One Fine Morning...

It's New Year's Eve. In a turn of events which answered the simplest prayer--that of longing for the lights and familiarity of Temple Square--New Year's found us here, at the Washington DC temple. The temple is stunning, of course, and the Christmas decor was unparalleled. As I walked through the grounds arm in arm with Trent we could hear the strains of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Lillian was skipping and trotting ahead of us. The lights glowed, the choir sang, the temple shined. My eyes filled with tears of gratitude for the blessing of experiencing such a perfect moment. It's the eve of a new year and a new decade. Hard NOT to take a moment and consider where you've been and where you're heading, don't you think? I remember with crystal clarity where I was 10 years ago on this night. I was at Steffani's house with her parents and all of her siblings, awaiting to see if Y2K was going to be a great myth or a stunning reality. When midnight came, Steff...

Time for some thoughts about Christmas treats for neighbors. Do you make them? It seems like neighbor gifts are an unwritten tradition in Utah. I've made them, everyone I know makes them. They're like a more elaborate version of Christmas cards. Now, of course, neighbor treats can get complicated--I've heard in areas like Cedar Hills there's actually quite a bit of pressure to give treats that are elaborately prepared and presented, and I know of people who give out upwards of 40 or more little plates of goodies during the Christmas season. Nevertheless, for the most part they're a nice way to say, "Hey, neighbor. Happy Holidays. Amen." We love our neighbors. We don't hang out with them, but we always say "hey" when we're mowing our lawns and we borrow a cup of sugar from each other from time to time. Thus, in an attempt to reach out (and keep those Utah traditions burning bright), Christmas Eve found Trent and me in the kitchen, cooking ...

Last night Trent and I sat down with Lillian and watched the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. We had this plan that if she could sit through 25 minutes of Charlie, she might be able to get through a viewing of "The Princess and the Frog" in a real, live theatre. Yeah, that is not going to be happening any time soon. She was good for about 7 minutes. Then she sort of ran around in circles and climbed on our laps and poked Trent in the eye with her finger and tore all the DVDs off the shelf. A typical 20 minutes in the life of Lillian. We loved it; we also decided she's probably not ready for the movie theatre just yet. In any case, as we watched Charlie Brown trudging through the snow with Linus, his comments struck a familiar chord. As they walk to the ice skating pond, Charlie confesses to Linus that sometimes Christmas depresses him. He loves getting cards and presents and all, but something about the season is just a little unsettling. For the next 25 minutes, Charlie ...

You know those days when... You wake up so early in the morning that your right eye is sealed shut, likely from the mascara you didn't take off from the night before, and You pour your darling baby some apple juice into her sippy cup only to realize that the apple juice smells strangely like ale and looks frothy like beer, so you narrowly avoid helping your 15 month old get her drink on, and It's 12:01 p.m. and you are still in your pajamas because you've spent the whole morning wrapping presents, organizing presents, and figuring out how you're going to get all the presents and the baby in and out of the post office, and you're sorely tempted to never get out of your pajamas again but then the people from "What Not To Wear" just might stop you on the street and then the shame, oh the shame, and Your fabulous photographer sister is in Hawaii for five weeks and you forgot to order Christmas cards from her before she left, even though you made a special trip...

This Thanksgiving, my wonderful sister, Jenny, and her family joined us here in Upstate for feasting, festivities, and fun. The only thing missing was a trip to see the lights twinkling on Temple Square. We made up for that loss by visiting all of the Church sites which are not next door, but close enough for a drive. The awesome thing about the Church sites here is that no one from this area thinks they are the bomb.com the way that Mormons around the world think they are. In fact, we've heard missionaries explain that when they tell the story of Joseph Smith and the plates and then say (one would think a little breathlessly for dramatic effect), "and it all happened so close by... in... Palmyra!", those listening to the missionary discussions have been known to wrinkle their noses and say, "really? Palmyra? (said with the lilt of disdain) Can anything good come out of Palmyra?" With all due respect to the kind folks from Palmyra, the answer is, well, not...

I'm in Manhattan sitting in my hotel waiting for my brother-in-law who is coming to pick me up to take me to see "Our Town" (my very favorite play). I'm in Manhattan in the middle of the Christmas season and made it in time to see the Rockerfeller tree and go to lunch with a dear friend and catch a Broadway show and spend time with Trent whom I adore. I'm in Manhattan and the first five minutes after our arrival I lost my wallet and we started to panic that maybe it was lost forever and then I would be stuck here because my license was in the wallet and I can't fly home with out a picture i.d. and Trent got scared which made me start to panic. I'm here in Manhattan And the bell hop in our hotel Found my wallet and brought it to me And I collapsed in his arms and yelled "I love you!" And you know what? He hugged me back and told Trent that I'd chosen him instead. I'm here in Manhattan And it's Christmas time And there is magic in the a...

"...May I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He knows that your giving birth to a child does not immediately propel you into the circle of the omniscient. If you and your husband will strive to love God and live the gospel yourselves; if you will plead for that guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit promised to the faithful; if you will show others, including your children, the same caring, compassionate, forgiving heart you want heaven to show you; if you try your best to be the best parent you can be, you will have done all that a human being can do and all that God expects you to do." --Elder Jeffrey R. Holland You can click here to read the rest of this amazing talk.

