Twilight Re-Visitied

Still, no Service Blog updates . . . but we did write a "Family Mission Statement" yesterday. Maybe I'll post that.

I stayed up late watching "Twilight" last night. I think the best part of that movie is the kissing scene. I hope the new director does a better job with "New Moon." And if so, I hope he/she goes back and re-does "Twilight." I'm just NOT a big fan of the movie, I think Catherine Hardawick might be a drug addict. She's a weirdo. I really do love the boy she cast as Jacob, though. He is exactly how I pictured Jacob as I read the books. Anyway, enough opinion. Now for some funnies:


And my favorite:

Emma is TWELVE!!

This is my adorable oldest, Emma Suzanne. She was 4 in these photos, but today she is 12!! She has grown so much and is such a wonderful young woman. Yesterday was her actual birthday and she had her FIRST SLEEPOVER. She's slept at a very limited amount of friends/families houses, but this is the first time she had a group of friends sleep at our house. I had my trepidation, but it has been a blast.


I am pleasantly surprised at Emma's friends. It appears that she's found a group of girlfriends at school that have parents as strict as I am. They spent some time trying to decide who's parents were the most strict last night, comparing when they'll be allowed to read TWILIGHT, watch PG-13 movies, talk to boys on the phone, etc. I'm glad to know that she has friends with parents that set limits. She had 2 school friends and 2 church friends over and all of them are well behaved and FUN. I stayed up until midnight, laughing at their antics. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of their skits, charades, and games. I did take some this morning of their home-made mask inventions:

Natalia (banana oatmeal), Sarah (avacado lime), Aven (strawberry banana), Emma (strawberry oatmeal) and Jordan (banana lime)

They laughed so hard as the masks they applied fell all over their clothes/the floor. I just followed behind with a mop.

When they washed the masks off, they all stroked each others faces, declared themselves genius mask makers and wrote down each other's "recipes." Pretty cute stuff.

It has been fun having these girls over. They all had a great time together and I hope we'll be hosting more birthday sleepovers in the years to come. I like the way 12 year olds act. And I like the taste of the strawberry banana mask.

Only 9 years?

Happy Anniversary to a cute couple that's been married 9 years! We sure love Justin and Tiffany and wish them an eternity more! It does seem like this little pair of cuties has been married longer than that, doesn't it?

Justin's Birthday

Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law, Justin!! I think this pic was taken about 30 years ago, of 1 year-old Justin and his big 4 year-old brother, Damian! Don'tcha love those curls?

Here are the two cuties again. It looks like Justin was an extremely happy baby and the more I look at these photos, the more I see his children in his features. What a cute baby.

Here they are, a little older. Is it any wonder that Ben's eyes disappear when he smiles? He takes after his dad, for sure! Justin has some lovely curls in this shot. His mom might have even pulled them back with clips, can't quite tell?!

These two brothers love each other and for that, I'm grateful. I'm grateful that Justin and his family live so close to mine. That my kids adore his and want to be with each other 24/7. I'm so thankful Justin married Tiffany, whom I adore. She really is so great and I'm thankful for her everyday. Now one question. Did the Idiart boys have to have that hair blow dried? It kinda looks that way. They really have perfectly coiffed hair with lots of "movement" and heighth.

Happy Birthday to a cute boy who turned into a wonderful man that we all love.

These are Damian and Justin's paternal grandparents, or Amatchi and Aitatchi as we call them in Basque. Amatchi is still living. You can tell Aitatchi is Al's father, they look a lot alike, don't they? I think Damian looks a lot like his Amatchi, to be honest with you. Cute lady. Sweet little boy. Ugly little turtleneck paired with short little shorts, but it was the 80's.

Lastly, my all-time favorite picture of the brothers (Jared wasn't born yet!). They are so sweet!

SERVICE BREAK

It's late Sunday Night and I hate to say it . . . I forgot to do the "Service" post with the family today. I mentioned this little error and Damian said, "I thought your service to the kids was to give them a break this week!" I guess he's not a big believer in the service posts.

So . . . this week I'm doing something different, but we'll do a double service entry during spring break, OK? So this is the deal:

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a lunch date with me. Where and when will be up to my whimsy, but it'll be good! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or be lazy and copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your lunchdate!

