The Queen has Spoken

The Invisible Bridge

2011-12-30T18:44:00.001-05:00

Today, I finished reading The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer.

What an incredible book.

It is definitely a saga - just over 750 pages - but very engaging and readable.

It's the story of Andras Levi, a Hungarian Jew who travels to Paris to study architecture. While there, he falls in love with another Hungarian, but they have to flee Paris due to the rise of Hitler.

In Hungary, they try and put their lives back together but that is increasingly difficult given the political situation.

I had never read about Hungary before and so it was fascinating. I had especially never read about Hungarian Jews and their plight during the horrible time leading up to and during World War II. This book has it all, romance, heartache, history, hope. I highly recommend it.

(Circe - I kept thinking of you. Paris.... ballet.... I think you'd like it. Although ever since "Room", I'm nervous ;)

Christmas Part 3

2011-12-30T18:41:00.000-05:00

We got to continue celebrating with family at

Chris (Brad's younger brother) and Pam's home.

Here he is with Grammy Linda.

Auntie Jayne and Grammy Linda

The incredible yule log.

The 26th, we headed into the Boston Copley Marriott with my parents.

We had a great view north to the Charles River and Cambridge.

We saw the 360 production of Peter Pan. They set up their

theater-in-the-round on City Hall Plaza. Very good.

Fun media that we hadn't seen before.

We got a doggie - Dexter. He is a chiweenie which is a

Chihuahua Daschund (weiner dog) mix. He is so good.

He is a rescue from Alabama that we are really enjoying.

My mom held him for about 30 seconds which is

huge for her.

I'm not convinced he knows he is a dog but he is doing really well

with potty training.

Thank goodness.

He is a snuggler.

I'm not sure what is going to happen

when the kiddos have to head back to

school on Tuesday.

Christmas Part 2

2011-12-30T18:38:00.000-05:00

We came home and my parents oversaw one of their famous

treasure hunts.

Below: Rare sight.

Darnit.

Grammy got a Kindle Fire from Grandpa.

She returned it.

We believe she has become a follower of

Apple products. Don't look at me.

Christmas 2011 Part 1

2011-12-30T18:35:00.000-05:00

Angry Birds hasn't taken over our lives.

Nope, not us. Brad had an affinity for the piggy hat.

My parents brought a fabulous game - "Spot It."

I highly recommend it for any age. Lots of varieties in one game.

We get gussied up for Christmas Eve at Cousin Steph's.

Also known as the beginning of serious food consumption that

lasts anywhere from 24-48 hours (days?)

We got to go to church for an hour at 9am.

It was perfect, beautiful words, songs and the big picture

window in front of the chapel let us view the lightest of

snowflakes falling. It was sublime.

But we DID have time before that to dig into our stockings.

The Agony

2011-12-30T18:31:00.000-05:00

Sadly, we had some things happen in December that we'd rather forget.

As I was prepping a salad for our church Christmas party, I about took two fingers off.

I love my sharp knives but I need to be more careful.

(Sorry for the fuzzy photo.)

Also, I got in a fender bender.

My fault, blind spot.

Worst part was that the driver of Car #2 was yelling at me like I was a

serial killer intentionally out to maim or kill her two children who were in the car.

She settled down and apologized later.

Yikes.

And, the absolutely worst of it was that our house got broken into.

While I was at the ortho with Ab getting her braces off.

Our neighbor in back noticed our door open (I LOVE nosy neighbors!)

and called the cops. Someone had pried/kicked their way in and stole

some electronics and some sentimental jewelry. Stinker.

We honestly feel lucky that a) they didn't take more and b) no one got hurt.

It is so disconcerting to know that someone has been in your home.

And it truly makes me so sad that people have resorted to this.

Too much dishonesty in the world.

Tip: Make sure your homeowners insurance covers theft.
KEEP RECEIPTS of stuff you want replaced. There is no way to
replace some of the stuff but we'll get some money.
(Good things I don't demand expensive jewels from my hubby.
Unless it's on my finger, fake is fine with me.)

The Ecstasy

2011-12-30T18:28:00.000-05:00

December has been quite a month, to say the least.

I'll try to fill you in.

Samantha had her first clarinet/jazz band concert.

She was really thinking that she wanted to quit this gig but HARK! A chance to

PERFORM!?! Hello! Why would she pass up that opportunity.

The pic below says it all.

Busy Grammy Linda was so nice to come.

Abby got her braces off.

Look at those beautifully straight teeth!

Worth every penny, every pain.

Our orthodontist is fabulous. And by that, I mean their office staff, the assistants and their office. Which makes a big difference. They gave Ab a bag of "Foods you shouldn't have eaten over the last two years." Somehow, besides taffy, she found a way to consume some of these.

Brad and I acknowledged our 14th wedding anniversary.

That's all we had time for this month. I adore this guy. He had to speak in one of the Spanish branches for our church. They have translators but he chose to write the talk, have my mama-sita translate it and send him the voice memos for pronunciation and he delivered it in Espanol. The kids and I surprised him by attending (I usually am napping after church) and he did such a great job. I was so proud of him. Didn't understand 99% of what he said but he can roll his "R"s like a pro.

My parents came for a visit. They are such good sports to want to

be part of our crazy life even for a short time. Grandpa is a double

good sport for playing Mario Kart on the Wii with Max.

Polar Express 2011

2011-12-13T11:30:00.000-05:00

Instead of trying to get a Gingerbread House to actually stand up, sometimes

(not consistently, of course) we make what we call the Polar Express. We haul

out LOADS of candy and royal icing, some floral cones and

cake boards covered in tinfoil and go to town.

It's actually surprising that anybody gets out without

frosting from head to toe.

We invited our friends the Johnsons over this year and had a blast.

Above, Abby prepping the candy canes.

Below, Sam, Millie and Holly focusing on their trees.

Above, Brock, Abby and Sam without much damage (yet).

Below, Max and Brock

Below is cute little Ada. She surprised me by not being interested
in the frosting. Just hand over the chocolate and you'll be fine.

Look at Brock - getting into it.

Evan (the dad) and Brandon are trying to figure out what else to add.

Holly got her tree just right.

Here is our finished product.

And the Johnsons.

Look at that mess!

Two keys: make sure each kid has a frosting bag = less fighting.

Put a disposable covering on your table (I had a shower curtain) and then just roll it up and toss it.

Worth hours of clean up.

We had so much fun and our kids even got a little bit

of sleep last night despite all of the sugar in their systems.

Reading for Sanity

2011-12-13T11:24:00.002-05:00

These books have kept me "sane" recently.

Just Promise Me is a book by a friend of mine, Simeen Brown.

She decided she could write a book and so she did.

Because that is the kind of woman she is.

Really good book about friendship.

I don't agree with all of the relationships going down (I've got too much jealousy in my bones) but some really good perspective. A quick, gripping read and a good trip down memory lane.

You have to get it on blurb.com because that is where she published it. Good young adult read. It's also been really fun to be able to talk to the author and see where the characters and even some of the story lines.

The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson is another really incredible book. It's the true story of a father whose son is diagnosed with autism. The father is a horse rider and desperately wanted his son to ride horses. He didn't see how this would be possible with his condition. But it was possible - and it was extremely therapeutic for the boy (Rowan). The father had some experience with some shamans in Africa. Shamans are ancient, natural healers from very old times. Rupert (the dad) decided to take his wife and son to Mongolia to find some of the oldest shamans around in hopes that they could heal his son.

You'll have to read it to see what happens. I really wasn't prepared to like this book as much as I did. Although I personally don't believe in the shaman's powers so to speak, these parents put their faith in something that they were completely open to. Rupert gets my vote for father-of-the-year. Really incredible. And it shows how parents will do anything in their power to help their children.

I would highly recommend this book for a book club read because it is incredibly discussable.

7th/8th Grade Christmas Dance 2011

2011-12-13T11:21:00.000-05:00

Abby decided to go to the Christmas dance at the Middle School. It surprised me a bit because she was completely disinterested in the Halloween Dance. But she and a group of her friends decided to get together and prep. And wow - prep we did. Nails (how do you choose?) - don't forget the windmills to get them dry.

Dresses to be worn.

Abby and her friend Eleni. All ready to go.

The damage. Wow.

Thanks to Alissa for being such a gracious hostess.

Tara is in cosmetology school and was the resident expert.

She helped Abby with some touch ups.

Emily, Abby, Mackenzie and Eleni

Alexis, Samantha, Emily, Abby, Mackenzie and Eleni.

Abby and her man of the night - Max.

This guy is a trooper with all of the estrogen flying around that room.

It took us 2.5 hours to get ready.

The dance was 2.5 hours.

Which 2.5 hours was more fun?

Guess.

Abby came home and said most of the kids there were

ON DATES.

U-G-H.

The Christmas Season 2011

2011-12-08T11:01:00.000-05:00

To say that Max is full throttle into the Christmas spirit is an understatement.

He was SO incredibly excited to get Wilbur (our elf) out.

Good thing we finally found him.

When we did, he had a lot of art work to give him.

Wilbur got drunk on syrup the other night.

Yikes!

This past Sunday, we got home from church and Max said,

"Mom, did you know that there is CHRIST in

CHRISTMAS!?!?" He was so excited!

It was fantastic.

And then, we were watching the new video that my church put out

and we saw the shepherds in their fields and he said,

"Mom, that's the new star! I got to hold it in primary

when we were talking about Jesus' birth!"

These moments, my friends, are what it's all about.

I hope you're all having a wonderful

Christmas season and remember that

CHRIST IS IN CHRISTMAS!

(Aren't these nativities awesome? The one above is from Africa

and the one below is from China. Thanks to my parents!)

How much is enough?*

2011-12-08T10:33:00.001-05:00

*You get a prize (not really) if you know where the title comes from.

Last Friday, I woke up at 4a.m. This, from a woman whose children have to force her out of bed 3 or 4 times on most mornings at 7a.m. Had a coughing fit, brain woke up (good = proof I have one?) and I was toast. But, I got a LOT done. So I guess that is good.

I was going like a madwoman. Errands, malls, Karl's Sausage Kitchen for our advent calendars and genuine German chocolate. The place even smells like Germany.

ANYWAY, I was home for exactly one hour before I had to start picking up the kiddos.

One blissful hour to do NOTHING after NINE hours of doing way too much.

(FYI - if you are sick or taking care of ailing family members for a whole week anywhere near Thanksgiving on - just give up. Because there is no way you will ever catch up.)

All of a sudden, the doorbell rings.

It is my next door neighbor, Pat.

And yes, it is ironic because I watched "Just Pat" for years in college.

And I'm 99.96% sure they based this character on my neighbor.

I considered not answering it but knew she had seen me come in the house. She recently fell and broke both of her wrists and is in casts. She is definitely an independent woman (there you go - I spilled the beans) but she was stuck. She was going out for an annual dinner in Maine and couldn't

CHANGE HER CLOTHES ON HER OWN and asked me if I could come over later and help her.

"Just walk right in. The door will be open."

See the man in this painting?

He's got n-o-t-h-i-n-g on what I felt.

I said, as casually as I could muster, "I have to pick up my kids and then I'll be over."

What was I supposed to say?

I was horrified. Truly. Was I going to help her change her underthings?

Please no.

When Samantha got into the car, I told her she HAD to come with me.

I would pay her $5. I just did not want to be alone over there in this situation.

So we got home, both dreading the task before us. Walked over, I did NOT have to change

her underthings (WHEW doesn't even begin to be the right word) and it was fine. Took about 6 minutes.(Yes, I was counting. I set my oven timer for 1/2 hour and if we weren't back by then, Abby was to call HELP.) She was/is grateful.

She's got a lot of friends that are helping her, there was just this circumstance where she was "stuck" (although I came up with a few alternative solutions, but I digress).

