I am losing my mind

Saturday I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items for a birthday dinner in honor of Mom Barlow who passed away this year. I got my few items and left quickly. I got a call Sunday that I had left my wallet in the cart and someone had turned it in (thank goodness for honest people the week before Christmas). So, I did not tell Tracy because he gets so mad that I don't carry a purse anyway because I do stupid things like that................So.............today I went back that grocery store to get my wallet and pick up a few more things to make neighbor gifts. I got my things quickly and left. I went to my mom's made the popcorn and then on the way home Anna and I wanted to stop and get a drink and I could not find my wallet in the car............yes.........you guessed it left it at the same grocery store again when I went to pick it up. So........I sheepishly went into the store knowing full well I was going to have to ask the same customer service girl that I left my wallet again praying that it was there and thankfully it was a new girl and YES IT WAS THERE!!! How could I be so lucky. I did tell Tracy and he thinks his wife is losing her mind.....and he lectured me about a purse :) So.. since he has bought me like 6 purses over the past 10 years I decided I better start using them. I won't always be so lucky.

Temple Square!

We have a tradition (along with 50 thousand other people) of going down and seeing the lights on Thanksgiving Weekend. Usually we go with other family but this year it was just the four of us and we had so much fun. It was unusually warm and we had a blast spending the day together.

With the Flash

Without the FlashWe loved this Blue Tree at the Gateway.....so Cool!!!

It Snowed!!!!!!

Finally...........it feels like Christmas. I do not know people do Christmas without snow. When I lived in Hawaii.........It never was Christmas. I love snow in Demember and then it all needs to go away (is that a little to demanding?)

(Please forgive the ending.......if my husband gets an audience he gets ugly)

That's a lot of effort for Jell-o......

This was the quote and family joke for our Thanksgiving Meal. I know these are a bit late I do have a couple more but I stole these photos from my Sister-in-laws blog because it was so funny to me that she posted it. One of my assignments for Thanksgiving Dinner was a Jello Salad (I am sorry we are Mormons and what is a good meal without Jello right?) I digress........So, I every year I would make this Jello for my Mom in law (I hate that phrase) my Mom every Thanksgiving and since she passed away this year I thought I would still do it for my family. It takes about 7 hours to get it done and my husband just kept saying...."That is a lot of effort for Jello." It did taste great and looked even better. Joann took a picture of it so I share with you my "High-effort Jello Salad"

(Twelve Layers of Jello goodness)

Decorating the tree...........

These pictures are not great.....I don't think Christmas Trees ever photograph as pretty as they are (unless you're Macy Robison and have mad photography skills). So here is my sad attempt of photos of the tree and my fam decorating it. Notice where Anna is..........typical for her. (By the way this was done weeks ago. When your husband decorates people's houses for Christmas for his job.....I have to get him to do mine before he is worn out and sick of it).

I think Christmas Lights are my favorite part of the Christmas Season.....on a tree, on a house, on a reindeer.....who cares......if it is covered in lights it makes it special.

I am not sure about this............

I kind of love that he can do it and that is makes him so happy..........but it also completely freaks me out that he is DRIVING THE RHINO. Granted my dad is sitting right next to him but seriously........HE IS BIG ENOUGH TO DRIVE THE RHINO!!!!!. I am getting Old!!!!

(this is my first video post. I got a new camera and I figured out how to use it has a video camera...love it)

"Festival of Trees" Bear Lake Style

Bear Lake held it's very First "Festival of Trees" this year and we stopped by while we were up there to check it out. Bless their souls for trying it was serious so cute. There were 12 trees and Tracy's thinks they had a $10.00 decorating budget limit. It was so funny. We got to see Santa though and so it made it worth it.

Here is Dad looking at the Fabulous Trees picking his favorite for the contest:

They had a tree for the kids to decorate however they wanted and since it was our kids, Mia and 2 other kids they had so much fun......

The Finish Product--- isn't it GORGEOUS!!!! (Hayden was very serious about it, of course)

Mom and Dad waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for Santa to arrive!!

Dialogue: Anna "Santa I want makeup for Christmas" Santa: "Aren't you too little for Makeup?" (Thank You Santa for reinforcing my point). She thinks she is 16.

This was a very serious conversation with my Hayden. He takes Christmas VERY seriously. I think this is our last year of the Santa thing with him (frankly I am surprised we have this year).

So-- I have to speak in Stake Conference.................the end

The Birthday Party

So.....these are a few days late but we finally had Anna's much anticipated Belle Birthday Party a couple of weekends ago. My sweet Belle from my musical this summer came and got in the costume and she was seriously like magic. She could work at Disneyland for the rest of her life and never get sick of it. I didn't really even need to be there. She was AMAZING with those girls. She helped them with their craft and played games and was just all around magical. Anna was in Heaven (my niece Mia was a close second, she loves Belle too). Here are some of the photos we had taken. We did a picture of each girl with Dana (Belle) and we had them developed during the party and then they got to take them home in a Frame Belle helped them make. It was fun.