Just so you know, I did this on Facebook and only one person really got it. So I hope you all get it. I think Bloggers are smarter than Facers!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Ask your kid(s) these questions. If you have more than one ask them separately!
* Emma, Joshua, Rachel, Katrina, Benjamin

1. What is something mom always says to you?
E (12) NO! Have you done your homework, Is your room clean?
J (10) Did you practice piano?
R (8) Fold Laundry!
K (6) Clean your room!
B (5) SERVICE!!

2. What makes mom happy?
E (12) Chocolate, Daddy, Driving like a maniac
J (10) Her cooking, e-mail and everything that involves in Dad.
R (8) Chocolate, when I do her work, when I do all the chores
K (6) Daddy makes mom happy.
B (5) I fink it means she's SMILING.

3. What makes mom sad?
E (12) When her laptop went down
J (10) When you don't clean your room
R (8) If Dad dies
K (6) I’ve never seen her sad before!
Oh wait, she’s sad when she doesn’t have any candy to eat
B (5) If Daddy doesn't kiss her!

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
E (12) When she tries to act like me (a teenager) and she doesn’t succeed
J (10) NOTHING!
R (8) When she takes pictures, she says weird things
K (6) She never makes me laugh
B (5) Toots. And Emma. Like when Emma plays a game with her, she laughs.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
E (12) She was pale, nerdy and had big froggy glasses
J (10) DORKY and SKINNY
R (8) She had big glasses and she lived in Alaska
K (6) Weird! She looked weird
B (5) She liked Babydolls and BRATZ

6. How old is your mom?
E (12) 34, Old Enough!
J (10) Older than me
R (8) 34, I think
K (6) 34
B (5) 84 . . . 86??

7. How tall is your mom?
E (12) She is almost shorter than me . . . 5’2” or 5’3”
J (10) 5' 2"
R (8) 5’ 10” Is she taller than Mrs. Bjorge, because she's 5'1"
K (6) 5 feet
B (5) 86, 84 inches . . . How much inches is she?

8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?
E (12) Blog and spend time with her children
J (10) Eat chocolate when we are asleep
R (8) Go on the Computer
K (6) Go on the Laptop
B (5) Clean her room and have a dog

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
E (12) She listens to the stereo really loud, cleans and goes to SMART
J (10) I don't know, I'm not around!
R (8) Go to SMART or stay at home with Benny
K (6) Watch TV and go on the laptop
B (5) She sews

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
E (12) The Worlds Most Maniac Driver
J (10) Her famous cooking
R (8) Blogs
K (6) Lifeguarding
B (5) Singing

11. What is your mom really good at?
E (12) Entertaining people
J (10) Being a girl
R (8) Blogging
K (6) Swimming
B (5) Good at going potty and running

12. What is your mom not very good at?
E (12) Volleyball
J (10) Being a boy
R (8) Playing Dolls, because she never does that
K (6) Rollerskating and basketball
B (5) Building houses and lifting couches

13. What does your mom do for a job?
E (12) Be a Mom, after she quit teaching
J (10) Nothing
R (8) SMART/Benny
K (6) Clean the house
B (5) She helps everybody clean their room

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
E (12) Chocolate . . . also, spinach and stuff
J (10) Vegetables
R (8) Ice Cream
K (6) Everything except Brussel Sprouts!
B (5) Ice Cream

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
E (12) She’s a good cleaner and she’s good at TiVoing our shows
J (10) When she buys me stuff
R (8) She's good at working
K (6) When she's the singing teacher in Primary, I want her to do that again!
B (5) When she plays Xbox

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
E (12) Porqupine Mom from “Over the Hedge,” she’s bossy/overprotective
J (10) Clarabel Cow, the gossipy lady or Shrek's wife, b/c of her gas issues
R (8) Minnie Mouse because she has cute legs and wears high heels
K (6) Minnie Mouse because she is so cute
B (5) I fink she would be Super Woman or Superman's Girlfriend. Remember that Daddy loves Super Woman (He’s thinking of Linda Carter as Wonder Woman)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
E (12) She drives me to school. She talks and I listen to her talking
J (10) Clean my room
R (8) Brush my teeth and new braces
K (6) Clean
B (5) Play games and Hug!

18. How are you and your mom the same?
E (12) We don’t have any similarities except we’re both girls
J (10) We have the same genetics
R (8) We both are cute
K (6) We both like to swim!
B (5) We bof love Daddy, but Mommy loves Daddy WAY more than me.