What if she comes and asks me again? I believe wholeheartedly in serving others and also teaching my kids how to serve - but where do we draw the line? What would YOU have done?

No, really. I want some thoughts on this.

And in case you didn't know, the above painting is by Edvard Munch who is Norwegian. I wanted to buy a little magnet for a souvenir at the museum in Oslo but it was about $15. Nuts.

Inventions, Beasts and Diaries

2011-12-02T05:30:00.001-05:00

Since this hour is entirely ridiculous for me to be awake (I'll be paying for this very soon, trust me. I've been up since 4 a.m due to a coughing spell/brain couldn't shut down again.), the least I can do is be productive. And productive I have been!

Upon a few people's recommendation, we purchased The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Yes, the movie is out and no we haven't seen it. Yet. This is a big book but at least half of it is pictures. Really wonderful pictures. And it's a great story of a boy who is trying to find his way on his own in a train station. That's all I'll say. This would be a great read-to-your-child book.

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson is a book about the American ambassador to Germany during the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. It is set in the early 30s and is a really interesting perspective. Ambassador Dodd was not a typical ambassador which meant - at least back then (I have no clue about these days but almost assume it is the same) - that you were independently wealthy, was a standout member of society and had some good connections. He didn't have a lot of any of the above.

What is fascinating is not only the history behind it but the way that many governments, including France, Poland and the USA, were delicately trying to deal with the Nazis. There are a lot of characters and I couldn't keep track of them all but it's worth it if you are interested at all in European history. Not for everyone and not as much of a "novel" as I expected but definitely worthwhile.

(Oh, and the Dodd's daughter is a peach.)

The Diary of Mattie Spenser was the perfect chaser to In the Garden of Beasts. I inhaled it.

It reminds me a lot of These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner but not as long and a little saucier.

Almost like a Danielle Steel novel but set in Colorado before it was a state and less prescribed writing. (Clear as mud?) One of those "WHEW! I'm glad I wasn't a woman BACK THEN!" books. Yes, WITH the exclamation points. Good, fast read.

Caution: Teenager in the house

2011-11-22T13:30:00.000-05:00

Apparently, throwing a surprise birthday party was NOT

enough. "Mom, are you going to make signs for me?" (we always make and post humorous birthday signs around the house) "Are you still going to make a cake?" Ugh.

We pulled it off - much thanks to my pneumonia-carrying husband.

And, after we had her birthday dinner of crepes, we opened some gifts.

Which included:

A fantastic poem by Grandpa John

A visual Dr. Who dictionary.

Maybe I'll understand it more if I read this.

Another Dr. Who reference.

And here she is opening a 25 pound Harry Potter book

that I refused to buy her at Barnes & Noble because it was $60.

(I had pre-ordered it on Amazon for a deal. Even bigger deal when the price

dropped and they REIMBURSED me the difference. Yipee.)

Thank goodness she is pretty disinterested in boys

("EWWWWW!") because I think she's gorgeous.

Surprise!

2011-11-22T13:28:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I got together with my friend Greta and we decided to throw a surprise 13th birthday party for our daughters - who are about 3 weeks apart and good pals.

I've never done this and it was pretty stressful trying not to spill the proverbial beans but

it went really well.

We invited school and church friends to join us for a Quidditch match - we just borrowed the goods that were ready from the activity in September.

I took Abby and picked up Haley - telling them we'd go to brunch to celebrate

Abby's birthday which was the next day. Then I delayed with a bunch of little errands -

including getting extra chairs for our Thanksgiving gathering. Haley couldn't wait for

Abby to open her gift (see big box above and below) and so I said she could do it

after we got the chairs.

Thank goodness for the life-sized cutout of the Hogwarts kids for the birthday guests

to hide behind.

Happy guests of honor.

The Quidditch match went well - thank goodness for Haley's older sister Sarah

who was the referee on that one.

Below is the food room we set up.

Max didn't play Quidditch but enjoyed the headband to separate the teams.

We set up a cupcake bar that was a big hit.

Below are Abby's friends Samantha and Mackenzie.

Haley asked her mom for a pinata at a birthday party for her.

I found a Harry Potter lollipop mold on eBay (whew!) and made some

Scrabble Tile necklaces with "Keep Calm and Carry A Wand" on them and

a cute little sorting hat. (Found all of the goods on Etsy.com!)

Haley knows that I have a "Every Four Years" birthday party rule for my kids

(which I just destroyed, apparently) and she knows that this is NOT a fourth year

and so she gave Abby a "Party in a Box" complete with balloons

and streamers. She's adorable.

A lot of work but they loved it.

And so did I.

Veteran's Day

2011-11-16T13:26:00.000-05:00

On 11-11-11, the new World War II memorial was dedicated in town.

We invited some of my in-laws to come because we purchased some pavers to help raise money for it. The pavers are in honor of Brad's two grandfathers who served in the war.

Above, to the very left, is Auntie Paula, Abby, Grammy Linda, Max, Sam, Uncle Jason and Grandpa Rich - whose birthday it also was.

Our old friend was there.

Did you know my father-in-law is the Town Manager in Duxbury

(also known as Deluxe-bury)? It's stitched on his jacket

lest anyone forgets.

Here is the magnificent new memorial. Isn't it beautiful?

It honors all from our town who served in WWII.

Our pavers are in front of that center panel.

It was definitely chilly out but a beautiful day.

Max was enthralled with the cannon that they used at the very end.

We were so close that we got smoke in our eyes and throat.

Here is the monument to the Civil war veterans.

I love our town commons.

This section is now known as "Veteran's Memorial Commons"

which is nice.

The high school band had to have been freezing.

I hope they had thermals on underneath.

I was already a Scott Brown fan (senator) but it increased two-fold on this day.

You want to know why? Because he took about 3 minutes to say something unlike ALL of the other (many) politicians on the program who loved hearing themselves talk!

We are thrilled to have been part of this spectacular day.
Thank you veterans!

The Shumways and Caleb's Crossing

2011-11-16T13:08:00.001-05:00

I know it's not nice to flaunt something that few others will have access to but here I go. (I'll work on the nice part and keep you posted.)

Norm and Luana Shumway, pictured above, are serving in our congregation as missionaries. This is their 5th mission, I believe. They have also served as mission presidents in Japan, the head of hosting for our church out of SLC and at the United Nations in NYC. He used to be a Congressman from California. He is the first person I've ever met who is in Wikipedia.

He wrote his biography and recently let me read it. Fabulous. What a life! If I could, I'd have these people over to dinner every third day because they have great stories to tell (funny AND inspiring) and are what I call "salt of the earth". They have contributed so much to our lives and to our ward, it's incredible. So, if you happen to see a copy of "The Life and Times of Norman D. Shumway" - grab it. You'll be glad you did.

Geraldine Brooks is a favorite author of mine. (I really loved Year of Wonders.)

But I don't feel worthy to call myself a total fan because I had NO idea that she had a new book out.

(New = this year.)

I grabbed it, devoured it, loved it.

It's the amazing story of a Bethia who lived on Martha's vineyard and how these pilgrims came in contact with the Native Americans there. Her father was trying to convert them but had limited success. He did, however, take two of their youth under his wing and teach them. They were so intelligent that they ended up going to Harvard College (which sounds like a DREADFUL place back then).

It's a fascinating look at the history of the Pilgrims (appropriate for this time of year?), the interactions between those already here and those determined to run them over, the extreme piousness of these people, the deplorable view of women's status. All of that leads me to be very grateful that I was born when I was. It is based on a letter the author found of a Native America who did go to Harvard College and so most of the rest of it is historical fiction but I still learned so much.

Really great story - great characters, great setting.

Last Weekend

2011-11-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

Brad's cousin Mat got married last weekend in New Hampshire.
Up in the White Mountains which is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S.
It's about 2.5 hours straight North from us.
They got married at a beautiful rock church in Littleton, NH.
(Sorry, my phone was my camera for the weekend.)
And then the reception was at the Mt. Washington Resort hotel.
Holy swank batman!
It was stunning. Hope we can go back someday if we start saving our pennies!
(Can you say thank goodness for the wedding discount?)
Mt. Washington is the white peak in the background.
The hotel is to the left.

The kids got to go to the ceremony but during the reception, they got to hang out in the room (with room service) and play checkers in the hotel lobby. They are erecting a giant gingerbread house behind the curtains next to them.

Samantha felt very savvy with her glass of ginger-ale. The groom of another wedding going on there owns a fireworks company and set up the most incredible fireworks display we have ever seen. Turns out his mom is neighbors with the parents of the groom. Small world and we felt lucky to see it from the massive porch.

Max was tuckered. I love seeing him with the mouth open and in the most peaceful bliss.

So much fun to be with family and have a great time but also to be in a really beautiful part of the world.

P.S. I am finally updating my recipe blog. I'm sure you're all starving without new ideas!

ACTUAL Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T10:17:00.000-04:00

We had the biggest TREAT last night.

A dear friend of mind (I used to work with her at this SCARY place. We still help

each other cope with it all. I have to add that she also kindly drove out to Boston with me when I first moved here. She is the only sober soul who has seen me sing karaoke in South Bend, Indiana. 'Nuff said) is in town all the way from Las Vegas with her family.

Sadly, it snowed Saturday night (not a lot of snow but tons of problems) but her kids loved it.

I kept offering to let them take it home with them but no dice. I tried.

We got to to trick-or-treating together since NO WAY were they going to miss out on

that part of October. McKenna was an Indian and Liam was a very scary ghost.

Max, blessedly, was still a skeleton. (He tried to maneuver a Ninja costume

at the last minute but I wouldn't have it.)

They got some great stuff and Liam even spotted me a 100 Grand which

is my FAVORITE. Which made me adore him even more.

The kids took to each other like white on rice and we adults liked each other too.

(Speaking for myself, of course.) Too bad they live so far away. Maybe it's a good

excuse to go visit somewhere warm in the middle of winter!

Max got this HUGE pack of Smarties. Look at the size of those things!

He's convinced they will make him EVEN smarter!

We'll keep you posted.

Amy will kill me for this picture but it's my blog :)

(She pleads the humidity is killing her hair. I know her pain.)

But I love it when I can not see someone for 10+ years and still feel

like we've never left off.

Thanks for coming!

Trunk-or-treat 2011

2011-11-01T10:07:00.000-04:00

The church trunk-or-treat party was last week.

Above, Max with mermaid Millie.

Below is our home teacher and his wife and child.

We make him brush his teeth before he can sit down.

Below, Abby with Phil and Haley.

Phil keeps us laughing which is a good thing.

Hanna and Elsa are always stylish.

Samantha is happiest when she is taking care of others. Seriously.

And this little chicken (Lincoln) needed help smoothing out his feathers.

Lincoln's brother Kaden was an adorable Harry Potter.

Jackson was the most adorable little pirate.

Who knew that such a young pirate could grow chest hair?

Incredible!

I told the kids I would do ONE of the following:

Dress up, make a scary cake (totally dry on ideas since this piece), or decorate our car.

I found some of this idea on the 'net.

Added the UVULA (our favorite word for 2 days), the blood on the teeth and the bones.

See? There goes Samantha, taking care of the pirate now.

Abby and Jade. I mean Cookie Monster.

Frankenstein almost got us.

Very fun, exhausting night.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T09:56:00.002-04:00

These are the first costumes.

Max = skeleton

Samantha = "Dark Fairy"

Abby = Alice in Wonderland

To me, Halloween is too scary.
Wardrobe malfunctions? No.
Kids needing/wanting to be at 100 different places with a homemade
snack? No.
It's because our stake conference is also this weekend.
EVERY YEAR.
And THAT, my friends, is scary.

Recent reads

2011-10-22T11:58:00.001-04:00

I was completely underwhelmed with Bossypants by Tina Fey.

Completely.

A few funny lines here and there but I just quit about half way.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is the hot ticket around here.

