and reported that she didn't win.  Sadly disappointed.  When she got home I remembered to ask about the friends, no one of them got elected.  Resilient as ever "It's ok mom.  We started a club called 'people who didn't win'."  Now they all have to run against each other for class representative...

Blender Burn Up

Situation #1.  I have a personal problem with bananas. Sunday mornings when there are bananas in the house, Kenneth and the kids make banana milkshakes.   I can see why people would like them, but I can't eat them.   YUCK!

Situation #2.  I have a personal problem with blenders.  I burn them up faster than normal people.

Situation #3.  I am frustrated enough by situation 2 that last July (2010)  when I burned up another,  I researched a good blender.  Cooks Illustrated called it their best buy blender.  I bought one and smelled ozone 2 months later.  I called them and they said it was covered by a 1 year warrantee.  All I had to do was ship it to them and they would repair it or send me another one.  The shipping was almost half the price of the blender.  I got a new one in the mail from them 2 months later.

Situation #4.  Banana milkshakes Aug 21st got the better of the blender just 2 months after the warrantee was up.

Situation #5.  I am at costco and see a manly looking Cuisinart blender (we [I say "we" now because it wasn't me this time] haven't burned up this brand yet).  It has bigger jar and 700 Watts of power and a smoothie setting.   I make an observation to Kenneth that it is sad to have no blender and the one at Costco looks promising.

Situation #6.  It was my birthday and I was lucky to receive a cool Cuisinart blender, but the one in my lap is only 600 Watts.

Solution #1. The next day I sneak out to exchange the blender.  The very manly blender I desire is not there! I knew better.  Every time I see something at Costco that I really want and don't buy, it isn't there when I go back.  The nice guy checks in the computer and it doesn't exist.  I tell him my story and he looks again and discovers that it is only available online.  "maybe someone bought it online and then didn't like it and returned it to the store so we only had the one to sell. sorry..."

Solution #2.  I come home and find the 7oo Watt at Costco.com , darn it was more expensive than the one  at the store.  I looked it up on Amazon.com and it was the same price but with no tax. I checked for other deals while I was at it and found the "Ninja" blender.  There it was refurbished, in my price range and with 1000 Watts power.

Now: I checked the tracking number and it left New Jersey Friday.  I am anxious to see a demonstration of its 6 blade ninja technology.  Perhaps I will buy some bananas...