SB & Disney

We took a trip to Santa Barbara for spring break. It was really wonderful to be back in our hometown for a few days. We played and stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but we visited my sister in the mountains a few times as well. The cousins had a great time playing together, and I got to see the new place that Lori is moving to. (It is right down the road from where she is now... on the property of a big ranch!) We probably would have done more and seen more people in town if it wasn't for our mid-week adventures at Disneyland. Not that I am complaining... I LOVE DISNEYLAND and I have been thinking about going there with the kids now that they are old enough to enjoy it. Luckily, G&G Hixon had the same thought. We are SO thankful for their generosity, and for the two days we got to spend with them at the happiest place on earth.

Clubbing

I have wanted to be in a successful book club for a while now. I love reading (I've enjoyed fourteen books since January 1st) and I always want to talk to people about the books I read. I don't know why my book club fantasy hasn't worked out until now... maybe because I have been in plays, or maybe I just feel awkward crashing parties. Maybe both. Anyway, somehow I found my way into our neighborhood book club. I am LOVING it. I have gone twice.

February's book was "Mrs. Kennedy and Me" by Clint Hill. It is not a book I would probably choose to read, because it is non-fiction. I'm so glad I read it though because first of all, I didn't know much about the Kennedys other than JFK was shot and Jackie was a fashion icon. They are a morbidly fascinating family. Morbid, because I think they are totally messed up in a lot of ways- but the point of view was kind. The story is told by Mrs. Kennedy's secret service agent, and he worshipped her... in a very chivalric kind of way. It was so fascinating. And I don't know much about the secret service or how they operate, so that part was very intriguing as well. At the end of the book, I just felt sorry for everybody because everyone was broken. Book club was great, because the discussion leader is a Catholic democrat who knows a TON about the Kennedys. She brought lots of extra books (about Jackie's fashion, for instance) and supplied lots of additional information.

March's book was "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. I actually had read the book before and enjoyed it, but I remember spending half the time trying to wrap my head around the "five faction" concept in this post-appocalyptic YA novel. The book was well written, and I liked the story and the protagonist a LOT, but I kept getting tripped up by those factions. The book would talk about "Amity" or "Candor" or "Erudite" and I would think Who are they again? What do they believe in, I forget. I also just couldn't believe that after some big nasty world-ending war, the survivors of said war would have it together enough to say, "Hey! Lets form groups. If you believe bravery is super important, step over to this area of Chicago, get some tattoos, and be 'Dauntless.' If you think selflessness rocks, go over there, wear gray, and be called 'Abnegation.' PS, those people get to govern us all, and our kids can choose which group they want to be in when their 16. Everyone ok with that? Great." Anyway, the book was much better the second time around because I didn't have to get derailed by all of those thoughts, and I had read the second book in the series as well, so it all made more sense. Not many others in book club shared my problem, so maybe I'm just special. Side note: the rights to make this into a movie have already been purchased, and the third book of the series isn't even out yet. And the author is like 24 years old, which means she was 22ish when Divergent was published. She is winning life.

I could review a few more books in depth, but I will spare you. For now. But I do want to mention one more thing before I sign off, because it is related to clubs.

About a month ago I went to a really cool birthday celebration for my friend Colleen. She had a girl's night and rented a limo and it was the best idea ever. We went to Mint (appetizers!), Jesters (improv!), The Big Bang (oops, Colleen forgot/lost her ID!), Mojitos (salsa dancing!), The Big Bang again (dual pianos and dancing/she used a passport!) and finally to the Talking Stick Casino (creepy and scary because it was 1:30am and only yucky people were there!). It was super fun to get out and let go. I was hit on minimally because I was trying to make as little eye contact as possible with people I didn't know. One of my neighbors was getting attention from a lot of guys, and one girl from our party was a hit with a few different girls, randomly. We all had wedding rings on, but yeah. Personally, my discomfort was minimal and I had a really good time. But it could NOT be an every weekend thing for me, or even an every month thing. It is definitely a special occasion thing.

Blahhhhhhg.

I have a theory. It goes something like this: I have too many social media outlets.

Shocking, right? But really, this is why my blog has been suffering. Because when I want to say a one-liner from or about my kids, I go to Facebook and type it in... where I get the almost instant gratification of dozens of people "liking" and commenting. If I want to share a quick photo, nothing is faster than Instagram... and it makes my pictures prettier than I ever could with its magical filters, plus it can link to Facebook. If I want to share family experiences, I go to spokt.com- a private website created by my super smart husband quite a few years ago. The whole family uses it, so it is great for keeping up-to-date with each other. If I want to doodle or play a game with my family or friends, I launch Draw Something. If I want to catalogue, peruse, or use stored ideas for crafts, meals, workouts, or hairstyles (among other things), I go to Pinterest. If I read a book and want to review it, I visit Shelfari. With all these quick and easy outlets, my blog often gets left behind. Why?