Very engaging, well written. But I don't know if I'm as sold as I wanted to be.

I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of the ending - which is probably the problem.

Fascinating concept, fascinating imagination going on. Very well written.

My imagination pales in comparison (unless I'm having a dream - then things get wacky).

But a great read.

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard was another great, quick read.

Jaycee was the gal who was kidnapped and held for EIGHTEEN YEARS.

It's not the best written book I've ever read but what an incredible story.

Brad said, "Why would anyone want to read about something so depressing?" - and I thought about it and 1) you may as well never read because a lot of great stories have very depressing parts. To say nothing of history. ("Night" by Elie Wiesel keeps coming to mind.) 2) I think there are things to learn from other people's hardships. And I am completely amazed at Jaycee's attitude. She has forgiven her abductors. She doesn't hate them. She says, "I don't believe in hate. To me it wastes too much time. People who hate waste so much of their life hating that they miss out on all the other stuff out there. I do not choose to life my life that way."

Really incredible. Perfect example of how abductors completely brainwash their victims.

Google her name and her living conditions and it'll be even more amazing.

I've started another good book so I'll keep you posted.

Happy reading!

Recently

2011-10-22T11:57:00.000-04:00

It's been busy around here.

Above, the driveway got sealed.

We also got a new roof.

Who knew that a new roof could make me love my house so much more?

We also did some new COLORFUL paint and some new artwork.

And Brad and I went on a date.

It was an 80s theme - in case you couldn't tell.

I look like half the middle schoolers out there right now.
Sad to say.

Harry

2011-10-03T19:47:00.002-04:00

Before I went to Europe this summer, I told Abby, my Harry Potter CRAZED child, that I would read all of the books upon my return. The night I got back, she handed me book one. It has pretty much ruined my life since then but I finally finished the last book last night. I read the first book when it came out years ago but it didn't captivate me like it did this time. I won't pretend that I understood it all (esp. at the end - the wands' cores? Harry "dying" so Voldemort could be killed? ....right over my head) but that stuff didn't ruin it at all for me.

I've always thought, "Ya, that's great that J.K. Rowling could write this and make a ton of money when she was in dire straits before, etc. etc." Let me just say, I have a whole new respect for this woman. The creativity going on here is incredible. And for over 4000 pages!

So, yes, I am glad I read Harry Potter. Great story and I'm glad I can understand better what my daughter is talking about.

Now, trying to understand Dr. Who? That's a problem.

Quidditch Night

2011-09-26T18:06:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Young Women hosted a Quidditch Match for their Tuesday night activity. The Young Men were also invited.
Abby was beyond thrilled. Apparently, there are some serious
Harry Potter fans amongst us who also helped a ton.

The teams met to discuss their strategy.
Below, you can see one of the goals - PVC pipes and hula hoops.
Melanie, the fabulous leader on the left, pitched in for those.
Haley, on the right, was the human snitch.

Our bishop has never met a sport he doesn't want to get involved with.

Saint Maria (what I call her) set up Honeydukes.
Including Every Flavor Beans.
(You could hear gagging noises every once in a while.
Dirt and ear wax - not so tasty.)

It was going pretty well until Hunter showed up and the competitive nature of his family
genes (see his dad, the bishop's, pic above) came out and he wanted to maim everybody.

Still very fun and great exercise.
We were in charge of the Butterbeer.
We found a great (easy) recipe that was VERY sweet and tasty.
Here it is:
2 12-oz. bottles of NOT DIET cream soda (we used a 12 pack of cans and about 1.5 2 liter bottles)
4 1/2 tsp. Butterscotch Sundae Topping Syrup (we used about 1 1/4 c.)
Whipped topping

We mixed the cream soda and the butterscotch topping together. Then we put them into cups, added some whipped cream and a drizzle more of butterscotch. TASTY!

The recipe says to make a "foam" - 1/2 c. whipped cream, 1 1/2 tsp. butterscotch syrup and 1/2 tbsp. of cream soda. We didn't do that - just not the volume we needed to deal with.

Product Endorsements

2011-09-11T19:35:00.005-04:00

I've really got to find a way to get paid for this next post but until then... here we go.

I got a lipstick stain on my favorite white linen shirt (which, honestly, isn't so white anymore but I refuse to part with it because I got it for 10 Hong Kong dollars on my mission which is like $3.33 US) while I was on my adventure with my mama. I forgot about the stain when I washed it AND dried it AND (my dear husband) ironed it.

BUT I sprayed this stuff on it, let it sit for a while and it totally came out.
T-O-T-A-L-L-Y.

My mother-in-law recommended it - even gave it as a gift for a bridal shower! - so I had to try it and I'll never let myself run out of it again. I love Oxi-Clean and still use it. But this stuff is incredible and may be taking over Oxi-Clean for the spray-on stain treatment.

Also on my adventure, I grabbed some travel sized face wipes and fell in LOVE with them.
They are made by Yes to Carrots - which makes all sorts of natural beauty stuff. I'd seen some but never tried it until then. Let's just say that I couldn't locate them at Target when I got back (situation has been remedied since then) so I went to Walgreen's and bought all they had.

So incredibly refreshing. Smells like yummy, refreshing cucumbers. Incredible.
I will definitely be trying some of their other products.

If you can't find them by the Neutrogena, etc. facial cleaners at Target, try the make-up section.

10 years

2011-09-11T19:23:00.005-04:00

I've been listening a teeny bit to some of the tributes going on this weekend for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. One thing I heard that was interesting was that every year since 1979, there has been some kind of terrorist attack in New York City. Did you know that? I didn't.

But, since September 11, 2001, there have been none.
What does that mean? Many have asked, "Are we safer?"
I don't know the answer to that. I guess, from the above statistic, we are.
But I don't feel any safer, that's for sure.
That being said, I am extremely grateful for those people who are trying to protect me.

The fact that it's been 10 years since this terrible tragedy blows my mind.
I was getting my precious little girls ready to run some errands at the mall.
Samantha was 3 months and Abby was almost 3 years old.
Brad called me from work and asked if I had heard what happened.
"A plane flew into a building in New York."
That doesn't compute.
I flip on the TV and watch with horror as Bryant Gumbel on CBS
reports that another plane had just hit the Pentagon.
What in heavens name was going on? And why?

We ended up going to the mall and were sitting down for some grub when a woman next to us asked why I had such a long face. I asked if she had heard what had happened. She had.
I just wasn't sure what kind of world I had brought these precious little girls into.
I was glued to the TV for days.

All I know is that it never ceases to amaze me what humans can do to each other. Yes, we have our differences but if I have learned nothing else in my life it is that we are more the same than we are different. All over the world.
Doesn't that mean something?

(The photo is of a father mourning his son - whose name is etched on the North Pool Memorial at Ground Zero.)

Back to School!

2011-09-11T19:16:00.002-04:00

School started last Tuesday.
Another rainy day - but without the thunder & lightening (thank goodness) like last year.
Abigail is our big SEVENTH grader.
Can't believe it.
AND, she's probably getting her braces off in the next two or three months!

Samantha is in 5th grade which is MIDDLE SCHOOL here in our fair town.
Never fear, they do a great job of keeping the 5th & 6th graders separate.
WHEW!

The gals usually leave at 7:15ish with Brad while I get Max ready for...
(He's not "ready" in this picture..)

FIRST GRADE!
Look at this hazel eyes!

I got to accompany him into the cafeteria for his
line on THIS DAY ONLY - we're not raising a bunch of
WIMPS around here.

He was a little nervous but didn't cling at all.

I love the artwork and writing assignments from my kids.
Below is Max's assessment of his first day.

It is definitely a new experience for me to have all three kiddos at school.
I must say, I expected to be able to get more done but right now, I feel like my To Do List is only growing and not shrinking. Which makes me a little nutty but we'll figure it out.

Spartan Race, Pt 2

2011-08-31T10:10:00.001-04:00

Brad had been running a lot in prep for this thing and could do a 5K in about 22 minutes.(How am I married to him?)But this was no 5K. So, we non-Spartan-Tough people waited with the kids...and waited.... and waited....Tessa needed to be held by Grandpa Rich since both of her parents were on the course.(She is Chris & Pam's youngest.)

Lulu (Lauren) - who is Chris & Pam's next to youngest was hot and bored.Sam held her for a bit.

Cameron - Jason's son - and Max are buds.

They've been spotted!Covered in mud!Pam has a bandana on... then Brad then Chris.He's at the very back of that first group of people.

Lastly, they had to hop down the rock wall and make their way down the wooden walls - holding onto the grips. You could skip any challenge by doing 30 burpees.Trust me, no one was counting your burpees, thank goodness.

Brad is SPENT.How can I tell?Because he actually waited for the rest of his groupbefore attacking the Gladiators at the end.

Catch your breath....Strategize....

Stay close behind someone else.

Confuse the guys with the pugil sticks.

You did it!
I'm proud of him.
If this floats his boat, go for it.
Below is the first wave of muddy buddies.

Thankfully, they had showers there to rinse off the layers of mud.
Many sneakers weren't so lucky.
Alas, the sneaker graveyard.

Until next year!
(Yes, he's already signed up. Oh joy.)

Spartan Race, Pt. 1

2011-08-31T10:08:00.001-04:00

Brad's brother decided a while back to get a group together to run the Spartan race.
"Run the Spartan race" is a total misstatement.
COMPLETE the Spartan race is a better way to say it.
There is really not much running going on.

It was held at Amesbury Sports Park .
Below are Brad and his brothers: Left to Right
Chris, Jason, Brad, and Papa Smurf (Richard)

The group - "the Celtic Conspiracy"
High school friends, wives, etc.

Believe me, they play up the toughness thing. And no, I readily admit I am NOT
"Spartan Tough". And that is just fine with me.

Mr. Spartan was the emcee for the day.
Started all the races.

Some of the kiddos waiting for the dramatic start.

Hint: this challenge is mental. It LOOKS like you go up and down three hills, with some mud and a bunch of walls to climb over. Oh, and you have to carry a bucket of rocks up and down one of the hills. But when you get to the top of the "last hill", there's at least 1/2 the challenge going on... more mud to slog through, more walls to climb over, more ropes to pull/climb. THEN you get to jump over the fire and go down the last hill.

There is Brad in the dark outfit coming down the first hill after the rope wall.

Brad is next to the shirtless guy in the black shorts going up the last hill.

Home, Sweet Home

2011-08-24T20:47:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not, that is it for my travelogue!
I know, FINALLY.
But I have to remember these things.
I feel like I've changed because of this trip.
Hopefully, a better perspective of the sacrifices
that were made so that I may enjoy a better life -
one full of faith that I hold dear.

How lucky am I that I got to see the places where my
ancestors lived and worshiped for a time?
What a blessing.

To end, I found this great Viking hat in Estonia and
knew I had to have it. When Mr. Viking found the
biggest one he had (we have big heads around here... literally),
I knew it was the one to wear off of the plane.
Samantha and Max loved it.
Abby and Brad - not so much.

Copenhagen, Part IIi

2011-08-24T09:57:00.004-04:00

Did you know that you can get bus route information via
your iPhone, even if you're abroad?
Can you say lifesaver?
We made it out to Frederiksberg (not to be confused with
Frederiksborg!) to see the LDS temple there.
We just happened to be there when a wedding was finishing up
and the couple was out for photos.

He is from Denmark and she is from Norway.
She has another gown for her Norse reception because
there wouldn't have been time to clean this one had it
gotten dirty.
Aren't they regal looking?

How do I know all of this? The groom's aunt was a foreign exchange
student in BOUNTIFUL, Utah (two towns away from my hometown)
AND she took sewing lessons in Centerville from
Margaret Farmer where I took sewing lessons
as a young 'un. My mom still goes there for mending.
Small world, eh?

The mission president and his wife were there.

Above: My mom by the temple sign.
Below: The side area.