Last weekend I decided that as for me and my house, we were being far, far too serious. Making the decision about the yellow walls just about did us in. Well, not really. Actually, the decision about the yellow walls felt easy-peasy after all the hullaballoo with Trent's job (I need you to know that I just spent a long time figuring out how to spell that hullaballoo word. And I don't think I've got it right, still. But I like how it looks, so I'm leaving it). It seems that we spent a great deal of October and pieces of November being incredibly serious. That also involved taking ourselves far too seriously, which we have a tendency to do around here. In any case, I decided we needed to lighten up.. So, I went to Target. I found what I was looking for. And then I sent Mr. Work-myself-to-death on a scavenger hunt to find it. And then the games began. And we pretty much almost wet our pants we laughed so hard. And Lillian just trotted around yelling at us all. Not a bad wa...

This picture has nothing to do with the post that follows. I just wanted you to see how totally darling Lillian was as Cinderella for Halloween. And that basket? Well, she didn't put it down all evening long. Precious. Sweet. Hilarious. That's my girl. For three years I have clung desperately to the fading belief that I can and should remain a golden, sunny, Western-USA livin' lovin' blonde. It's weird, sort of, how wrapped up I am in my hair. I think, in fact, I have posted more on this blog about my hair than any thing else except my child. And that's nothing compared to how I am in real life. My hair and my child should not compete for my attention, and yet, on very bad hair days, they do. I at times have become a little consumed with the ish-shues surrounding my hair. It's not that I'm that shallow. Well, I'd like to think that I am not. But I used to have this effortless blonde hair the color and style of which-ever since moving here-I have not ...

Today was Stake Conference. Trent was part of the program, and the Stake Center is 30 minutes away. We hustled out the door at 9 a.m. and made it in time (I thought) to get the soft cushy seats up front for great view for Trent's oboe performance and some good old nurturing of the Good Word. Then I remembered that we have a 14 month old. I remembered that perhaps it would not be wise to have that 14 month old bouncing up and down, crawling over and under, and screaming (because she's in that screaming phase, that one where she likes to exercise her voice at high and progressively louder pitches for no reason other than she seems to like the sound). As I hustled in toward the front of the chapel I remembered that it wouldn't be the best spot for us. Somehow, going to the back made me feel sad. Maybe because I knew that our days of sitting on the cushy chairs were over. But our friends were sitting in the back with their four children. I brightened at that thought and moved t...

There are four different colors of yellow paint on my walls right now. The first was painstakingly painted by Trent over a year ago (he hates, absolutely hates, those paint bobbles that show up on the ceilings or sides of walls after a paint job is completed). Even though I liked the color when we picked it out, it's never looked quite right on the kitchen walls. For over 365 days, we've looked at it, trying to figure out what was wrong. About a month ago we made the final decision: the lemon tone, albeit perfectly painted, had to go. I brought in Sally Jo, an interior decorator friend, who scrutinized our lemon flavored walls and suggested that I match the walls as closely as I could to the yellow in my kitchen curtains. Ever obedient, I did what she said. I brought home the color that perfectly matched my curtains and painted about three quarters of one wall. This peachy hue of yellow was also analyzed thoroughly and, alas, ultimately rejected, yet not removed from the wall. ...

We proudly bring you "The Frog: Episode One" filmed on location in Upstate New York on Saturday afternoon. First, some credits: Camera and vocal skills: yours truly Starring: Oliver, Sara, Lillian, Trent, and a frog Co-starring: Alex in the background Producer, Editor, and Director: Sara We hope you enjoy it. Several times.

This Sunday evening finds me sitting on the couch, still in my pajamas. Instead of a typical Sunday filled with running back and forth, hither and thither, I haven't moved much today. My house is silent. Trent has gone home teaching and Lillian is, at last, sleeping. We awoke this morning to the sound of her gasping with ragged, screechy breaths. When I got to her crib, I found her lying awake, eyes wild and frightened. I held her close and her little body felt like it was on fire. I called to Trent and ran back into our bedroom with her. She was clearly gasping for air. We scrambled for the phone to reach the pediatrician, for the internet where medical information was just a few keystrokes away;  I found I could barely catch my own breath as I tried to ensure my little one could get the air she needed. Several hours, a trip to the emergency room, a dose of steroids and some oxygen later, we were home. Croup. Remember the night that Minnie Mae got the croup ...

One wonders on this fine fall morning: How to describe the event that produced this picture? You have three guesses to describe this awesomeness. 10 extra credit points to the winner. Liza gets 10 extra credit points!...and 5 points go to AD for cracking me up. In addition to a lot of interesting things going on in our household (things that keep me very entertained and yet away from the computer. Things I may or may not blog about in the future. And no, I'm not pregnant, not even remotely, so that guess doesn't count), I am pleased to announce that the mauve blinds are gone. This is how it went down: Sara and Alex and O arrived in the big rig on Thursday. The blinds arrived on Friday. After a rollicking good time playing "The Farming Game" until around 11:30 Friday evening, Sara decided it was time to put up some blinds. So, we put up the blinds. How is it that even though I am seven years older than Sara, I ALWAYS do what she says?  By 1:25 a.m., as you ...