Belle and the Birthday Girl

Belle helping with the Frame Project

All of our sweet Party Guests.....Taylor, Kenna, Annie, Ciara, Haven, Quincee, Mia & Madison

I had to put this picture in because I loved it so. He is so funny. He was a very patience brother with all "Princess Girl Stuff" and a great helper (like always). Yesterday my sister in law commented that he has an old soul in that little boy body and she is so right. He is such a great kid.

Good times!!

Halloween Fun"ness"

We had loads of Halloween Fun"ness" this week. Here a look at the Happenings:

The Costumes:

Indiana Jones (doesn't he look happy? He is getting to that "don't take my picture Mom" stage)

Barbie's Mariposa (She has been wearing this costume for a week, she loves it)

Burton Elementary (not our school) has a great Halloween Carnival every year and it has gotten so big they have moved it to Davis High School so we went with the Fuller's and had such a great time. I left my camera in the car (oops) but I did get a picture of their face painting (that we waited in line for 45 minutes to get done, 2000 kids and 2 face painters not great planning. Hayden got a scorpian on his face and Anna had a beautiful purple butterfly (that is what she called it).

Carving Pumpkins: We didn't get a chance to do this until Halloween Day (not my favorite part of Halloween) but luckily the kids did not have school on Hallowenn due to the end of the term and so we spent the morning carving pumpkins. My kids are getting old enough to clean the guts out of their own pumpkin. I love that (this is why I am having a hard time having another baby) self sufficient and independent children.

We did have a lot of fun this week. I have fun video of the School Halloween Parade on my phone but I don't know how to get it off there......so you will have to trust me..........they were cute.

I also came across a new lie to tell my children that I just love. I was watching the Today Show on Halloween morning and they were talking fun Halloween things and the lady mentioned the Switch Witch. I was like what the crap is that? So, I continued watching and found out that the Switch Witch will take all Halloween Candy and "Switch" it for a great little present. I thought this was genius. All that Candy to torture them and us in crabbiness from the sugar. So, I have been talking up the Switch Witch in ear shot of my kids and both have decided (of their own accord) to give their candy to the Witch. (Really I did not push this I just let them hear about it and they decided). So, I left them keep 8 pieces of their 100 pieces of candy (I swear people were dumping candy into their bags) and we are Switching tonight. I LOVE IT. It gets all that junk out of my house away from them and me. I just have to decide what to do with the candy now. I know there is an organization that ships Halloween Candy to our Soldiers to give to the kids in countries all over the world but I need to find out who it is. I hate it to just be dumped. So, I am off to buy Switch Witch Gifts (which to me will be worth every penny). We are trying to be healthy in our house.

Personalities------

To show to difference in personalities of our various children I offer up an example from our ride in the car yesterday;

Those of you with preschoolers or kindergarteners are probably familiar with the little poem entitled, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?" Then it goes on forever through all the colorful animals and what they see.

So- In the car yesterday Anna starts singing this song and she is going back and forth with Hayden taking turns doing the different animals when she starts singing "Stinky Fish Stinky Fish what do you see? I see a Stinky Mommy Looking at Me!"


To that Hayden responses, "Beautiful Earth Beautiful Earth what do you see? I see beautiful mountains looking at me!"

Hence: one who appreciates trying to make people laugh (or mad) and one who appreciate the world around him. I was laughing at the difference in my kids. I am learning how to parents such different personalities. I kind of have Hayden figured out up to this point (it's because he is so much like me) but Anna is a complete mystery to me. It's because she is just like Tracy and I have not figured him out yet after 10 years of marriage

Anna Elizabeth Barlow

If I could post one picture that summed up my daughter the best it would be this one:

With a knife in her hand and all. She is crazy, fun, smart, a real fire-cracker and a great performer. She loves her friends and loves school. She loves to sing and dance and with the lungs that child has I am hoping she will develope a great voice because she sure loves to sing. She turned six on Tuesday and we had two fun family parties. We are having a party with her friends next Satuday and will post pictures then. We sure love her and she brings a spark that we would so miss without her.

