Party With the Girls!!

Are you interested in renting a theater on Friday, Nov 21 to see TWILIGHT? Email me and I will forward you the details!!! It should cost $10 per person and that includes one of those snazzy kid "meals".

A few thoughts before the election

In just two years. Remember the election in 2006? Thought you might like to be aware of the following:
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.

Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.95 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5.5% (a 25% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.7 trillion in equity value evaporate
(stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.5 trillion dollars;
6) 3% of American homes are in foreclosure.
America voted for change in 2006, and BOY did we get it!

Remember it's Congress that makes law not the President. He has to work
with what's handed to him.
Quote of the Day........'My friends, we live in the greatest nation in
the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to
change it. ' -- Barack Obama

A Few Interesting Facts

So, for those of you who don't know me really well, I am VERY conservative - politically speaking (and probably most other ways, too). However, as right winged as I think I am (or as right-winged as my husband says I am) I find I am on the far left compared to my family. We can't quite figure out where this conservative-ism came from (after all for the first 13 years of my life my dad was a card totin' union labor member - but Mom, well, that's a different story...her first national election had her voting for Nixon over Kennedy)...But I guess when the govenrment taxes the heck out of you things gotta change. Anyhow, my brothers, sister and I are proud of saying that we've voted in every national election and just about every local election, too. Harry Reid knows my email address (and probably deletes any message with my name on it). I even did some work for the Republican Party, receive Christmas cards from George and Laura, AND I have the "6" and "0" candles from Mitt Romney's birthday cake (he celebrated his 60th birthday at a fundraiser here in the valley. How I got them is a long story and involves my stake president - kind of- but I guess they're not worth much since he dropped out of the presidential primaries). OK, long blog short...here's some interesting facts to think about (especially if you're not sure who you're voting for in November)
What do the top ten cities with the highest poverty rate all have in common?
*Democrat leadership.

*Detroit**, MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961;
Buffalo, NY** (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954;
Cincinnati**, OH** (3rd) ... since 1984
Cleveland**, OH** (4th) ... since 1989;
Miami**, FL** (5th) has never had a Republican Mayor;
St. Louis**, MO** (6th) ... since 1949;
El Paso**, TX** (7th) has never had a Republican Mayor;
*Milwaukee**, WI** (8th) ... since 1908;
Philadelphia**, PA** (9th) ... since 1952;
Newark**, NJ** (10th) ... since 1907.
Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing>the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
*It is the disadvantaged who habitually elect Democrats - yet remained disadvantaged
What makes America Great is NOT government, it is the hard working people and the constitution.

Summer in a Nut Shell

Wow!! Where does the time go? It seems as though summer came and went in less than a week. Some things that happened since my last post: Seth went to scout camp. Hannah and I went to girls' camp for a day to do service projects with the entire stake. The kids and I went camping at the beach with my parents and my sister and her 2 kids. Hannah and I drove back to Idaho. I stayed with Hannah for a couple of days and met 2 of her latest boyfriends (old news now, of course. She's starting her own reality show called "Next" - lol). Sydnee performed in 2 violin recitals (one was a hoe-down and the other her "trophy recital"). Brent and I went with the YW from our ward to St. George to do tours, temple baptisms and see Les Mis. Seth and Sydnee started school again.
The trip to the beach was one of those never to be forgotten experiences. Not only was it the first time my kids have camped with my parents, but also there were TOO many hilarious stories. Security guards in the middle of the night, children beaten by waves, Marley's first experience with s'mores and phones in the ocean are things we'll always remember and laugh about. Oh, I LOVE summer and family!
A few weeks later my mom and sister and her kids came to Vegas to watch my brother's kids while he and his wife went to Alaska for a week. We swam and played every day. We went to Little Pastry Chefs and decorated cookies and cupcakes. What a mess!!! Sydnee went back 2 weeks later with our wonderful friend, Amy. When she got home Sydnee said, "Mom, I think it's my cousins who are messy. I only got a tiny spot of frosting on my apron this time." When we went with our cousins we were COVERED with frosting. (How do you get frosting under your arm?) More great memories!!!
OK - violin recital- Syd is AMAZING! I can't wait to see what the future holds for her. We are so lucky to have found the world's greatest violin and piano teacher.
Seth recently told me I don't have a sense of humor. That's so sad, because I think I'm very funny. It's good to hear what your kids think - sometimes. I know I get too caught up in the little details and sometimes forget to enjoy the moment. Sadly, my response was, "Well, if everyone would help me, maybe I'd have time to laugh." not really- I didn't say that. What I wanted to say is that I've already heard those same jokes a million times (he called LVA LV Gay- come on, that's pretty old). But this was a gentle reminder to me to LIVE and LOVE THE MOMENT! I guess that's the secret to life...but of course, I have to learn that lesson again and again and again!!!
So, enjoy today. Go out and laugh with your kids. Tickle them, laugh at their old, silly jokes and revel in their discoveries (did you know that you overeat when you're tired? I've learned that and a million other brain facts from Seth's excitement over his science class this week).