19. How are you and your mom different?
E (12) We’re REALLY different in every way
J (10) She is a woman and I am a man (then uncontrollable giggling)
R (8) Different color hair and eyes
K (6) She has blue eyes and I don't!
B (5) I have blond hair, Mommy has brown. And Mommy has a blue dress and earrings.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
E (12) She makes me food
J (10) She gave birth to me
R (8) She says she loves me, that gives me proof
K (6) When I had lice, she took care of it for me
B (5) Cuz I clean her room for her and I'm cute

21. How do you know that your mom loves your dad?
E (12) She kisses him all the time in front of us
J (10) She tells us she does
R (8) She married him!
K (6) Cuz she got married to him!
B (5) Cuz Daddy Loves Her!

22. What does your mom like most about your dad?
E (12) His lips, obviously
J (10) His hair
R (8) He's a nice personality and he's handsome. And he's nice. And he's the best dad and husband in the world.
K (6) Everything!
B (5) He kisses Mommy on the lips! And the hugging

23. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
E (12) Anywhere with Daddy, without the kids . . . to try new restraunts, too
J (10) She likes to be ALONE in her bathroom
R (8) To the school
K (6) The School and Disneyland
B (5) Eat grass at the farn, I mean barn.

BBC Book Quiz

The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up? I've had my bookish nerdiness confirmed to me, with this quiz.

I've read 26, plus 21 more because they were part of the series (I added a '+' after titles that are series!!)

I noticed I've STARTED 12 on this list and put them down. . . I need to do more classic reading. . .the books take longer to read and they stretch my brain. Plus, if they're over 50 years old, chances are. . .they're clean/PG at worst. I hate reading smut. I need a vacation on a beach where I can catch up on my classics. Wouldn't that be nice?

Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
2) Put a % after those you've read a portion of.
3) Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE.
4) Star (*) those you plan on reading.
5) Tally your total read and put it in the title.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (%*)
2 The Lord of the Rings+ - JRR Tolkien (%)
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (%*)
4 Harry Potter+ - JK Rowling (x+)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (x)
6The Bible+ (x+)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (*)
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell (x)
9 His Dark Materials+ - Philip Pullman (x) I hated these, but read them all. They're evil.
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (*)
11 Little Women+ - Louisa M Alcott (x+)
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (%)
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (x+)
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (%)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier (*)
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien (%)
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk ( )
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (x)
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger ( )
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot ( )
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell (*)
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (%)
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens ( )
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy ( )
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (x)
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh ( )
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky ()
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck (x)
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll ( )
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame ( )
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy ( )
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens ( )
33 Chronicles of Narnia+ - CS Lewis (x)
34 Emma - Jane Austen (*)
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen (*)
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (x+)
37 Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (x) I hated this book, just in case you're wondering.
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres ( )
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden ( )
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (x)
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell (x)
42 The Da Vinci Code+ - Dan Brown (x+)
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez ( )
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving ( )
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins (*)
46 Anne of Green Gables+ - LM Montgomery (x+)
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy ( )
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood ( )
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding (x)
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan ( )
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel (x+)
52 Dune - Frank Herbert ( )
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons ( )
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen (*)
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth ( )
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon ( )
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (%)
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley ( )
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon ( )
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez ( )
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (x)
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov ( )
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt ( )
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold ( )
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (%I'm reading this right now, it's great!)
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac ( )
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy ( )
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding ( )
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie ( )
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville ( )
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens ( )
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker (x)
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett (+)
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson ( )
75 Ulysses - James Joyce ( )
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath ( )
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome ( )
78 Germinal - Emile Zola ( )
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray ( )
80 Possession - AS Byatt ( )
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (%)
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell ( )
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker (x)
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro ( )
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert ( )
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry ( )
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White (x+)
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom (x+)
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ( )
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton ( )
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad ( )
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery (x+)
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks ( )
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams ( )
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Toole ( )
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas (*)
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (%)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory+ - Roald Dahl (x+)
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (%)

Life is like a box of Chocolates . . .