The meeting house is about 1/2 block away.

We did about three takes before this really registered.
Yes, it is what you think it is.
(Open only on Fridays and Saturdays.)

My great-grandfather Oluf Johnson - who is John Johnson's son (see Bornholm) - served an LDS mission to Denmark. It was fantastic to be in some of the places where he may have walked and see some of the fruits of his labors. So many early converts to Mormonism came from Denmark and emigrated to America. The darling aunt whom we connected with outside the temple said, "If all of those converts had stayed, LDS Church headquarters would be RIGHT HERE!!"
True. But hang in there. You're doing good things!

Copenhagen, Part II

2011-08-24T09:55:00.002-04:00

Blessedly guided by the mission president's wife, we headed to the Church
of Our Lady in Copenhagen to see the Christus by Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Note: There is an entire museum dedicated to Thorvaldsen but the
Christus, which has a copy in a visitor's center on Temple Square in
Salt Lake City, is NOT THERE. It is in this church.

It's not far from the Stroge, near the University of Copenhagen,
and you will be so glad you went.

Thorvaldsen also did sculptures of the 12 apostles.
There are meanings to each of their props
or likenesses.

This is the baptismal font.

It is so different than many of the churches we saw.
Simple, peaceful and beautiful.
We spent a fair amount of time here just soaking in the
spirit but it closes at 5pm so we had to leave.

If it is sunny out and the right time of day, an
amazing rainbow appears on the floor of the church.

Copenhagen, Part I

2011-08-24T09:49:00.002-04:00

Home port for our boat is Copenhagen at the moment.
We spent an extra two days there after we docked.

The Stroge is the main shopping area/pedestrian mall/happening place
in Copenhagen (without having to pay to get in).
Lots of street performers, eateries and a whole gamut of shops to admire.
Next time, I'll dedicate an entire suitcase to Scandinavian house wares.
Oh the love.

We stayed in the Best Western Hotel City which was really lovely.
Clean, simple (typical Scandinavian) and the best feather
comforters of anywhere.

We were on the top floor and noticed the Danish flag across
from our room. This long, skinny one was put up at night.

While this big, full flag was flown during the day.
No idea why the change.

A typical scene along one of the canals.

We did a canal tour and saw the royal yacht
being polished up for its next sail.

The Little Mermaid Statue is a bit out of the way from
the main part of Copenhagen but we did see the back of her
which was just fine.

These interesting spires were fun to photograph.
The one below is for the Danish stock market.
It was supposed to be four crocodiles guarding the building but
the sculptor had no idea what crocodiles look like
so they look more like dragons.

Stockholm

2011-08-23T10:10:00.002-04:00

We had about five hours in Stockholm before we had to turn back towards home/Copenhagen.
We did get a few lovely shots of the city before the rain came.

Above: Putting up the Swedish flag for the day.
Below: Ferries ready for action. Stockholm is made up of 14 islands - to say nothing of the rest of Sweden.

Thor is guarding one of the bridges.

Our big outing was to the Vasa Museum.
This holds a ship that was commissioned by the king and sailed for all of 20 minutes before it sank. Sad!
It was 300 years before they pulled it up and built a museum for it.
Very interesting.

These are the colors they used.

This is what some of the painting would have looked like.

300 years underwater is not good for paint.

Amazing detail.

This is the Stockholm City Hall.

These crowns on top are as big as VW bugs - each.

I would love to go back someday and do some more exploring.

This is the map of the ship's route. We were surprised that Stockholm to Copenhagen was the longest leg of the journey. You can see Bornholm off the very Southern tip of Sweden if you look really hard. The island to the East of Sweden is Gotland - part of Sweden.

Helsinki

2011-08-23T10:07:00.001-04:00

After two days in Russia, Helsinki seemed much cleaner and less crowded. I could be wrong.
We wanted to see two things there (besides the spectacular Stockmann's department store - which is fantastic) so we hired a taxi to take us to those two places. We got caught in a nasty rain storm at the end of the day and had a lot of rain for the rest of the journey.

Our first stop was the Sibelius monument.
Sibelius was a Finnish composer who wrote "Finlandia" - also known as "Be Still, My Soul" which is found in the LDS hymnbook.

It's supposed to look like organ pipes.

Apparently, some of his followers/fans weren't happy with the monument and so they insisted that this other part be added.

Then we headed over to the infamous Rock Church - which is really called

Temppeliaukio Kirkko.

We'll stick with Rock Church.
They blasted a hole in the ground and then built it.
Very cool.

I don't know how they have children attend this church because you can hear the slightest noise across the room.

We walked down from there to Stockmann's and saw this lovely lady making a flower arrangement.

A typical scene outside the train station.

These strong men hold up the lights for nighttime.
Yes, the days were long on our cruise. Typical sunset was at 10:30pm and it didn't get dark until about 11pm. The blackout curtains in our cabin saved us.

This picture is fuzzy but I had to laugh when I saw this all over Europe - people at a cafe eating outside and completely turned towards the action. In America, I think we try to be more subtle and face each other but why don't we just cut to the chase?

This gentleman was in the Esplanade doing some amazing marionette-ing.

Along the waterfront, there was a huge market.
People selling everything from their potatoes out of their boats to fresh fish to handicrafts.

This man was very good at staying still.

Fresh fish anyone?

Ra-ra-rasputin

2011-08-20T10:49:00.001-04:00

The Yusupov palace was our last major stop in Russia.

The Yusupovs were members of royal society back in the day.
Felix Yusupov didn't like how close Rasputin was to the Romanov's -
he was basically controlling every move they made and every thought they had.
He would even tell Alexandra how her husband - Nicholas II - should lead
his troops on the battlefield during the beginnings of World War I.
And he did it!
So a group of men conspired (wisely, in my view) to kill Rasputin.
There are some wax figures in the room where the conspirators
were. Felix and Rasputin were in a room downstairs.
They had poisoned some sweets and cakes to feed to Rasputin. Problem was,
he didn't eat enough of the stuff for it to work its magic.

Here are the wax figures in the room below. Felix is on the left, and nasty
Rasputin is on the right. So, Rasputin finally decided to leave the set-up
but the men followed him and started shooting at him. It took a few tries.
They finally got him, wrapped him up, chiseled through the river ice (it was
wintertime), and put his body through. Unfortunately, his body washed ashore
soon after. But he was still dead so that was good.
(Don't mind my version - the real one is much better than that.)

Proof of his death.

Upstairs, away from the wax figures, is a lovely palace area.

Someone had a secret door in her bedroom.

This group of men sang a Russian Church hymn to us.
It was incredible - especially in that setting.

One of the Yusupov princesses liked to act and sing and dance but
that wasn't proper for a princess to do in public (say that ten times fast)
and so they had a theater built for her.

It is still used today for very very small venues.
One of the loges, below.

There was a little shop in the palace and it had
one of the smallest matryoshka dolls we'd ever seen.

This was our group in St. Petersburg.
Most were from Britain or Scotland or New Zealand.
(Lots of wonderful accents.)

Here is a pretty typical, old, communist area apartment building.
There is some new construction happening but I don't
know how affordable they are.

Thanks for enduring Russia. We only got a small taste but feel like we were so lucky to have been there. Fascinating place. I need to study more of their history.

Church of the Spilled Blood

2011-08-20T10:46:00.002-04:00

Church of our Savior on the Spilled Blood (most people call it Church of the Spilled Blood)

was THE iconic Russian church to see. The bright colors, the onion domes.
This was built in honor of Tsar Alexander II who was killed on this spot.

This canopy was, apparently, where he was killed.

The natural light coming into the altar was amazing.

Can you say miles and miles of mosaics?

A view from outside the Cathedral.

This is a typical decoration of a bride & groom's vehicle.
That was our mini-bus for the two days.
Yipee for air conditioning!

Canal cruise and the Hermitage

2011-08-20T10:43:00.001-04:00

Day 2 in St. Petersburg started with a canal cruise.
We went on the Moika river and the Neva. The Neva is huge.
These three - the Plowmans from the London area - were our lunch buddies.
They were really really lovely people.

I'm not sure the name of this but it used to be an orphanage.
New mothers who felt they couldn't take care of their babies could come to the building, ring a bell and a basket would be lowered from the second floor. They would put in their babies and the basket would be raised - never to be seen again.

Some of these bridges were so low.

A typical cityscape seen from the Neva.
Looks so blah with the gray skies.

On one of these bridges, brides and grooms will put padlocks for
good luck - to keep their marriage safe and strong.
Newlyweds have a lot of territory to cover on their wedding day.

The Hermitage Museum consists of numerous buildings and miles of artwork.
We were there on a fairly cool day and thank goodness.
Air circulation is nowhere to be seen here.

So much to see it's overwhelming.
You could spend a month here and not see it all.
Our guide had to take classes here for a month to
qualify as a guide just for this museum alone.

My cute mom.
Let me tell you - she is a trooper of a tourist.
I couldn't keep up with her.

They have such beautiful inlaid floors.

Medusa mosaic

A very famous hallway in the Hermitage.
Vika, our guide, was so thrilled that no one was in it for us to be able to take photos.
She said it'd been 7 months since she last saw it empty.

Michelangelo's "The Crouching Boy"

Don't forget to look up.
Some fantastic decorations.

Rembrandt's "Portrait of an Old Man in Red"

This officer didn't want me to take his picture.
I can't imagine why.

St. Isaac's & the Peter & Paul Fortress

2011-08-20T10:39:00.001-04:00

This is the interior of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
St. Isaac was Peter the Great's patron saint.

This was the architect - Auguste de Montferrand.
Notice all the different types of stone used for this bust.

The mosaics here were incredible.
I don't know the name of this one but I love it.
Hard to believe it wasn't painted.

Do you see the dove in the top tower?

Below is the altar area.

Another mosaic.
You can tell it's a mosaic from this angle.

Interesting door.

Next is the Peter & Paul Cathedral on what is called the Peter & Paul fortress.
This was never really used as a fortress like Peter intended but was used for important political prisoners - including his own son!

A lot of royals are buried here in these tombs.

These below were made of jasper and rhodonite (the pink stone).

This is where the royalty would stand during services.
In the Russian Orthodox church, they apparently don't sit.
I'm not sure about the other religions there.

Below is Peter the Great's tomb on the far right with his bust at the top.

Interesting interpretation of Christ

Here is the room where the remains of the Romanovs are buried.
More on that later but what a fascinating story!

Catherine's Palace

2011-08-20T10:35:00.001-04:00

Not far from Peterhof is Catherine's Palace - as in Catherine the Great.
These royals loved their gilding, embellishments and bright paints.

It is tradition for brides to hire a driver and haul their photographer all over St. Petersburg to take photos of them on their wedding day. We saw four or five brides in one day.
Nothing like three or four hundred strangers looking on.

These porcelain structures usually found in corners were their heating systems.

They were doing some restoration on the palace and put up this lovely cover to hide all of the nastiness. I liked this idea. I saw it on other buildings in town also.

There is a little lake/pond in the complex.
They were holding some boat races there that day.

Another lovely bride.

Welcome to St. Petersburg

2011-08-20T10:33:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Russia!
Bear with me - I have six posts for St. Petersburg alone.
To get off the boat and see anything, you either need a Visa (more paperwork and $$) or you can get sponsored by tours for the time that you are there. The latter was our preferred method. We chose to join a non-cruise-sponsored tour which meant a smaller group. There were 17 of us - most from another boat that was ashore. We had a lovely, knowledgeable guide and an able driver! And we completely lucked out with our group - super nice, considerate people.

I must say that I was nervous to go through passport control but it was no problemo.

Here is Viktoria - "Vika" - our tour guide.
I still can't believe how much knowledge she shared with us.
And, I am so incredibly glad I read "Peter the Great" before I went.
Not a requirement but put a lot of stuff in context for me.
I tried to take notes but quit after about 7 minutes.
Just too hard to keep track of it all.