Breaking Dawn "Party"

Hannah, Syd and I went to B & N for the BD release party. I had put my name on 2 different lists (B & N and Borders) so we got the red bracelets. What an adventure. We felt like we were at the circus or something. Poor Hannah, who has been living in Idaho for 9 weeks, forgot the wide aray of unusual personalities we have in our metropolis (wow - multi-syllabic word choice). If you want a good laugh, ask one of us about our experience.
Friday morning I flew to Idaho and then Hannah and I drove the nearly 10 hours to get home, brush our teeth and make it in time to get our books. We LOVED the final book....what about you?

Where's the Party?

I am TOO excited about BD this Friday!!!! I talked with Lisa R. about plans for a big celebration. She's doing a vampire prom theme (what does an overweight 40+ year old wear to a vampire prom?) - and hitting both borders and B&N. Deseret Book cancelled their midnight opening, sad, sad. Hannah and I will be driving down from Rexburg but we won't miss the midnight release.

On a side note, I am really going to try to add a few more 2 and 3 syllable words to my vocabulary. My one syllable 100 words can only go so far. So, if you have any big, important sounding words, let me know so I can sound educated (hey, for the record, I did go to BYU on an academic scholarship). Jori has already contributed "useless" so I'm up to 101!

I Love My Husband

I was looking through old pictures (since Syd and I are scrapbooking today). It is a GREAT thing to look back and see the changes that have come in 21 years of marriage. We were so (relatively) young back in 1987!!! Anyway, short post, but I LOVE my husband. That is definitely something he doesn't hear enough. We get so busy in running our daily life - and this year has been the busiest for him- that we don't always take time to sit and stare into each other's eyes like we used to.
O.k. so I had to post this picture with the $250 football he bought at our ward auction. Brent is so generous with those he loves that rarely does he do something nice for himself. It was good to finally get him something that he really wanted (and as you can tell, he was thrilled to receive it). so, honey, just a quick note to say I love you and I'm thankful everyday for all you do!!!

An Almost Empty Nest

Seth left for 8 days of scout camp this morning at 5 a.m. (How did I EVER survive four years of early morning seminary???). Hannah is staying in Idaho to work all summer, so that leaves Sydnee all to her lonesome. We have some fun girly things planned for this week - lunch at Mimi's, watching the Nancy Drew movie and going to see the American Girl movie "Kit". We also want to do some scrapbooking and hopefully begin to redecorate her room. It is so quiet at our house!!!!

Oh, and Cedar City was FABULOUS! Sydnee had a wonderful time. She got to see Taming of the Shrew, go on a backstage tour, shop and, of course, perform. Brent and I had a lot of fun, too. I LOVE the flowers in Utah. Darn this hot climate!!!! I can barely keep my grass and palm trees alive - I guess the tradeoff is our pretty mild winters. I'll take the lack of flowers to the snow anytime!!!

And finally, Hannah, what is this about blue darts? I thought those only existed in junior high school novels???? Is this what our money is paying for?? LOL. I'm glad you're having fun.

Shakespeare by Elementary Students?????

Sydnee just finished the second performance of Twelfth Night at our elementary school. The drama teacher has proven again that she deserves a raise. Next week the children will be performing at the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City. Sydnee has some serious talent!!! One of my greatest joys is watching my children discover things they are passionate about; Sydnee is passionate about acting and violin. Hannah is passionate about music (especially singing, of course). Seth is 13 - are teenagers passionate about anything? Well, he is probably most passionate about school work. He is a perfectionist when it comes to grades (although he did miss a couple of assignments this year- for the FIRST time in his life- really, that makes me happy- I want him to enjoy school more and worry less). Now that makes me wonder, WHAT am I passionate about?????

OK, OK, I Give IN!!!!

I LOVE to look at blogs!! I spend way too much time on the computer reading blogs of people I don't even know. Of course, most of them leave me depressed - "I should do that with my kids" I think to myself. I think this will be a good blog for normal people - not supermoms!!!- a place where people can stop by and visit and then leave feeling happy. They'll smile and say, "Hey, her kids are AMAZING and she's no super woman. I can do that!" So yep, ladies (and gentlemen) you don't have to be super woman to have great kids (heck, your house doesn't even have to be clean and you don't even have to make beautiful homemade cards or yummy cupcakes - all 3 things I desperately want); you just gotta love those cute kiddos-because they don't stay little for long (weeps heavily as she thinks of her growing kids!).