i love cake

Anyone who has ever tried to get tickets to the highly popular and much anticipated Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert knows how hard it can be to get tickets, and once in hand they are worth more than their weight in gold (well actually more than that as tickets don't really weigh very much!).  Well, I ended up with two extra tickets (don't ask, it's a long story).  So not wanting to see these precious possessions go to waste, I logged onto ksl.com classifieds only to see that about 1 million people had posted "wanted" ads for tickets.  Desperate, desperate people.  Some willing to pay money, others willing to give up first-borns.  I chose the first one I saw, a woman named Lisa, and sent her a message, "Hi, I have some extra tickets if you are interested."  Well, to say the least, she was interested.  She came to my home night before last to pick them up, but she did not arrive empty handed.  No.  This thoughtful and generous and grateful woman had brought us a cake.  But not just any cake.  No.  She brought us a "Nothing Bundt Cakes" cake.  A glorious chocolate, chocolate chip confection adorned with delectable butter cream frosting.  Look at the photo - isn't it beautiful?!  Almost too beautiful to eat.  Almost.  But fortunately we have managed to consume the entire thing (minus one piece saved for Brooke - don't worry Brooke, it's in the fridge with a big 'DO NOT EAT!' note stuck to it).

I love thoughtful people.

I love cake.

matthew's 8th birthday

Today our Matthew turned 8-years-old. What a busy and amazing day it has been! Not only is it his birthday, but he got the rare opportunity to be baptized on his birthday. I must say it was the best baptismal service I've ever been to (and I'm certainly not biased!).

(December 6th is also Dutch Christmas which we celebrate since we are dutch. He woke up to his wooden shoes full of dutch goodies from Sinter Klaas and Black Pete! It was a good start to a great day!)

Raegan brought her harp and played prelude and postlude.  Click to watch and listen!

These adorable boy cousins are all the same age - all born within a year. We were missing one more - Henry who lives in Pennsylvania.

They sang, "When Jesus Christ Was Baptized".

After the baptism we had everyone over to our home for lunch. I stopped counting at 50 people so I know there were at least that many! I was surprised at how unstressful it was (thanks to the good weather and the boys being able to go out back for a game of football!). Here are some of the "girl cousins" (there are 60 cousins just on one side!).

Dinner at Matthew's favorite restaurant where he got to open his presents. Forget Kung Fu Panda wii game or the Indiana Jones Whip complete with DVD and sound effects, his favorite present was his very own set of scriptures. He carried them around with him everywhere the rest of the night!

have you ever wondered (#3)....

....what naughty things your children are doing when you are not around?  I don't wonder anymore.  Now I know.

Case in point - a conversation in the van last week with Matthew and Adam:

Matthew: Mom, do robbers go to heaven?

Me: Well, I'm not really sure but I suppose if they stop being a robber and start being good then they will probably go to heaven.

Adam: Mom, will I go to heaven?

Me: If you are a good boy and choose the right then I'm sure you will go to heaven.

Adam: Okay, I'll start being a good boy. I won't hit Matthew, or slap Matthew, or kick him in the p***s (boy part) anymore!  


Well, I didn't know that was going on!

have you ever wondered (#2).....

...what your cel phone would look like if you (accidentally) ran over it with your Honda Odyssey? Three times?

I don't wonder anymore. Now I know.

have you ever wondered....

....what your high school yearbook picture would look like if you had been in school back in 1950? 1962? 1986?

Well, I don't wonder anymore. Now I know......

Here I am in 1952. You can call me June. June Cleaver.

1960

I look much more mature in my glasses. Oh, how I wished I had saved those.

1966
That bouffont is the bomb.

1968

Oh my! The year I was born.

1972

1978
I have often wondered how I would look if I were a woman of color (with a 'fro). Hmm, not bad!

1980

"The Love Boat" look (loved that show!).

1984
Think Flashdance.

1990
This is actually (spookily) close to how I looked in high school! (Except I don't think I looked quite so photoshopped in real life.....did I Brett?)


1992

This must have been taken before my chin surgery. Whew, glad I got that fixed! And the hair...well, it was kind of an awkward time for me.

1994

I guess I went a little crazy with the bronzer that day.

1996

Okay, if YOU want to waste as much time on your computer as I have on mine today, click here. It's good for a few laughs!

she did it!

It's a fact I must come to grips with....I have a child old enough to vote. (I know, I know, she is almost 20. It's okay Maryanne - you are still young, you are still young, you ARE......)

She was SO excited she showed up at the polls at

6:45 a.m.!

witch hunt

Halloween wouldn't be complete without a witch hunt at Gardner Village. The place is full of whimsical witches all acting quite.....silly - one riding a bike across a tight-rope, one crashing into the side of an old grain silo, one begging passers-by for some chocolate, another for a kiss (one even sitting in the outhouse reading her newspaper - her name is "Witchy-Poo"!). The funnest part for the kids is the "hunt" where they need to search for certain witches around the grounds, write down their location, and then, once they've found them all, they can trade in their completed Witch Hunt paper for a delicious chocolate chip cookie!

Needless to say, we found all but ONE witch. Oh you "Witch-who-is-afraid-of-a-mouse"....where were you?! We looked everywhere for you! You must have been SO very afraid of that silly mouse that you just ran away. Far away. Oh well, the nice lady at The Neighborhood Bakery had sympathy on us cold and tired witch-hunters and gave us our cookies anyway.