One of our shopping stops. I believe the author lived near here or something because there was a restaurant around the corner from this shop called "The Idiot".

We took a short hydrofoil ride over to Peterhof which is a huge complex of summer palaces.
We got there just as the national anthem was playing and the fountains turned on.
Samson slaying the lion represents Russia slaying Sweden.

This is a huge area with lots of smaller palaces, gardens, fountains.
Very popular with the locals on a nice day.
Below is a statue/fountain of Adam.
Eve is on the opposite side.

Heading to their locale for photo opps.

Peter the Great was a definite prankster. He built this trick fountain for when his guests wanted a breath of fresh air during a royal ball. They'd sit on the bench and then all of a sudden water would come out of it. Or they'd step on the special rock and the water would spurt higher.

More of the complex.
I can't get over how shiny the towers are.

Tallinn, Estonia

2011-08-18T09:45:00.001-04:00

After a day and a half at sea, we landed in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

We had incredible weather and it's a super charming town - especially the "Old Town".

Our first stop was "The Sweater Wall" because there were a few ships in port that day and we wanted the best pick of sweaters while everyone else was off learning about its history and all that jazz. PRIORITIES!
It's right along the old city wall - about 10 different kiosks with more sweaters and knitted goods than you know what to do with.

Estonia is known for their cloth goods - linens, knit, etc.
I loved the colors of thread/yarn in this store.

They definitely play up the Medieval theme.
Sugared nuts anyone?
It was in the low 70s right there and this gal was ccccold.
Notice her beautiful long sweater.

We started to see the Matryoshka dolls in full force. People on the ship warned us to be careful about stuff not being hand-painted, etc. But then they wanted to charge us an arm and a leg for it. Estonia was a good place to buy these. We had little time in Russia to shop.

Notice on the right hand side all of the, ahem, varieties.
Shrek was just out to make a few Euros.

Absolutely loved the quaint, cobblestone streets, the interesting colors and architecture.
So charming.

Even their drain spouts caught our eyes.

St. Mary's Church.
Drat the scaffolding.
They are supposed to do that in the off-season!

The Estonian flag

Stairway to heaven?

Amazing flower market right outside the old city walls.

As we were walking down the steps near the old town wall, we saw this little babushka selling her hand-knit booties. She was so adorable and so my mom and I both bought a pair.
Surprisingly, Max fits into the pair I bought.

It's little things like this that make such great memories to me. And I have a hard time believing that you can experience these things with a huge tour group.
Definitely to each their own but I'm really happy with the methods we chose.

Berlin, Part II

2011-08-18T09:31:00.002-04:00

This is the Holocaust Memorial that was completed in 2005.

I wish I'd had more street food.
But I didn't.

One way to see the city.

The Brandenburg Gate.

The front of the Reichstag - Germany's parliament.

There was a row of these slats with names on them.
Jews and members of parliament who perished during the Holocaust.

Mom's German is coming in handy.

The Nazis held a book-burning here, in front of Humboldt University.
There is now this underground memorial - a library with empty shelves.

Karl Marx, Felix Mendelssohn, Albert Einstein.
A few of the alumni of this University.

This is an interesting story:
"The East" - meaning the communist forces - wanted to build something that the West could see. To prove that they could build something really tall. So they built this humongous TV tower. Remember, they were trying to steer their subjects away from the "crutch" of religion. But when the sun hits it just right, you can see a cross reflected off of the tower.
So they call this "The Pope's Revenge".
Can you see the two crosses in the photo?
The other is from the Berlin Cathedral.

Methinks it's brighter/more obvious with more sun.
We were lucky to get the sun we did that day.

Berlin, Part I

2011-08-17T10:39:00.003-04:00

Our first stop in Berlin was Checkpoint Charlie.
This was the separation between free West Germany and Soviet controlled East Germany.
There are a lot of murals in the area telling of its history.

Very popular spot. Berlin was packed with tourists.

Say what you want about McDonalds but 1) you know what you're going to get and 2) free Wi-Fi.

(Not a real U.S. Soldier - above. You pay $, you get picture.)

We then headed to the remains of the Berlin Wall - which just celebrated its 50th anniversary. There are opportunities to buy a piece of the wall - beware. I can't fathom the wall was big enough to supply all the souvenir shops in town THIS many years after it was torn down.

The Topography of Terror is an outdoor/open-air museum that we needed to spend 3 hours perusing instead of 30 minutes. Very interesting exhibit of the rise of Naziism and, thank heavens, its fall.

The caption on the photo above reads, "Rubble Woman. 1945. By order of the occupying forces, every woman aged between 15 and 50 had to register to help clear rubble in the city. They cleaned and stockpiled bricks for rebuilding."

The Nazis decided to re-work the festivals and celebrations of the people.
Religious holidays continued but they inserted their own in hopes of unifying the people.
Stew Sunday was just one of them.
This exhibit showed many more.

I highly recommend this place. Very insightful, moving, informative.
It's still so unbelievable what people can do to others, isn't it?

You know you're in Germany when...

2011-08-17T10:37:00.001-04:00

The boat offers a lot of different paid excursions in each port. Some are better than others.
My mom and I felt that we're "savvy" enough that we can maneuver on our own - especially in Germany (she is fluent). We did, however, opt for the ship-sponsored transportation INTO Berlin. We docked in Warnemunde which is on the coast, took the train 3 hours (each way) into the main train station and then bussed into the heart of the city. It worked out really way. The German countryside, seen from the train, is gorgeous.

The bus dropped us off right near this chocolate shop which was pret-ty dangerous if I do say so myself. But my word, if you can't enjoy German chocolate, then what CAN you enjoy?

They had all of these fabulous sculptures of Berlin monuments in chocolate.
Above is the Karl Wilhelm Memorial Church that was bombed during WWII and the spire has been left that way.
Below is, I assume, the world. :)

Above is the Brandenburg Gate and below is the Reichstag or the main government buildings.

Aarhus, Denmark

2011-08-17T10:33:00.001-04:00

Aarhus, Denmark was our second stop on the cruise. It's the 2nd largest city in Denmark but don't lose any sleep if you never go. It was Sunday when we were there and so not a ton going on.
They had this really cool rainbow walk on top of the ARoS Museum - which is their museum of contemporary art. We didn't go in but saw it on a bus tour of the whole city.

The cathedral was the best thing we saw. It's got a lot of different, random things in it which made it very interesting.
Here is another hanging boat - much bigger than the one in Bornholm.

This is an interesting mural of heaven and hell.
Apparently, some of the angels are trying to save some
babies without much luck.

There are two organs and this is the stairway to the newer.

The actual organ.

This is the older organ.

Oslo

2011-08-17T10:11:00.002-04:00

The first stop on our Baltic cruise was in Oslo, Norway. You'll remember that about a week before, they experienced the tragedies of the bombing of some government buildings and then the crazy went over to the island and shot a bunch of people. From the minute we got off the boat - which was very close to their town hall - we could feel a sadness in the air.

We saw one lady with her children who had come down from Lillehammer to pay their respects.

They had been afraid to come to Oslo until then.

The flag was at half-mast over Parliament.

There were memorials all over the city.

This little girl was on her way to pay her respects.

The front gate of Parliament.

My mom and I both bought a rose and paid our respects.

This is outside of the Oslo Cathedral.
Absolute masses of flowers.
This area was almost 2 feet deep with flowers.

This is one of the guards outside the royal palace.
Definitely not as stiff as the guards in London.

It was time for the changing of the guard.

The Akershus fort. Right near our boat.

Beautiful city that is outrageously expensive.
There were "last minute shopping opportunities" near the ship and I can't count the number of times that I heard, "You want HOW MUCH for this little magnet." It was a good day to take food from the boat with us. We had a lovely picnic on the grounds of the palace.

The ship

2011-08-16T08:15:00.001-04:00

We drove our car to the Bornholm airport, flew 25 minutes to Copenhagen, trained down to the pier and then got on the Emerald Princess for our cruise through the Baltics.

It was my first cruise ever and my mom's first "modern" cruise - she had been on one in 1967 and threw up most of the time (which made her very nervous to cruise again). No worries - the Emerald Princess was massive, beautiful and we could rarely feel we were moving.

This is a great shot of the ship in Stockholm

Our room.
(Plastic covering is for luggage.)

One of several pool areas. It rarely got warm enough for the pool.

This is the Piazza - what I call the main drag. There were casinos, theaters, bars and clubs but this is the center of most of it. Lots of performers here, and shops off to the side.

Ship library.

We were both very happy with the cruise. A great way to see a lot of places without the hassle of having to find/change hotels every few days. And not having to live completely out of a suitcase was delightful as well.

Jorgen Jorgensen

2011-08-16T08:12:00.002-04:00

The main reason for the pilgrimage to Bornholm was because my great-great-grandfather, Jorgen Jorgensen (in English, it's pronounced "Yearn, Yearn-sen" - which is why he changed it to John Johnson when he came to Box Elder County, Utah), emigrated from this island in the 1850s. Vestermarie is the town/parish he was from. You have no idea the thrilled my Mom and I got when we arrived. (We rented a car.)

This is the church he went to/where he was christened.

The inside.

Many old Danish churches have boats hanging from the ceilings to honor the source of so much of their livelihood. Sailing, fishing, trading. This is how it was done.

This is the baptismal font where he was christened.

We found this darling groundskeeper who let my mom play the organ.
("Come, Come Ye Saints" - a spiritual moment!)
He was out mowing the cemetery which surrounds the church and we snagged him.
Thank goodness my mom speaks German because that was the only way to communicate with him - and that was even a stretch.

Pindelokkegaard is the first of JJ's farms we found.
Gorgeous, well-kept. No one to be found to speak to.
We think we were there at peak European holiday season.

View of the church from Pindelokkegaard.
("Gaard" = farm in Danish.)

Galingegaard
Farm #2 in disrepair.

Haakelegaard. In severe disrepair. We found people there (ok, so she was topless but she decided to put on a shirt after about 10 minutes... whew!) and they are making the white structure to the left into summer vacation rentals.

It isn't everyday that you can go back to the exact places where your ancestors lived and worked. We were beyond thrilled and it was a life-changing day for us.

Bornholm, Denmark

2011-08-16T08:09:00.001-04:00

Hello friends - I know I have been away a while. My body landed in Boston Thursday night and I think I've caught glimpses of my brain rejoining me on this continent as well. GLIMPSES, mind you. I will try and get caught up asap.

My mom flew to Boston where I met her at the airport and we boarded the dreadful Iceland Express. (Seriously, if this is the ONLY way you get can get to Europe, then I guess you should use it - but TRY TRY TRY and find another way. Not only is the airline horrible/old/dirty but the Reykjavik, Iceland airport is just sad. No food to buy, not enough chairs to sit in... Sad.)

We landed in Copenhagen, trained down to Koge and then took a delightful overnight ferry to Ronne, Bornholm. Bornholm is part of Denmark but lies in the middle of the Baltic closer to Sweden. Germans, Poles and Swedes come here for summer holiday. It is so idyllic it's almost surreal.

We awoke with much anticipation at about 5am the next morning to greet Bornholm.
Here is the sunrise - we see land!

We found the tiny Mormon church. We ran into missionaries and they said that the church isn't growing but stays just big enough that they can keep the branch open there. They've had the same branch president for 26 years!

This is on the East side of the island in Sveneke. Big resort town. Herring is a huge part of their lives here and these guys had just brought in a fresh haul.

These round churches are famous in Bornholm. This one is in Nyker.

And this, in Nylars.

On the inside, we found a plaque stating the death counts of the surrounding parishes due to the plague. Not positive of the dates on these but check out the illustration at the top.

This is the biggest and most popular church in Osterlars.