Let Preface this with I DON"T BAKE

So......today is Anna's 6th Birthday (photos and festivities to follow) and she wanted a Belle Cake. We are doing a Belle party with her friends next week and my Belle from Beauty and Beast is coming......I digress.......so I have this big problem with cakes. They NEVER turn out and I mean never. I do cookies and that is about it. (Great cook, horrible baker) So, Since you can't buy these cakes I knew I was going to have to make it and I read many a website on suggestions and how to do this. I felt prepared...................as long as I could get the dumb cake out of the pan. It is not the preparation that is the problem,.......it is getting the cake out. ( I know you all have suggestions on how to do this.........I know I have tried them all.......cakes just hate me). So I tried and of course the cake came out in 3 pieces so I used my mother manipulation power (which I hate to use) and convinced Anna that cupcakes (which are only slighty better then cakes) are the way to go. She agreed. I sent her on her merry way to school and I started feeling sad. She wanted that Belle cake and this is probably the last year she will even like princesses. She is getting so mature you know. So, I made A TON of frosting and went to work. It is not the world's best Princess Cake but my daughter has a princess Cake:

Yes, there are a few holes without frosting because I was trying to make ruffles and yes, there is a tiny bit of frosting in her lucious locks, and yes, I did BREAK the legs off the Barbie to get it to fit (yes, I know I have to buy her a new one to replace) HOWEVER, she has a Barbie Cake and I am just praying that her 6 year old brain is happy with it. (I sent a picture to Tracy and he called me back giggling, how rude). Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

p.s. for the party next week I am buying a cake from Bowman's. So There!!!!

We finished with Savior of the World tonight and it was miraculous. So many amazing little moments and some incredible one too. I wish I could tell them but most are too personal and sacred to share on a public blog but this work is a gift and it is strongest in the sharing of it. I came home to an email from a dear friend of mine who sent me this email and it was the perfect ending to a perfect experience.

"I came to Savior of the World tonight more because I felt like my heart needed a boost. And I pretty much bawled the whole time. Please tell your cast thank you from an audience member who sincerely needed and is grateful for the wonderful spirit they brought to the performance. It was beautiful."

Here are some of my favorite moments:

Savior of the World

Our Stake Production of Savior of the World that I have been working on since June opens this weekend. It has been such an interesting process all along the way. It started out really rough. The folks that showed up on a whole were not what you would call "seasoned performers" by any stretch of the imagation. We have a stake full of singers and performers and very few of those showed up. However, let me say that never in my life have a seen people put more heart and love into a project then this group of people have put into this show. We have had to really work at this show. Work on learning how to read music and how to create a believeable character on stage (we are still working on this with some) along the way remembering what this show really is about; a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. This is what I learned that this show was about for this group. It was about learning to trust each other. Trust that we all would be there to support each other when things came tumbling down and trusting in the Lord to even make it all possible. We have hit wall afterwall in this show and we have pulled together as a group and made it all happen. From only having enough men to have 4 apostles in the beginning to having ALL of our costumes given away to another Stake and lot's of other weirdness-- we have made it through it all and we have created together our simple yet powerful testimony. I have learned so much about myself and about my Savior through working on this project and will always be grateful for the opportunity I was given to do it.

Rehearsals Pix:

I should not be this excited....

I realize it is probably a sickness that I get this excited for a television show to start but after the week I have had nothing sounds better then sitting and watching one of two things. 1. Really great dancing or really bad dancing. Both hold equal love in my heart. I am excited about this season too. Fun stars................and Maxx is back people!!!!!

My sister and the Blog.....

My sister McKell is doing an internship in Washington DC and we as her family have begged her do a blog while she is there so we can keep up on her many adventures. She has thus far been resistent to the blog. So......I being the good sister that I am have set up a blog for her and will be updating it with lot's of embarrassing adventures and photos until she decides to start blogging it herself. Please feel free to visit her blog and encourage her to blog her life to us.

Her blog address is: www.is-this-happening.blogspot.com

Thank You for your help with this matter!!

Musical Summer '09

So I finally decided on a musical for next summer. Usually I know before this but I had a hard time deciding this year. We have done such HUGE shows the last two years with HUGE casts that I was ready for something REALLY different with a SMALLER cast. We have gone through about 5 different choices and not until a friend said to me, "you need do a tapping show again" did it hit me. This is the show for this year. 1920's (great costumes) tapping (I have a great choreographer) small cast (around 30) and it is fun and not overly complicated (okay the dancing is but my part is not). That's what I need in my life right now......oh yea and no kids in the cast (this I really need). I know this show will cut out a few of my "regulars"for lack of a better word but I am really looking forward to doing this show. It is one of Jess' favorites and Christine loves to costumes time periods so we are going to be good this year. I am very excited. So, those of you that tap and want to come and play this summer-- we are auditioning in the first of April this year. YEA!!!!

A story follow up.....by the cutest boy ever!!

I was cleaning out Hayden's backpack tonight and came across the following art project. (frequent readers of this blog will hopefully be able to see the event that is portrayed in the artwork).

It took me a minute to figure out what this was but you will see the brown car is my dad's tahoe that was pulling the trailer. He even has the series of events with the set wall hitting the three different places on the van following behind. When I realized what it was I nearly cried I was laughing so hard. He is so freakin cute. Tracy came up to see what I was laughing about and we were both were rolling on the floor. These little minds are so impressionable. I later found out they had a free draw during art and could draw whatever they wanted and my sweet little Hayden drew the dramatic events of our week. I realize it affected them as much as it did me. What a great kid!!!