A trip to Gardner Village would not be complete without a visit to The Neighborhood Bakery for some pumpkin sugar cookies and a couple of sprinkle doughnuts!

A few of the locals - these ladies are real witches! I just know they are.

I think I could become friends with this witch - she and I seem to have something in common - the willingness to do almost anything for some chocolate. (I asked her if dark was her favorite, like me, but she wouldn't answer me. Kind of a rude witch, I'd say....maybe I don't want to be her friend!)

recital

Matthew: "Mom, if I go blind before my piano recital do I still have to do it or can I cancel?"

here we go again.....

Bleah.

like mother, NOT like daughter

This morning I went for my usual Saturday morning run. And as usual, at about 10 minutes into it, I was already wanting to be done. I grumbled to myself the whole time because I was too cold, then I was too hot, then I was too cold. I was tired, I was hungry, and I had a cramp in my side. I pretty much hated every single minute of it. I finally grudgingly finished out my 3 miles and was thrilled to have it behind me.

About 2 hours later, Brooke called me....

"Mom, I went running this morning and I swear I could have run another marathon! I was loving every minute of it. It was nice and cool, perfect weather, and wonderful! After running for over an hour I thought to myself that maybe I should stop, even though I really didn't want to. But I decided it probably wouldn't be that good for me to run for very much longer since I'm not training for anything right now. So I went back home but I really could have just kept going and going and going!"

Whatever.

This, my dear Brooke, is why you run marathons and your mother doesn't.

The day I've been waiting for...

Look what just arrived in my mailbox! I love casting my vote by mail - it's simplifying at its best! Sitting at my kitchen counter in my jammies, casting my vote for the next President of the United States. Not that my vote here in Utah counts or makes any difference whatsoever, but it's nice to think that I'm helping shape the future of our country. It is a nice thought. Sigh....

What a crazy presidential election this has been. Honestly, I am sick of it and am SO ready for it to be over! All I can do at this point is fill in the oval and cross my fingers (for what, I'm not really sure).

May the best man (and woman) win! ;)

Mitt Romney has asked that I do not write in his name.

Darn it Mitt! Sigh (again).....

like mother, like daughter

To my darling daughter Raegan,

I PROMISE that next time you are going to a school dance I will NOT be sewing on your dress while your date is sitting upstairs waiting. I know, I know - he was waiting for a long time. A really long time! Yes, I do remember this exact same thing happened last year for the Sweethearts Dance. Next time I will have your dress done days, no, weeks in advance.
(I just figured that since I only had the sleeves to make and sew in it, well, that should only take a few minutes...shouldn't it? *sheepishly*)

And..... I didn't know there were other people waiting in the car! Yes, I can totally understand the "look" they gave us as we finally emerged from the house. And I am sure the following conversation took place....
"Oh finally! Here they come. What the crap took them so long to get out here?!
Oh no!! Great. There is Raegan's mom wielding her dang camera - now we have to wait again for her to take pictures. Hello Raegan's mother, do you think that we have nothing better to do tonight?!"

Yes Raegan, I remember telling you about how my mom would be desperately sewing on my high school dance dresses while my dates would be waiting downstairs in the living room. I would stand next to her at the sewing machine freaking out and completely panicked! I knew I would never let that happen when I, Maryanne, was sewing on my daughter's dance dresses.

Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?! Sigh.
(Note to my mom...sorry mom for ever getting upset or frustrated or mad at you for not finishing my dress before my date got there to pick me up. That was just soooo wrong of me. I KNOW that you were doing your absolute best and with all you had to do as a mother, it was absolutely amazing that you were still willing to make me a dress!)

Sorry Raegan. Sorry Alec. Sorry people waiting in the car. I'll do better next time. I promise. No, I pinky-promise.

john's garden

I love this time of year - when our garden is in its full glory. Actually, when I say our garden, I really should correct myself and say "John's Garden". He is the one who does 98% of the work. But to him it's not work. He is in his element when he is gardening. Each year he tills it, preps it, plants it (much from seeds that he has grown in his home-made greenhouses), tends it, weeds it, harvests it, and yes ladies it's true, he bottles it, freezes it, makes it into fruit leathers, juices, jams, etc, etc. Last week he made his first batch (of the season) of salsa, and several batches of fruit leather. He also did his first of many batches of grape/pear juice.

What's it like having a husband that's so domisticated, you ask? I'll tell you - it's sweet!

John is growing 6 different varieties of grapes, so we end up with several different colors of delicious grape juice.

The peaches will be ready to harvest this weekend.

Nubby squash

Broccoli

Four varieties of tomatoes this year. In addition to his salsa, he makes a mean tomato juice.

Eggplant

Raspberries galore. The sweetest you've ever tasted!

Sweet Dumpling winter squash

No garden is complete without a few gigantic zucchini!

Fuji apples

Barlett pears

Our cat Tache hunting her prey in the corn stalks.

Basil. Glorious basil!

Blueberries

Swiss chard

Every garden needs a spider the size of your fist!

Our little harvester Adam who loves to roam through the raspberries and eat them as quickly as he can pick them (if his mommy doesn't eat them all first!).

Mmmm. Can't you just taste them?

It doesn't get much better than this!