We were able to climb up into it and this was a great view of Bornholm. Very pastoral, rolling hills, gorgeous.

This is the St. Nicholai Church in Ronne.

We fell in love with Bornholm. They seem a bit isolated from the rest of the world - in a good way.

Auf Wiedersehen

2011-07-20T21:58:00.000-04:00

I am going to be signing off of my blog for about a month.
I'm headed on the trip of a lifetime with my mom for 2.5 weeks.
Yes, you read right. Me with one of my best friends for
TWO AND A HALF WEEKS!
(Someone call Child Protective Services!)

We are flying to Denmark and then heading to a little island called
Bornholm where my great-great-grandfather started his journey
as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint.

My great-grandfather, Oluf Johnson, also served his mission in Denmark so many years ago.

After Bornholm, we get on a cruise (my first) stopping in
Norway, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden.
So much fun.

My mom and I were trying to figure out where to go and I kept thinking of
Kristin and Siberia* and we were lucky to find this cruise that gives us a
taste of these places and so much more.

I'll be back with lots of good photos (hopefully) and good stories (hopefully) but, best of all, some fantastic memories that I will surely treasure forever.
And yes, my husband is a saint for not stopping me from doing this.

*Moral of the story: it pays to read a lot, my friends.

Swimming lessons

2011-07-19T21:47:00.002-04:00

Can I just say right here that I love being a Mormon.
One of the many reasons is this:
When you live in a place where some things (lessons for kids) cost so much money
as to be simply ridiculous, you can almost always find a Mormon among
you who has the talent to teach that to your child/ren.
And they are willing to teach it to your child.

It's almost highway robbery, really.

Max is the main participant but Samantha jumps in (pun intended) or assists
or provides childcare as needed.
She is very good at all of the above.

Doesn't Max look a little bit like Voldemort in the photo below?
Maybe the movie was more powerful than I thought.
He makes the funniest faces during swim time.

HP7.2

2011-07-19T21:43:00.001-04:00

Guess what we've had on the brain lately?
I know, SHOCKING.
Brad and I had a team meeting and decided that I could take our girls to
THE MOVIE.
(It is our policy not to see PG-13 movies until they're 13.
And maybe not even then.)

Abby - our resident Harry Potter expert - decided to give Samantha some
information on the essentials. We've seen most of the other movies
but this was all-out cramming.
Vocab lists, summaries, quizzes.
Very intense.

Luckily, we had some Harry Potter scars/temporary tattoos laying around.
The girls actually did not wear the tie or the robe
(last minute jitters?). Max did not attend the movie
which was a good move. VERY intense. But also very good.

15 Years

2011-07-17T18:58:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is my 15th anniversary of moving to Boston.
That is 37.5% of my life.
That is nuts.
When I first moved here, I thought I'd be here 6 months - a year MAXIMUM.
You just never know.

So I wanted to share some things I've learned JUST THIS WEEK:
Skewering grapes and freezing them overnight makes a fantastic treat for
really hot days and/or beach trips.
Look mom! It's healthy!

Boston is a fabulous town to visit.
Maybe when the kids are grown, Brad and I will buy a condo downtown
and live the city life. So much fun.

Don't lose your parking ticket in Boston.
You'll have to pay the maximum amount which may or may not be
as much as you think it will be.
Expect the worse and it'll be ok.

You will have sand in your car after you go to the beach.
Don't fight it.

The girls and I had the chance last week to help prepare and serve a luncheon
at the Orchard House last week. It wasn't very fun but before I got too
bent out of shape, I thought, "Really? How many people get to say that
they've served a luncheon at the School of Philosophy?
It was better after that.
Isn't perspective a powerful thing?

The Foremost Good Fortune

2011-07-17T18:48:00.002-04:00

Brad's fantastic great-aunt Diane lent me this book.
(I have a soft spot for people with whom I can chat books.
FYI.)
The Foremost Good Fortune by Susan Conley is a memoir of her life with her husband and two young sons in Beijing. They move there for 2 years for her husband's job. She experiences culture shock and then gets cancer in the middle of this.

I devoured the first 150 pages of this book. I lived in Hong Kong for 16 months almost 20 years ago and could very much relate to the shock of the Chinese culture. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can prepare you for the Orient other than BEING there. I grew to love the people and tolerate some of the annoyances (masses of people everywhere, all trying to get to the same place at the same time) but the thought of returning gives me the shivers. Could I do it? I'm not sure. Maybe someday.

The way that Susan explained her experience with cancer is not only shocking (FYI - don't get cancer in China) but very moving. She said that having cancer is like being in a lake - a cancer lake. No one can be in the lake if they don't have cancer. Family/friends can be on the shore and wish you the best and be there for you but they're still not in the lake.

The last 30 pages felt a little disjointed - maybe it was simply 30 pages too long. But she is very candid and honest which was refreshing.

Blueberry picking

2011-07-17T18:37:00.002-04:00

We had an amazing week last week. 90% thanks to the amazing woman in the
5th photo below. Her name is Tara - she is an amazing woman/mother/friend
and I wish I had her energy.
I'm glad I get to follow her around sometimes.
Every summer, she comes up with a "Mom Summer Camp" - a whole week's
worth of fabulous activities. You can pick and chose as
your schedule allows.

On Friday, we headed to Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro (almost to New Hampshire)
and did some animal watching/blueberry picking/ice cream eating.
(This place is fabulous! Highly recommended.)
There is something about fresh, locally grown produce that is
so much better than the stuff in the store.
Here is Abby with Max and Daniel (Tara's son).
They adore her.
She was a good blueberry picker and even tried one!
(Which is miraculous if you know Abby.)

We kept saying we were going to leave - WHAT will I do with all of these
blueberries? - but just couldn't resist these juicy, delicious pearls of
anti-oxidant goodness.
(They now say it even helps memory - BRING 'EM ON.)

This is Tara with Anna
and Sweet Baby James.
He'll melt your heart so be prepared.

It was interesting to me that blueberries don't necessarily ripen in bunches.
Just a few here and there.
YUM!

We're freezing them, hoping to make this (even though it's too hot to turn on
my oven), tossing them in oatmeal or our cereal. Good stuff.

Boston Public Library

2011-07-13T21:03:00.001-04:00

So, we finally made it to the Public Library. We saw some great architecture and artwork but the troops were hungry and I didn't want to have a mutiny on my hands.

John Singer Sargent did the murals in what they now call "Sargent Hall".
You can read all about it here.
(As will I... someday soon.)

It's almost like our little Sistine Chapel right here
in Boston.

I will return to this library sometime - hang out in the reading room
and discover more treasures.

If you are need a good, artsy read, try Strapless by Deborah Davis.
All about Sargent and an excellent read.

Boston - Public Garden

2011-07-12T22:32:00.003-04:00

Since it was going to be in the mid-90s today, I decided to see how much heat we could take and headed into Boston with the kiddos plus one (Max's friend Zachary).
Our goal was the Boston Public Library but I hauled them to the Public Gardens first.
We hit the swan boats - which is a nice, leisurely 15 minute ride around the Lagoon.
Fun but probably not fast-paced enough for 6 year olds.
Two 6 year olds, that is.

Samantha, Max, Zach and Abby

We wanted to see if we could sear our skin off by sitting on the
"Make Way for Ducklings" Statues.
We didn't but it was close.

Even the ice cream truck got into the spirit of the Ducklings.
Notice the license plate.

As we were heading to the library, there was a farmer's market going on at Copley Square and I loved these sunflowers.

Stay tuned for the library portion....

Buzzzzzz

2011-07-07T23:32:00.004-04:00

Max got a buzz.
His first ever.
I've always been so hesitant but his not-so-little noggin
gets so hot during the summer that we went for it.
It's so fun to rub.

The other day, I suggested that he and Samantha have
a lemonade stand and he said, "Ya! And people could feel my
head for a dollar!"
That's my little capitalist!

Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog

2011-07-07T23:28:00.003-04:00

Reading this book was like having a huge glass of ice water on a really hot day after eating a 16oz. steak. In other words, after reading Peter the Great.

I cannot remember where I heard about this book but I loved it.
The author, Lisa Scottoline, described it as a "Mix Tape" of writing.
Some chapters were better than others and some were downright excellent.
You could read this in a day if you felt like it.
Fun read.

Independence Day 2011

2011-07-07T23:26:00.002-04:00

A few good friends.
A bit-o-contraband.

Fabulous fireworks.

God bless the USA!

Trek 2011

2011-07-07T23:21:00.001-04:00

Our stake held a Trek for youth conference this year.
Youth conference is usually a 3 day outing for youth 14 to 18.
Abby got to participate on the last day (left early in the morn') because she is only 12.

We - and many amazing leaders - have spent many months in
preparation for this time.
Walking, sewing (skirts, aprons, bonnets), studying, playing, etc.
Pioneers are a huge part of our heritage as members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And so they basically re-enacted
what the pioneers did for a few miles.

Our family got to travel to New Hampshire and to
welcome them into "The Valley", or the end of the Trek.
I must say that I haven't been so moved by a "re-enactment" since
we visited the Lexington Green back in April.
It was very very touching and I can only imagine how those in the
Salt Lake Valley felt welcoming tired friends, family and strangers
to their new homes.

Below are two of my favorite people in the whole world riding on their carts.
They deserved it.

I'm so incredibly proud of Abby for doing this.
She had such a great attitude and it made it all the more enjoyable.
I am so grateful for the people - family and otherwise - who have gone before
and left such an incredible legacy for me.
I don't know how I could possibly do more than they
did but I hope I can at least do as much.
I'm reminded of this fabulous quote by J.R.R. Tolkien:
"It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule."

We got to cool off at the lake after some grub.
Great day.

It is finished

2011-06-30T07:59:00.003-04:00

I have never been so glad to finish a book. (880 pages. Small type.)
That being said, I'm so glad I read this book.
It was on good authority that I SHOULD read this book, because I am headed to
St. Petersburg this summer (among other places... stay tuned...) with my mom on a trip of a lifetime.

Peter the Great, by Robert Massie is one of those books where you feel infinitely smarter for having read it. I feel like I've just finished a history course. It wasn't easy and it took a while. I WANTED to skim it - but there was just too much good information in it. I absolutely cannot fathom the time and research that the author put in to write this. He has a gift and he definitely deserved the Pulitzer Prize for this.

Peter was a man larger than life (literally and figuratively - he was 6'7" tall) and greatly influenced Russian history. And the history of the Baltics.
I wish there were better maps. I wish there was a list & explanation of the many many characters. But I think I gleaned enough to bypass these flaws.

Peter had many flaws - one of which was his tendency to act rashly and another was his quick temper - but I admire the man for really trying to improve the structure and focus of his country. Whether it be through education or work or service to country. Russia was and is an enormous country with so many challenges and I admire anyone who tries to improve it.

I do not recommend this book for just anyone. You really need to WANT to know a great deal about Russia, the Baltics, and Peter himself. Very very interesting.
Thanks for the recommendation SWS! I did it!

Best of Rockport

2011-06-28T21:42:00.003-04:00

Here are some fun photos of Rockport/Gloucester.
This first one is what they call "Motif 1" - it's what Rockport is known for.

Abby took the photo below. She likes stealing my camera but does a good job.
Can you say low tide?

The rocks in Gloucester.
There are some great beaches there - but this was all rocks.

So many great adventures to have and now that we are FINALLY out of school (yes, really -- yesterday was their last 1/2 day.... darn snow days!), we hope to be having more of them.

Coloradans

2011-06-28T21:39:00.002-04:00

Every few years, we are lucky enough to have some of our favorite Coloradans come and visit us. Max and Charlie (cousin's son) are almost a year apart and had a great time together.
In the above photo, Max is actually NOT being attacked by flesh-eating bugs. It was just really sunny out - which it hadn't been in a few days.

