hike to the hollywood sign

We actually got much closer. This is on our way up. WELL worth it. The view of LA is spectacular!

reality check

Why is it that, after being gone for TEN GLORIOUS DAYS to Southern California, I am not happy to be home again? As we drove the looong drive home yesterday, I asked the family if they felt ready to go home. They all unanimously exclaimed that, although they had a fabulous time, they were all ready to be home. I followed this up with, "What is wrong with ME?! Why am I the only one who is so NOT ready for this vacation to be over?" John's reply, "Because, honey, you want to live in a fantasy world and you now have to leave your little fantasy world and you don't like it."

Sometimes the truth hurts.

Well, my "little fantasy world," which is now left behind in the dust, includes the following:

*Palm trees

*85 degree weather

*No snow

*No inversion

*Finding a secluded lagoon on the beach in Corona Del Mar and having the whole thing to ourselves (which, by the way, included an entire army of pelicans).

*Eating my morning Cherrios on the balcony of our Marriott in Newport Beach whilst gazing out at the whales swimming up the Pacific.  (Well, I didn't actually see the whales but I'm positive they were there.  Somewhere.)

*Hiking up to the Hollywood sign.

*Feasting on the most delectable frozen yogurt at "PinkBerry" in Hollywood.

*Disneyland/California Adventure for 2 days. (Okay, I know, I know, more days would have been even better, but I can only do so much, people!)

*No lines for Space Mountain (walk on, ride, walk off, walk on, ride, walk off....).

*The Tower of Terror. Possibly the best ride EVER invented.

*The Enchanted Tiki Room. Need I say more about this beloved Disney icon?!

*Being on the Indiana Jones ride and having it STOP in the middle of our ride, having all the lights in the building go ON, sitting there in our jeep for 20 minutes while they try to fix the problem, then the ride starting up again but the lights staying ON and NO sound for the rest of the ride. The BOMB!

*Eating out every single night (except one). No prep. No clean-up. Does life really get any better than that?!

*Legoland (but withOUT the rain. Please.)

* Eating the BIG muffins from Costco and not feeling One. Ounce. Of. Guilt.


As I type this, I reluctantly look out my window at the snow, blanketing my lawn, with the current temperature at 21 degrees.

Good-bye fantasy world, hello reality.

my baby is T.W.E.N.T.Y.

How can it be?! I now have a child who is beyond her teens. Today Brooke is 20-years-old. Twenty. Do you hear me? TWENTY!!

I reminded her last night that when I was her age I had been married for almost a year and was only 3 months away from being pregnant with her! The reality of those facts, well, let's just say........ *whispers* it freaks her out.

Brooke is an amazing child, er, I mean woman! (Sigh...) She is so full of compassion. She is patient with her siblings (well, not necessarily with Raegan but that's a whole different story). She is a hard worker and as her dad describes her, "Brooke is a machine." She plays the flute and piano like nobody's business. Brooke is not afraid of adventure, and is doing a great job of seeing the world while she can. I also must mention that one of the best things about her is she doesn't even mind when people think that she and I (her mother) are sisters!! It happens ALL the time! *tee hee* You are such a good sport, Brooke :o)

And.......she ran a marathon. Can you get any better than that?! A mar-a-thon, people.

She has certainly picked the right profession to go into - elementary education. She will be the teacher that all the moms want their child to have! She is a natural - patient, loves children, and is pretty dang smart! (Did I get all of my quotation marks and periods and in the right places Brooke?) She just loves to correct me.

6-months-old

20-years-old

Birthday dinner of "Bang Bang Chicken and
Shrimp" (divine!) at The Cheesecake Factory.

(THANK YOU Cheesecake Factory people for finally responding to my many emails and phone calls and finally giving us a long-overdue, well-deserved Cheesecake Factory in the glorious state of Utah! I am sure that you are thinking....."We should have listened to that woman years ago!"  I know, I know, who would have known that a Cheesecake Factory in Utah would garnish a 4-hour-wait for its customers?! Yes, you should have listened to me years ago.)

The birthday cake made by dad.

(And no, we were not confused thinking that Brooke was actually 137-years-old. See, we are birthday-candle unprepared at our house on a regular basis but, being the creative people that we are, we can always come up with something. 13 + 7 = 20. It works, trust me.)

Happy birthday Brooke. We love you to pieces!

have you ever wondered (#4)......

......what it would be like to go to a New Year's Eve David Archuleta concert? And what it would be like to have the best spot in the house - standing right against the stage front and center? And what it would be like to have at least two-thousand screaming tween and teenage girls behind you pushing, pushing, PUSHING you against the stage until you knew that, at any moment, your pelvis was going to crush into a million pieces? All this while you are forced to listen, for 2 1/2 hours, to the most obnoxiously insane LOUD rap music (and watching annoying break dancers) while waiting for David to come out and grace you with his glorious voice, and the whole time thinking to yourself, "I hate this. I hate this. I hate this!", but knowing that you are doing this for your daughter and that she will forever be indebted to you for your willingness to sacrifice your pelvis (and any hope to ever bear another child).

Have you ever really wondered?

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

Ashley Tisdale (with some guy's tie and 2 unknown girls) was supposed to be the "host" of the concert. She came out after David was gone and was there for about 30 seconds. Literally. She introduced the next band and POOF! she was gone.

I have hope that my ears will stop ringing within the next week. Or two.

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.!