A while back A freaking long time ago, I held a contest with chocolates from my local chocolatier as the prize. I'm finally getting around to sending the grand prize to my friend Nicole. You can read about the contest and the entries HERE. You can read about the cardboard earring she mentioned in her prize winning entry and see some new photos of my bad boy middle school friend John that I put up for his wife HERE.

Nicole's been waiting patiently for 2 months for me to send her prize. I wanted to take a photo of the little beauties. Here is the lovely box:

Here are the chocolates. Nicole wanted anything with nuts so I picked these out for her:

2 Macadamia Nut Ginger Chew, 2 Hazelnut Chews, 2 Walnut Chews, a Maple Ginger Walnut, 2 Pecan Chews, a Pistachio Cup, a Lavender Fleur de Sel (this one has no nuts, but it's the chocolatier's signature chocolate) and a Peanut Butter.

Now Nicole, I sent these already and hopefully you already got them and enjoyed them. Something has been eating at me. I think I'll get it off my chest: See that chocolate, second from the left on the top row? While I was taking the photo, the wind blew the box over. Only one chocolate dropped on my front porch. That little ding mark on the bottom left corner was from my concrete. I blew it off, no harm done, right? I hope you're not sick and convulsing from contaminated chocolates as you read this. Please forgive me for photography on a windy day being an idiot Idiart. If you're upset, I'll make you some cardboard earrings to make up for it.

I bought myself some Valentine's Chocolate since my husband didn't. I thought I'd go for the sale items: Blood Orange Dreamsicle White Chocolate Hearts and Dark Chocolate Bing Cherry Truffle Hearts. I hope yours were better than mine, Nicole. I ate the whole 5 pack and hardly even liked it. I was having a lot of guilt about dropping a piece of yours on my front porch. Maybe that's why.

They look pretty on the outside but were yucky on the inside. That's like life. I might look gorgeous on the outside, but if you chewed on my arm, or even my pinkie finger, you would not like the way I taste. Life is like a box of chocolates, so they say.

Date Night Shenanigans

As you know, Damian and I ALWAYS go on a date on Friday night. Lately, the kids have experienced a babysitting team like no other.



Our regular babysitter has been VERY busy and then had her appendix removed, so we tried a new gal. She brought her best friend/boyfriend (although he agreed to go home after the kids went to bed!)

These photos document what happened the first time they babysat. The kids appear to be doing typical kid things, and taking photos of their shenanigans.

Wait, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THEY DOING NOW? Apparently, it is HILAREOUS to dress the babysitter boy in "Pretty, Pretty Princess" Game Jewelry.

And Mom's clothes.

I will have say, that 2 for 1 babysitter combo DID gather the kids and read scriptures with them at bedtime. They then prayed with them before tucking them in. I was impressed and asked them to come again this week. I gave them money and they took the kids out to Ice Cream. I forgot to leave the camera "laying around" for them to document that adventure, but I heard Benjamin painted his face with his double scoop!

Service ~ Week 10

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to speak to our stake (made up of 9 congregations) this weekend. It was a special time. There are over 2,600 stakes in the world and it's not very often that an Apostle gets to visit. I went to church 2 hours early to save my family a bench . . . the very front bench was about all that was left, 2 hours early! We happened to all sit as close to Elder Perry as anyone could in the congregation. I was happy that the kids were all well behaved and listened so quietly.

I wanted to find a quote by Elder Perry about service for the entry this week. Instead I found some personal history about him that coincided with much of what was talked about at the meetings I attended. Elder Perry talked about his childhood and how he learned to work, as well as encouraging parents to teach their children to work. I'm going to really ponder and pray about how to do this better in our home. Here is the excerpt about Elder Perry's life that was inspirational to me:

Lowell Tom Perry was born 5 August 1922 in Logan, Utah, to Leslie Thomas Perry and Nora Sonne Perry. His father served as bishop for the first eighteen years of young Tom’s life, and then as stake president’s counselor and stake president for the next twenty. His mother was a counselor in the ward Relief Society presidency the whole time Tom lived at home. Through their actions, they taught their six children that it was a privilege and a blessing to serve. Their secret was to involve the children in their callings.

“Mother was a great one for compassionate service,” he says. “She went around all the time helping people who were having difficulty, and she liked to take us with her. She would put us to work washing windows, dusting furniture, cleaning rugs, doing things children could do without causing any difficulty.”