We traveled up the coast to Rockport which is a darling little town right on the coast on Cape Ann. Brad even came with us for the "town" part - lucky us!
L-R in back is my cousin Dr. Christine, Samantha, Aunt Mary, Brad and Abby
Charlie and Max are in the front.

The boys were fascinated by the lobstahs.
Charlie found some rocks to climb on. He is like a billy goat.
Truly.

My kiddos on the point of Bearskin Neck.

After hitting the taffy shop and the ice cream store (two of the food groups, right?), we headed south along the coast into Gloucester (say Glah-ster) to play in the FREEZING cold ocean.
The ocean is so cold in these parts. I don't usually touch it until the end of August.

Beautiful views on a beautiful day.

Last day

2011-06-28T21:22:00.001-04:00

This is the end of year teacher's gifts we came up with.
A bunch of us from the class donated $$ and we got a few different gift cards.
I pulled out my trusty cutting machine and staked them into these plants.
The teachers were thrilled.

Another (fabulous) mom suggested that we bring tee-shirts and markers for the kids
to sign. So cute. I love these three pictures. The looks on Max's face are priceless.

Max COUNTED the days until Cars 2 came out. I'm not sure if you noticed (you'd almost have to be blind not to!) but there was a li'l bit of a marketing BLITZ leading up to this day and Max fell for every item hook, line and sinker. (I, however, did not.) He BEGGED me for this iron on and this shirt was the perfect chance to use it.

Moving On Up

2011-06-24T12:43:00.004-04:00

Little Samantha gets to enter middle school in the fall.
Yes, it begins in 5th grade here which used to give me heartburn
except that they keep the 5th/6th graders VERY separate and the staff/teachers
there are fantastic.
That being said, there are a lot of festivities for the 4th graders.
It's a rite of passage - the "Moving On" program, the pizza party, slush sales, field trips, etc. etc.

The program was wonderful.
We could j-u-s-t see Samantha due to the location of our seats.
It was a packed house.

Grammy Linda and Grandpa Rich were kind enough to come.
Brad was in Florida but he wrote her a lovely note and gave her
some flowers.

Samantha and Ariana are like peas in a pod.

Here are some other friends of hers.

Below are all of her teachers minus first grade and one paraprofessional
(the top right - Sam ADORES her... with good reason).

Sam has a real talent for making friends with adults. She would hang out with these ladies any day of the week. Or go shopping and do lunch.
It's great to see how each has contributed to her education
and her development as a great young lady.
On the bottom left corner is this year's teacher, Mrs. Swales, who was
exactly what the doctor ordered to get ready for the middle school.

I am so grateful for wonderful schools who have taught my kids so much.

2011-06-24T12:34:00.005-04:00

Max has taken gymnastics all school-year long and loves it.
We had his "mini-meet"/end-of-year program last Monday.
He was such a patient little guy.
It doesn't hurt that he has a big toe-nail bed to pick.
(Hey, at least it's not his nose. His toe-nail fell off due to an accident
with Samantha's bedroom door that she slammed.)

Parallel bars
Pommel horse

High bar

All chalked up
(AFTER his turn, of course.)

Rings

*Let me just take a moment here to rant about the lack of organization at this place. We've been going here for years. This is the first time they've had an all-boys meet. They were not prepared for the numbers that came. We left after 2.5 hours and he still missed two events because we couldn't bear it any longer. How does a place that has been around so long (20+ years) not have it together? Seriously, we're looking for a new place to tumble. It makes me a little sad because the teachers are fabulous. I've had this experience at other places also. Great programs but the end of year shows are torture. And that ruins it because my kids won't just skip that show. (Darnit.)

Fire Truck Washing

2011-06-24T12:17:00.004-04:00

Every year, the kindergartners at our elementary school get to wash the town's fire truck.
We ALMOST didn't get to do it because it got a call for an emergency.
(Hello! Don't people know we're supposed to be WASHING the trucks -
not USING the trucks for emergencies!)
It all worked out, thank goodness. The kids waited so patiently.

They were very busy getting that truck clean.

Max (and I) couldn't believe he actually found some DIRT on the truck.
Amazing.

Can you see the devious look on Mrs. Parris' face?
She is the paraprofessional ("helper teacher") in Max's class
and is fabulous. She would give the kiddos a little squirt
now and again.

Raising the bar

2011-06-20T16:08:00.004-04:00

I just can't stand it.
I try to be pretty open-minded and tolerant of people.
But at what point should they respect my close-to-vomiting-feeling when
I look at their ears and they look like the following?

They, however, are not tribal members whose history of this jewelry dates back centuries.
They are people working at stores that I patronize that I have to talk to and deal with
during the checking out process.
What's next?
(Please, don't answer. I probably couldn't take it.)
I can't even bear to post a photo of it on my blog because it's so noxious to me.
At what point do employers have the right to have these employees remove these piercings while at work? I'm sure the ACLU would be all over them like a cheap suit.
While at Panera Bread the other day, I noticed that employees with tattoos past their short-sleeves have to wear a sleeve to cover them. HALLELUJAH!
I have no words.
And I am desperately trying to get the image out of my head.
****
Here is a great article from the Wall Street Journal the other day.
By Patrick J. Reilly

President John Garvey of the Catholic University of America (CUA) got it exactly right and set an important example when he announced plans last week to shift entirely to single-sex dorms. Not only is the action consistent with the university's Catholic mission - and arguably necessary for that reason alone - it is equally a matter of common sense. There is a wealth of accumulating social-science data that confirms the terrible, lifelong impact that the college "party" lifestyle can have on bright young men and women.

CUA is setting an example for all college educators and especially those in Catholic higher education.

Sadly, many Catholic colleges and universities are not so different from their secular counterparts with regard to campus life. Few Catholic campuses today offer only single-sex residences, although many make it an option for a minority of students, usually freshmen. At CUA, all students have had the option of single-sex dorms, but just six of the university's 17 residence halls and 25 modular housing units are currently restricted to men or women.

Mr. Garvey is changing that. In the fall, all incoming freshmen with the exception of honors students will live in single-sex dorms - four halls for women, three for men. Another four single-sex residences will be reserved for upper-level students, doubling the number this year.

It won't stop there: The incoming class of 2015 will never have the option of coed dorms, as CUA will expand its single-sex housing each year until coed arrangements are no longer tolerated at the U.S. bishops' flagship university.

On the one hand, the change clearly is related to the university's religious convictions. CUA is a Catholic institution led by several cardinals and bishops, which awards Vatican-approved theology degrees. Since Pope John Paul II issued "Ex corde Ecclesiae," a 1990 document defining Catholic higher education, college leaders and bishops have been working to renew the Catholic identity that was greatly compromised over the past 50 years.

But providing a wholesome living arrangement is a public health concern regardless of religious convictions. Colleges, government agencies and health policy experts have been struggling for years to reduce underage drinking on campuses by implementing orientation programs, banning alcohol sales and advertisements, offering alternative entertainment, etc. Sexually transmitted diseases are a serious health crisis among college students; the Centers for Disease Control and prevention estimates that nearly one in four college students has an STD.

In a forthcoming report for the Center for the Advancement of Catholic Higher Education, a division of the Cardinal Newman Society, sociologists Anne Hendershott and Nicholas Dunn warn of serious "psychological, spiritual and physical damages" that can result from the college "hookup" culture.

"Sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies and abortions - as well as a long list of psychological costs, including poor self-esteem, depression and sadness - have been correlated with the emergence of the hookup culture on campus," the authors report in their study, "The Hook-Up Culture on Catholic Campuses." They cite "particularly the role of alcohol in encouraging and expanding" student sexual activity.

Christopher Kaczor made similar points at a CUA symposium in April, coincidentally while Mr. Garvey was making up his mind to shift to single-sex dorms. Mr. Kaczor, a philosophy professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, argued strongly that single-sex dorms are the answer to the pervasive problems of student drinking and promiscuity.

He cites the work of Boston University researcher Thomas C. Harford and Harvard University's Henry Wechsler, who have found dramatic differences in alcohol consumption between students in coed and single-sex residence halls. Brian Willoughby and Jason Carroll of Brigham Young University found similar results with regard to both drinking and sexual activity, which they describe as "risk- taking" behaviors.

In their 2009 study published in the Journal of American College Health, Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Carroll reported that students in coed halls were more than twice as likely to drink alcohol at least weekly and to engage in binge drinking. They also were more likely to use pornography and have "permissive attitudes" toward sexual activity. Students in coed dorms were more than twice as likely (12.6 percent) to have had three or more sexual partners in the past year than students in single-sex dorms (4.9 percent).

Surprisingly, Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Carroll found these differences to be significant even when controlling for students' religion and other variables. They also concluded that student selection - meaning that the "good" guys and gals are more likely to choose single-sex housing - did not appear to significantly affect the results.

That's not to say that Mr. Garvey's decision is not also a good public-relations move. As a local Catholic parent of five children, I'm thrilled to know that CUA offers single-sex housing. Parents around the country are no doubt similarly grateful for Mr. Garvey's concern for our sons and daughters.

Now, if only other colleges will follow.

(Patrick J. Reilly is president of the Cardinal Newman Society.)

Paint chip art

2011-06-13T12:27:00.000-04:00

Were you aware of how much you can do with paint chips?
And they're FREE! Max could not believe we walked out of the store with wads of paint chips and didn't even have to pay!
Recently, I did an art session with my Achievement Day Girls and my kids got into the action (as did I). Grab some paint chips, glue, something to glue them onto (foam board, poster board, paper) and have at it. We also used some of the craft punches that I had on hand and patterned scissors.

Top L-R: Max's, Abby's
Bottom L-R: Samantha's, Mine and Max's #2

I expect great things, people.
Sherwin Williams did the one below.
They may have cheated but I'm not positive.

Kids wash

2011-06-13T08:12:00.002-04:00

Pinterest has taken over my brain but, luckily, I believe some good has come of it.
I saw this "Kid Wash" (as opposed to "Car Wash") and knew I HAD to do it.

So glad I did.
It came from FamilyFun magazine - click for the link to the instructions.

If you are good at putting Legos together, you can do this.
Here are my tips:
Buy at least one extra 10' length of PVC. You just never know.
I also bought at least one extra of each fitting and still had to go back for another one.
I also ended up buying a brass threaded hose fitting because my hose would not thread into the PVC fitting for the life of me. I had to tweak the hose connection on the actual wash but see what works for you. I had no idea where to buy lawn chair webbing and so just added more sponges and some chamois cloths. I chose not to add the front gate per a review on the FamilyFun site who said it is more of a hassle. I may add more holes for water spew-age as needed. I'll probably use some PVC glue to hold some connections together a little better.

So glad Max found a mud puddle to get dirty.
Because if you're not dirty, there's no need to get clean, right?

The Immortal Life

2011-06-08T12:56:00.003-04:00

I recently read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I am in the midst of reading a HUGE book (Yes, SWS, it's true. I really like it.) but the library called and so I read this quickly so I wouldn't keep other people waiting. (Another reason I need therapy.)

It's really a fascinating story and I enjoyed reading it. Very well written and very readable. There is a lot of technical science to read about - and I can't say that I "get it" all - but the author does a great job of making it as readable as possible.

Basically, this woman, Henrietta Lacks, was responsible for an onslaught of scientific research because her doctor at Johns Hopkins took some of her cells and were able to grow them when other attempts to grow cells had failed. Twist: she and her family had no idea this was happening until years later.

There is a lot of discussion in the book about the ethics of the whole situation. I'm not sure where I stand. It's fabulous that this has happened and so much good has come of it but I wish her family was compensated in some form. A lot of different challenges to deal with.

Back to Russia! (Wish me luck... There is a method to my madness. Stay tuned. )

Q & U Wedding

2011-06-05T13:02:00.003-04:00

Our last Q & U Wedding was held this past Friday.

(Click here to see Samantha's.)