A little bit of this And a little bit of that Is what makes us happy today. Hope your day is a happy one, too.

We spent last weekend at one of our favorite spots in the Adirondacks. Along with a few of our dearest friends, we cozied up in rustic cabins nestled into a hillside all aglow with the brilliant colors of autumn. We enjoyed kayaking on the lake, hiking through the forests, and, thanks to the wireless service, a little General Conference, too. It was heavenly....both the conference, and the Adirondacks. I adore my husband. I ask you: how can you not adore this man? The men: Trent, Eric, and Christian  Lillian getting ready for the ride with her friend, Claire. Clearly, this child is her father's daughter, all the way (Trent never met a kayak he didn't L-O-V-E!) Lest you look at this photo and feel compelled to call child protective services for our lack of life-vests, let me assure you, the water we were in was 6 inches deep. For real. It stayed 6 inches deep for about a quarter of a mile. All was well, my friends, all was well. Getting ready for an excitin...

Saturday morning dawned bright, crisp, and clear. Trent's previously planned annual trip to the Adirondaks was unexpectedly cancelled and we found ourselves with a whole day with nothing but time to enjoy each other and the beautiful weather. After catching up on some sleep, fitting in our morning run, and getting a little gussied up (it's always nice to dress up a little and then catch my husband checking me out), we ventured forth to a new festival that we had never been to before. The festival was like the many others we've attended. It was, yet again, out in the boonies of Upstate to a place we'd never heard of. This time the celebration was in honor of--what else--apples and pumpkins. Put 'em together and you get the Apple Umpkin Festival, invented around 1986 by Mrs. Willa Barker who wanted to give her town something to celebrate. First of all, here's my new hair cut. It might be the first one that I like since moving to NY. Lillian is shown here cud...

I have been teaching early morning seminary for a grand total of two weeks now. Long enough, I figure, to sit back and take a preliminary assessment on how it's all going. I have to be honest here. When first I received this calling, I said, "OH NO!" and promptly burst into tears and threw my hands to my face in shock and fear. I peered through my fingers and my tears to my Bishop who was looking at me with a bit of confused awe and said to him, "ARE YOU SURE?" (my reaction, I assure you, was truly as dramatic as I'm making it out to be.) He nodded "yes" and a little whisper in my soul told me that he was right. The bad news is, I  have a history of reacting in the aforementioned fashion when it comes to learning about new things that God asks of me. The good news is, I usually get over it in a couple of days, and then I feel pretty chagrined about responding, again, with waterworks and dramatics instead of calm and peaceful faith. Thank good...

I just got back from a run. The sky was a crystal clear blue. Autumn has just begun and the trees are beginning a gentle descent into hues of brilliant red and gold. The air was crisp, but not cold. It was perfect. AsI ran, Natalie Merchant sang in my ears what felt like a perfect anthem, not only for the moment, but for the life I am so blessed to lead right now: These are days you'll remember never before and never since, I promise will the whole world be warm as this and as you feel it, you'll know it's true that you are blessed and lucky.... these are the days that you might fill with laughter until you break these days you might feel a shaft of light make its way across your face and when you do you'll know how it was meant to be see the signs and know their meaning it's true.

Did I ever tell you the story of the first time I made brownies in front of Trent? It was our third date.  We had just finished rollerblading and we came back to my apartment for a chat afterward. Actually, I was hoping the night would end in a kiss--our first--and so I was trying to extend the evening a bit. Let it be known now that I was not disappointed. I invited Trent in, he sat at the barstool at the kitchen counter, I stood opposite of the counter, deciding that yep, I really was liking him very much. I asked him if he wanted some brownies. He said yes. I got out a brownie mix. I mixed up those brownies. I poured them in a pan. Then I put them in the oven. And then, in a moment that has gone down in history, I called to my roommate, "Melinda! How do you turn on this oven?" That's how awesome I was at cooking. Trent's jaw dropped a little at my lack of skill; well, more figuratively than literally. He tells me now he just decided that we would be really skinn...

Lillian turned one yesterday. And it was a celebration to remember! The first big event of the day: painting a plate at "Color Me Mine" Lillian hadn't ever picked up a paint brush, but it didn't matter. We painted and smiled for the camera. Then she filled her diaper with a smell that lingered And upset the fine olfactory senses of her dad. So we hurried and finished the plate. It was fun with a little something smelly-special thrown in. Then it was time to get the house ready for her big party. Friends came from near and far. Lillian showed off her fancy clothes from Grandma (thanks mom!) Her fancy shoes from Ella (thanks, Trish!) And her fancy black eye courtesy of the bathtub. Lillian welcomed all her friends to her couch. Including her new singing frog--also named Lily- Who sings in English and Spanish. Because we are bilingual like that. We ate cupcakes. We ate a lot of other food too. Then we opened presents. So many fun toys! It was the best birthday, ever. Unt...