His father put the family to work in his calling, too. “The ward building was our second home—we were there so frequently. I mowed the church lawns, washed down the walls, and shoveled coal into the old furnace to heat the building.” And Tom and his mother helped with the ward financial reports, too."

Work at home was also a family project. Even though their father was an attorney and was at his office much of the day, they had a large yard, a cow, and a vegetable garden. Much of the responsibility went to Tom, the oldest boy, to help with the chores, in addition to his delivering newspapers in the neighborhood

It's funny because Damian (also an attorney) and I have been talking a lot about getting some animals for our two acres and we're planning a garden this year. We've even talked about started a family paper route to help the kids learn to work. I liked the idea of involving the kids in the parents church callings, too.

Damian: I cleaned the church and set up all the chairs for stake conference. (He also came home and did 5 loads of laundry, since I told him the night before that I QUIT doing laundry. Then the kids and I folded it all)

Sarah: I watched Marcus and Elise while their mom went and did a little service in the cannery. It was really fun and I’m grateful that I have such wonderful nieces/nephews. I just really love that little Elise. She is truly a joy. That afternoon I also taught Eliza, another niece, her piano lesson. She is almost done with the first set of piano books and works really hard at practicing and learning to play. She’s very fun to teach because she’s really willing to learn. I enjoy our time together. As soon as she finishes the books, I’m going to start Katrina in them. Probably next month.

Emma: I helped Aven Broesder babysit on Thurs. night and I got to spend the night, so that was fun. The next morning, was Friday (a Teacher Work Day). Chelsea (the mom) helped us make burn piles. We burned all the weeds in their yard. That was something I’ve never done before.

Joshua: Every time Benjamin wants to sleep in my room (which is ALMOST every night) I help him get a sleeping bag and sleep next to my bed. I try to be patient and kind to him. He pretty much always wants to be with me, so I try and include him when I do things and have friends over.

Rachel: This week I went to Aunt Christine’s house with Emma and Nina to baby sit Marcus and Elise. I had a fun time. We watched Curious George and I read a Tarzan book to Marcus. We also played “Go Fish.” I played with Elise and I read scriptures to everybody. Then Nina and I went with Marcus to his room. We laid in his room so he could go to sleep. We slept over. In the morning, I helped Marcus get dressed for church and sort of fed Elise. I hope I can baby sit for them again! And I got braces this week, too!

Katrina: This week I helped Emma and Rachel baby sit Marcus and Elise. I had a fun time there. And I played with Elise and her toy kitchen. And I had a fun time playing with Elise and Marcus. And I had fun watching Curious George. I like babysitting Marcus and Elise. And I hope I can baby sit them again when I am older.

Benjamin: I didn’t do any service!
Mom: What about when you helped Katrina make the beds?
Ben: I didn’t help her, SHE HELPED ME!!
Mom: What exactly did you do?
Ben: I just put all the blankets back on people’s beds.
Mom: What is that job is called, when you put blanket back on the bed?
Ben: That’s called . . . Ninja.
Mom: No, that’s called MAKING THE BEDS!
Ben: HU?? (Then he did some smooth Ninja moves with his PVP Marshmallow Shooter) I fought you said, NINJA and I don’t knee-member what else we did.

Basketball Divas

The two cutest girls playing Junior Comet Basketball: Eliza and Rachel Idiart on the Cougar Team . . . coached by their Uncle/Dad . . . Damian and Justin (with cousin/brother Josh as assistant!)

Here's Rachel getting ready to recieve a pass . . .

She shoots . . . She SCORES!!

As her fans look on! (Annie & Katrina Idiart with Mary Nadauld)

Coach Damian giving Eliza some sort of special instructions. I like her cool foot work and his funny face . . . I don't know if you can tell (mom) but Damian lost 15 lbs this last month . . . He's a hottie, I know.

This team is so eager and adorable. They listen to Damian's every word and practice all sorts of "plays." It's quite INTENSE and they're very serious about their game. A few of them run down the court with all their energy, enthusiam and arms/legs flailing. I laugh out loud each time I watch a game. They're so cute!

Four of my Favorites

A few days ago 4 of my favorites celebrated a special day. Damian's baby brother Jared and his beautiful wife have been married . . . aw shucks . . . I don't know how many years . . . but it was their anniversary! Let's see, which pregnancy was it that I looked so fat at their wedding? It must have been early on with Katrina . . . so they've been married for 7 years! Aren't they so cute?! Don't they not even look old enough to be married, let alone have 2 adorable babies?