All year long, they've learned about a new letter each week. Since Q and U are always together, it makes sense that they get married!
It's a B-I-G deal around here. I was able to help out this year which was fun.

We got to play "QUingo" (as opposed to Bingo) with "quarters".

Abby got out of school for the festivities and was a great helper.

Max and his seat-mate, Madison.

Sorry, but Ava had the best hair-do.

Someone suggested it become a royal wedding and so the teacher asked everyone to jump onto that bandwagon. I was happy to comply.

(details...)

So, volunteering to help has its benefits because my child and husband
also got to participate in a big way. Max got to drive the groom
(and the other classes escort) to the festivities.
(Not our Escalade.)
Max is there in the back.

Brad married another woman - with my approval, of course.
He did a great job.
Below is our amazing teacher, Mrs. Corbett.
She's been doing this for ages - this is definitely her gig!
She was going around making sure that all of the Q and U dolls were in order -
IT'S NOT U AND Q!!
So funny.

Grandpa Rich and Grammy Linda were nice enough to come.
Grandpa was embarrassed by his son (Mr. Q) but got over it.

Good job Max!

Double digits

2011-06-05T12:46:00.003-04:00

Samantha turned 10 this past week.
I have only one child in the single digit years now.
Wah.

We celebrated the night before her actual birthday due to scheduling.
She chose her favorite dish - Mac & Cheese Gratin - for dinner.
For the cake, she simply requested that I do my "most creative thing ever". No pressure, huh?
My "most creative thing ever" was ordering a cake from the grocery store.
And she was thrilled.

We also attended the elementary school talent show (upon her request), she had a huge birthday date with Auntie Paula which the kids adore, had lots of great phone calls from loved ones and then hit the American Girl Doll store with her grandma yesterday.
That is what I call celebrating a birthday!

Another reason

2011-06-01T13:24:00.003-04:00

Another reason I haven't been blogging is that I have about 8 games of
Words with Friends going.
If you have an ID and want to play, please leave a comment.
This is good brain exercise people!

AND, this...

Have you seen it?
Holy addicting and fun.

The Cumbersome Richness of Life

2011-06-01T13:12:00.001-04:00

Here goes my annual rant against the school calendar in Massachusetts.

We are not out until the 27th of June.

You heard right.

It was going to be the 21st but then we had FIVE snow days this year.

It's a Monday.

Half day.

Oh joy.

Until then, we are busy busy busy with too many activities that we just can't miss

because they are all so much fun!

Max is playing spring soccer which is much less intense than fall soccer.
These are some of his classmates that are also playing.

Sam "graduates" from elementary school this year and the 4th graders got to plant flowers around the school with the Kindergartners. The school looks fabulous.

My amazing Dutch iris are sprouting all over. I inherited these with the house 11 years ago and have put them everywhere. The lovely above was the first one to bloom by about a week.
Rebel.

Abby had her last middle school orchestra concert.
I spotted this babe (below) there.
He agreed to let me take him home.

The Achievement Day Girls (which I help supervise), got to do some exercising with
the Young Women. We are not wanting for characters in this group.

Life is good. I don't honestly know how I'm going to pull off the next 3.5 weeks without a clone. (How can I be in two places at once?!?)
But it's all good.

P.S. The complete quote from this posts' title is:
"...I feel most richly alive, most thickly in the cumbersome
richness of life, with children underfoot."
I want to read the book.

On my soapbox

2011-05-22T15:58:00.002-04:00

There has been an abundance of talk about bullying as of late.
Especially around these parts due to this horrific incident.
It's nothing but tragic and I think it's tougher these days because kids never really disconnect from their peers - whether it be Facebook or texting or a million other ways I probably don't even know about (nor want to, frankly).

Our school district had to come up with a "Bullying Plan" which states the policies and consequences. A big part of these new strategies are so everyone involved knows what their responsibilities are, and that's a good thing. I feel like a lot of the details are missing in the above-linked-to case because many are saying that the school administrators and teachers didn't do enough. And that may well be the case. Sometimes, people rely on others too much to do the job that THEY should be doing.

However, I cannot tell you the number of times I hear the word "bullying" in my life now.
One day, Sam said her friend was "bullied" today - that is why she's sad.
Max watching TV shows will say, "They are being a bully!"
And maybe they are.

Confession: I was a bit of a bully.
It was 9th grade at Farmington Junior High school and Shea Malcolm drove me nuts for some reason. AND, I believed she stole my pride & joy: my Tears for Fears concert t-shirt.
I hope I didn't cause too much damage to her self esteem.
If someone knows her whereabouts, I'd love to know!
I was weird.
(Ok, weird-ER)

But there is a huge difference between bullying and being mean to someone.
We need to be super careful about who we throw into the bully category because that instantly makes them seem ten times worse than someone who is being mean.
To me, bullying is repeated.
It is picking on someone smaller or more fragile than you.
Frequently, it happens with a group of other bullies.

Our society is so ready to label everybody but in doing so, there are people who are going to be accused of doing something that they weren't really doing.
There's a fine line, my friends.

2011-05-17T10:53:00.004-04:00

A Hope in the Unseen, by Ron Suskind, is a fabulous book. It tells the story of Cedric Jennings, who is trying to grow up in the inner city (Washington, D.C.). He is very bright and aims toward an ivy league college education.

It seems like a simple story but there is a lot of writing on and discussion about the challenges he faces. I liked it because there are a lot of issues involved that I hadn't thought about before. Cedric can be maddening sometimes - bearing a massive chip on his shoulder - but I decided I like him when it's all said and done. Education is so crucial to the betterment of our lives and Cedric realizes this and doesn't give up on it. Very interesting, discussable read.

Another non-fiction book (two in a row!) I just finished is The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett. I got this book thinking, "Perhaps I love books too much" but clearly, I don't. Actually I think the title is a misnomer because the thief really liked the prestige that rare books supposedly brought someone - not necessarily the books themselves. This guy's mindset is fascinating to say the least.

It's very readable and intriguing. It will make you want to start collecting rare books. (And to that, I would say DON'T START unless you're prepared to keep going and let it take over your brain!) I did, out of curiosity, Google a 1st edition, signed copy of Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner and it came up as $2500.00. Curiosity CURED!
What rare book would you love to own?
Really great read.

M is for

2011-05-10T09:59:00.001-04:00

M is for....

MADNESS

I would like to meet and torture the person that decided that this is appropriate packaging for a child's toy. Max "saved up" his money and had a gift card to Target which allowed him to buy some Disney "Cars" toys (on clearance, whew) and we had to get through this MAZE before we could play.*
Excuse me, Mr. Dante, I've got another circle for you!

MAXWELL

He has had a wiggly tooth for a bit now.
While we were waiting for Family Home Evening to being, I reached over to check its status, and it was READY! I reached over and yanked that baby out with NARY A SOUND FROM MAXWELL.
MAGNIFICENT!

He had Samantha pen a note to the tooth fairy for him.
So cute.

*Of course, we used to have three of every car that existed of this nature but I think I got rid of them. Now that Cars 2 is about to come out (June 24 in case you're wondering), he is full throttle loving these again. Pun intended.

Oops, I Did It Again

2011-05-09T03:00:00.001-04:00

I don't know what to say.
I keep thinking that by signing up and training for these races, I'm going to have this epiphany that running is the best thing that ever happened to me.
Hasn't happened.
I'm not sure if it's the t-shirt or the
thrill of running in a pack (at least for the first 2 minutes) or being cheered
on at the end no matter what my time, but I keep doing this to myself.

I need to sit down with a good therapist and figure this out.
First step is admitting the problem?

My Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:39:00.003-04:00

After being served breakfast in bed, and was showered with some fabulous cards/gifts/drawings/kisses/hugs, we headed off to church. (Brad was in an undisclosed location.)
I thought the kiddos looked so nice so we snapped a photo by our lovely chain link fence. Look at those smiles! So happy! (*wink*wink*)

Church was lovely.
As was my usual Sunday nap.
The troops made sliders and grilled delicious corn.
It's so fun to watch kids eat corn on the cob, isn't it?

Samantha and Abigail could not come to terms on which dessert to make so they made TWO. Sam made a delicious cake with fondant accents. This was before she tried to impale her toe with a fork. No trips to the ER, thank goodness. The cake was delicious and I chose not to eat my head.

Abby made the oo-iest, goo-iest Rocky Road brownies ever.

Just looking at these pictures makes me crave a nice, cold glass of milk.

Here is a great poem for this day.

ODE by Elizabeth Alexander

I love all the mom bodies at this beach,
the tummies, the one-piece bathing suits,
the bosoms that slope, the wide nice bottoms,
thigh flesh shirred as gentle wind shirrs a pond.

So many sensible haircuts and ponytails!
These bodies show they have grown babies, then
nourished them, woken to their cries, fretted
at their fevers. Biceps have lifted and toted

the babies now printed on their mothers.
“If you lined up a hundred vaginas,
I could tell you which ones have borne children,”
the midwife says. In the secret place or

in sunlight at the beach, our bodies say
This is who we are, no, This is what
we have done and continue to do.
We labor in love. We do it. We mother.

Violins

2011-05-08T08:58:00.001-04:00

Abby had her first of two violin concerts with her school.
She is part of the chamber group and so she participates in both.
They divide them by 5/6th grades and 7/8th grades.
A great experience.

Here is the link to the YouTube video of Abby's Mission Impossible performance.
Very tough piece.

Good job Abby!

Remember

2011-05-07T20:47:00.001-04:00

Every winter, Brad and I swear that we are going to move to Arizona.
The massive amounts of snow this past winter were killer.

But I need to remember how spectacular the spring is out here.
This is actually my neighbor's tree that branches into my backyard.
Not only does it have beautiful blossoms, but it attracts incredible birds.

I really don't think I could live without such defined seasons.
Long winters make me appreciate them so much more.

Shooting hoop

2011-05-07T17:00:00.001-04:00

My dear little Samantha doesn't believe she is good at sports - other than gymnastics.

Let's just say that we all got schooled while she was shooting hoops the other day.
TOLD YOU SO!
:)

Spewing forth

2011-05-05T09:13:00.002-04:00

Just a bunch of random thoughts that I feel the urge to share:

I loved watching the royal wedding. There is so much tradition and order associated with it and although it could be a little overwhelming (just think how Kate feels!), it's nice to see in a world that is trying its hardest to destroy tradition and order.
I think they're a beautiful couple and I hope they have a very happy life.
I also don't think that Charles and Camilla should have been allowed to take one tiny baby step into that church. Just saying.

I loved all of the hats. I don't understand how these numbers stayed on their heads.
And, to be completely shallow, someone should have done their makeup.

******
Max has learned how to whistle.
He is very proud of his new found skill and uses it (way too) often.
Is there a way to un-teach someone how to whistle?

******

I picked up this book recently.
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick.
Horrible. Terrible. Very bad. No good.
I stopped about 1/2 way through and should have stopped at page 10.
Who lets these things get published? Unreal.
Truly, a story about some people with very serious sexual issues and then some murderous plot thrown in. I'm still nauseated by it.

*****
Lastly - Osama.
(Am I the only one who struggles not to say Obama? Just too close.)
Glad he is gone.
Sad when a man's death is so rejoiced but just goes to show the level of his evil.
I don't need to see the picture.
I can't wait to read the true story from one of the SEALS who was there in a few years.
It is making me crazy to see analysis of if the operation was "legal" or not.
Was the international community debating the legality of killing of 3000+ innocent people?
Or, another good one, "America needs to step back and analyze what we are doing to provoke these kinds of terrorist acts".
Ummmm... Let me get back to you on that one because for almost ten years, all I can really come up with is living and breathing.
We are not perfect and we, as a society, need to do HARD THINGS raise the bar for our standards, but in no way does that justify the despicable things that man did to our country.
*****

The end.