25 Days Until Christmas!

Christmas is coming. I have been in denial but the kids cajoled and the tree went up this evening. I even did a little bit of shopping this afternoon and found a couple of things for Ed. In what has become an annual tradition, Charlie took his spot under the tree the moment the skirt was put in to place. He is so funny - he thinks it's all for him. He gets so irritated when gifts take up his space so we let him enjoy it for now.

This is the new tree that I bought after Christmas last year. I only saw the photo on the box so I'm glad it looks as nice as it does. This was a $170 tree that I bought on clearance at Roberts for $14.99 last January. Finally - a prelit tree! Yea!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

What I am Thankful For ...

As I sit here waiting for the banana cream pie filling to cool so I can assemble the pie, I think now is the perfect time to reflect on what I am thankful for in this moment.

~My husband, who works so hard to provide for me and the kids. He doesn't always get the recognition that he deserves but he sacrifices a lot for us.

~Healthy kids.

~My kitchen and great room. There are still mornings when I walk down the hall and catch my breath when I see where I get to live. I love the wide open space that was designed to work for all of the people we love.

~Family and friends. We have been blessed with an abundance of family and friends who love and support us.

~The view from my kitchen sink window. I love to look out the window and stare at the gorgeous Wasatch Mountain range. Even though it's from a distance now that we are on the other side of the valley, I think I appreciate the expansiveness of the mountains more now that I see them from a distance.

~Living in a country where we can exercise freedom of speech and explore the endless possibilities. This hasn't been the best year for our country economically but there is always hope here.

~Music. I love music and have been fortunate to see some of my favorite artists perform live. I love my iPod. I love the memories that are triggered by certain songs, and the bonding that comes about because of those memories.

~Time. I am thankful for the time that I have been given. I appreciate that life isn't fair and some people are taken far too young. I find myself missing those who have gone before me every day, yet I am grateful for the time that I have to raise my children, expand my knowledge, love my family, etc. It's important to be thankful for the gift of each day ... even the bad ones!

What are you thankful for?

Coldplay - Up Close and Personal

Coldplay Concert

Ed and I had a busy Saturday. As soon as the Utah-BYU game ended, we changed our clothes and headed off to the ESA to see Coldplay in concert. We decided to make a full get-away with both events in one day and spent the night at the Little America hotel.

Coldplay put on an amazing show. This was the opening ...Chris Martin was an amiable and entertaining front man. Little did we know that as entertaining as the show had been to this point, something even bigger was about to happen.We didn't have great seats - so we thought! They were in the back corner section of the arena. They weren't cheap by any means, but they weren't close to the stage either. Midway through the concert, we noticed our section was being roped off along the end of the rows. Then Ed pointed out a microphone stand being place a few rows above us. Sure enough, the entire band walked to the back of the arena floor, walked up the stairs, and performed 2 songs just feet away from us! It was amazing. Chris Martin sang a gorgeous acoustic rendition of "The Scientist" - one of my favorite Coldplay songs.They finished off the concert with an encore of "Yellow". I could have listened to them play all night so I was sad to see it end, but not disappointed at all with the performance. They put on an incredible live show. Toward the end, thousands of tissue paper butterflies were released from the rafters - it was so thick, you couldn't see the musicians through them. They were made of all different colors and there were fans blowing so they looked real as they fluttered and hung in the air. I tried to get photos of it but none of them turned out well enough to do it justice.

Rivalry Week

I graduated from Westminster college in a time when the only campus sports teams were soccer and lacrosse, unless you counted the Utah Jazz using the gym for their practice facility. Because I worked on the University of Utah campus, and the rebel in me enjoyed rooting for the team that my dad and brother were not, I have cheered for the Utes in good years and bad. Rivalry games in 2006 and 2007 were particularly disheartening. 2008 was the season that gave hope to defeating the Cougars and capping off a perfect season. Ed took a rare Saturday off from work and we enjoyed the game together.

Utah quarterback Brian Johnson was awesome. Our team came out looking focused and moved the ball down the field with determination.

I'm not big on trash talk but I got a great laugh from my friend Aaron in North Carolina when he sent me a text message saying, "I love Max Hall. I sure hope he returns next year to play for the U again!" 5 interceptions and a fumble by the BYU quarterback certainly changed the tenor of the game and lead to the final score 48-24, Utah!

Sorry Dad and Trent ... but Quest has no Y in it! You'll probably be back on top next year since most of the major players for the Utes will be graduating. It was a great season to be a University of Utah fan.

Veterans Day

Pause today to give thanks for the members of our Armed Forces, past - present - future.

Girlfriends

Michelle Crowton and Tami Acord Nelson both have birthdays this week. We celebrated last night at the Canyon Inn. The four of us have known each other since the 7th grade (some earlier than that) so we have been friends for 25 years! L-R: Lisa Holbrooke Childers, me, Tami Acord Nelson, Michelle Smith Crowton

Show and Teach

Harrison was the Star Student in his class last week so we had to make a poster with highlights about his life and he was responsible for teaching his class how to create something on Friday. He taught his class how to make jingle bell ornaments and did a great job walking them through the steps. I came along for moral support and to assist if needed but he had to do all of the talking.

The finished product - that was one noisy classroom! Great job teaching, Harrison!

Watching History Being Made

Nation Elects First Black President -

It is heartening to see a candidate win who campaigned on the premise of hope rather than fear, who understands it's more important to form alliances than to insist on being right. There are great challenges ahead for our country, but I am hopeful and proud. The opportunity for growth and improvement is here. There is no such thing as "true parts of America" but only the "United States of America" and it is together that we will rise or fall.

My kids have actively participated in this presidential campaign and have had passionate discussions at school about their chosen candidates. I am proud of their understanding of our electoral system and grateful to live in a country where they can raise their voices and be heard. As we witness history being made, I am emotional and grateful.

Dear Edwina ...

The musical production that Maddie has a role in, "Dear Edwina" will be performed November 20-22 at Fort Herriman Middle School. I'll post details about tickets as soon as I get information.

Election Day

If you haven't already, let your voice be heard and VOTE TODAY!

Halloween 2008 Wrap-Up

It turned out to be a damp Halloween night but that didn't keep the kids inside. Maddie went trick-or-treating with a group of friends and then came back to our house with them to watch a movie. She was our little pirate this year.

Harrison and Olivia went around our neighborhood with me. They were both so polite with their thank you's, they had several neighbors give them extra candy. Harrison had his bucket filled to the top so Mom ended up carrying it the last couple of blocks. Here he is, surveying the goods.

Olivia was thrilled with the haul she made. She had it all sorted and then shoved it back in the bag! She isn't supposed to eat certain candy because of her braces but she assures me there isn't enough caramel in a Twix bar to break a bracket. We'll see.

Harrison was diligent and studious as he sorted through his candy. He pulled out every item that he can't eat because of his orthodontic device and then counted them out evenly to be fair to mom and dad! He is such a sweetheart.