I know you've seen this photo before . . . Christine all excited about Elise's Christmas Stroller. . . Christine, I am so grateful you said, "YES!" to Jared. I know he had to pursue you for quite awhile and I'm so glad he did. I adore you. I love your baby girl too. She's my favorite ALL TIME Chunky Monkey. I loved babysitting her today. She let me cuddle her all morning. I just gobbled her neck, growled with her and snuggled her. We watched an old AMC movie and giggled for the whole 2 hours. Thank you for creating such a masterpiece in Elise. She is an angel on earth and I heart her. Thank you for being such an important part of our family. Thank you for being a great friend and sister. Thank you for loving my kids like they were your own. Thank you for being such a good Mommy to my sweet Marcus Boy and Elisie. I love you.

Here are the two cutest boys. Sorry Jared, I'll always think of you as a boy. I know you hold this family together and all that, but three words say it all: "Credit Card Shwipe!" This is your anniversary card so I just want to say, "Thank you for picking a sister for me that I LOVE, as your wife." And Jared . . . I love you just as much as I love Christine. You two are so fun to be around, you're both so kind and your lives are so full of service for others. I really wish Damian and I were going to Mexico with you two. I've decided that I'll just keep your kids for you, though. OK? I really did have so much fun with them today and they were perfect angels. If I can't come with you, at least leave the best parts of you with me. I do love them!

Service ~ Week 9

President Gordon B. Hinckley said that those who reach out to lift and serve others “will come to know a happiness . . . never known before . . . Heaven knows there are so very, very, very many people in this world who need help. Oh, so very . . . many. Let’s get the cankering, selfish attitude out of our lives, my brothers and sisters, and stand a little taller ad reach a little higher in the service of others.”

Damian: I love being Rachel’s basketball coach. She is beautiful, I love watching her run down the court, look for me and then smile. She is beautiful just like her mother. Coaching Rachel makes the time go by very quickly, I could not imagine a more enjoyable time than to be with my daughter and watch her develop her talents.

Sarah: The 4th grades put on a concert/play celebrating the Oregon Trail Migration and Oregon’s 150th year of statehood. I helped the choir teacher round up 15 Pioneer girl costumes and that many hats for the boys (mostly from my friends that went on the Pioneer Reenactment Trek we went on this summer!) I took pictures for the school yearbook. Everyone looked so cute and the girls really enjoyed their cute little costumes! It was nicely done and fun to be a part of.

Emma: I helped my friend Breanna make a backdrop for her newscast at school. I had to use my fingers, since they ran out of brushes! I had to paint all the little people and the sun. I did it before school and during my lunch hour. She was really grateful, since she got it finished in time!

Joshua: I made a double layered chocolate cake with Ben. We were having the missionaries over for dinner. Everyone really liked it, especially Daddy and the elders. Mom’s secret is grease the pans with Crisco and then flour them. You have to blend the cake with a hand mixer and don’t overbake! Benny really liked licking the beaters!

Rachel: I helped Nina with her homework this week. We did math and reading. She didn’t really need that much help because she’s so smart. I also played school with Nina, later on in the week. We both want to be kindergarten teachers when we grow up. Emma wants to be a teacher, too. It’s funny because our mom was a teacher. The boys both want to be lawyers like our Daddy!

Katrina: Me and Rachel worked on organizing our bathroom drawers. We used to have our own, but now we’ve decided to share them. We took out all our stuff, cleaned it, sorted it and organized it. It was really fun. Now we have a toothbrush drawer. We keep our floss, fluoride pills and toothpaste/brushes in there. Our next drawer is the taller one. We use that for all our make-up, lotions, nail polish, perfume and sprays. We’ve always shared our bottom drawer for our hair supplies, but we cleaned that out, too. Then, we cleaned the toilet together and mom cleaned the sink. Our bathroom is really nice and tidy now.

Benjamin: I helped Daddy. I gived him the 60 watt and 100 watt light bulbs and I taked the covers for the lights to Josh and Mommy to wash them. I throwed the paper light bulb covers away, too. And throwed away the old light bulbs. Carefully, so they wouldn’t break. And when Daddy dropped stuff, like the screws, I found them in the dark carpet. Because he says I have Eagle Eyes.