Well, my blog is my journal. And for some reason ever since I can remember I have had a hard time recording things in my journal "out of order." If a big trip or event gets skipped, I feel like I cannot move on to other things until I record that occurrence. And the more time has passed, the harder it is, because it is A) harder to remember, B) no longer relevant to what is happening currently, and C) at the bottom of a list of things to write about that just keeps getting longer.      

Another thing. I like to take time writing on my blog, because I want it to be good. I like to edit, and editing takes time. I enjoy brevity and style. Not all of my posts are masterpieces, far from it actually. Nevertheless, I want to strive for quality, not necessarily quantity. But I do want some quantity.

But the other media outlets are so fast! If you want them to, they take no time! (But if you're not careful, they can suck up your whole life.) So why not ditch the blog?

This is where I want to collect everything. Where my life in a nutshell should be recorded. Everything else is piecemeal, it is scattered, it is hard to access. I want unity! My blog has evolved for sure over time, but I don't want it to evolve into nothingness. So I will try harder. Even if I need to steal quotes from Facebook and pictures from Instagram. Even if I am a little redundant, I will try harder to collect my life.

And what about the other stuff? Couldn't I or shouldn't I pare down? Well I really like my quick fix media outlets too, and they serve different specialized purposes, so I'm holding on to them for now. But if someone asks me if I want to join google plus, or twitter, or foursquare or flickr or linked in... my answer is going to be HECK to the NO, because I can't take any more.  

Christmas Spirit

Last night we went to the church for our annual ward Christmas party. It was fiesta themed and the food was fantastic, which is unusual. (I'm just being real here.) They asked me a few days ago to perform a song dressed as an angel for their nativity. I sang "The First Noel" barefoot and wrapped up in yards of flowing cream fabric. I'm glad there are no pictures because I probably look like a humongous female yeti or something, but I sang pretty well. The lights were dim and other people performed, there was even a real baby representing Jesus. My kids loved it, especially Gwen. She loved that I was an angel.

After we got home Asher wanted to direct a play of his own. He has seen the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, and Charlie Brown was the director. Also, Asher likes to be in control. He is constantly making deals with us. Mom. Either you let me watch a movie, or I will not talk the whole day through! That is the deal. Anyway, he wanted to do a Wolverine play, but Dan said he could only stay up if he directed a Christmas themed play. Also Gwen really wanted to be Mary and she was already holding a rolled up blanket that was supposed to be baby Jesus. And when Gwen doesn't get her way now-a-days, she screams and cries like she is on fire. We pick our battles.

Asher was upset, but we dragged him in eventually on the condition that he could "dress up" the stage. We all took turns playing different parts. Except Gwen, of course. Asher was Joseph sometimes, sometimes he was the innkeeper, sometimes he was a shepherd. We sang silent night at the end, with Gwen yelling at me to stop for half of the song.

We will be in Utah for Christmas, so I have a lot of preparing to do. Sometimes I feel like it is easy to get in the Christmas Spirit and sometimes I want to just curl up in bed and shut out the world. It has been raining, which I love, but on the flip side it triggers that "curl up in bed" feeling. There was also a major tragedy in Connecticut where a man killed a bunch of young children and teachers at an elementary school, and that has got me all sad and out-of-sorts as well. I pray for those kids and their families, and all the people who had to be exposed to that tragedy, and I pray even harder for my children's safety and in gratitude for my blessings. I guess my view of Christmas changes the older I get, but I feel like the world needs the special feeling that Christmas brings more and more. I hope the Christmas Spirit will always be alive as long as the weary world exists.    

Mr. Sandman....

Asher can't sleep.

I guess that is the problem with having too big of an imagination, he just can't turn it off. And at night his thoughts take on a sinister twist. He is convinced that his closet is dangerous when it is dark outside. He demands that it be closed tight every night, and if there is even a little crack open, he will not rest. He breaks down in tears telling me about how one time Boba Fett really did come out of his closet and I have to believe him he really ruhziques (exists) and he had a gun and everything, Mom. It doesn't help to tell him that didn't happen or it is impossible or it is all in his head. I just have to say, "Well what happened after that? Did he shoot you? Or did he just go away?" And Asher has to admit that no harm came to him but he is still so scared. One night, I didn't ever even close my eyes at all, Mom.

Last night he came into our bed and our room and woke us up at least ten times. Which might be more times or less than the night before, I have lost track. We all had a rough night, and when he should have been getting dressed he climbed into our open suitcase and shut himself in. I had to spend a lot of time this morning telling him that we really did love him even if we told him to leave our room a hundred times in the night. I had to explain how we CAN'T SLEEP when he is in our bed and how when we are tired we can't do things correctly and we can't focus and we get grouchy and mean. But always I must remind him how much we both love him, (even Dad?) even Dad, even when we tell him to sleep in his own bed or on the floor in our room, it isn't that we don't love him it is that we really NEED TO SLEEP.

I don't know how to fix this situation. A lock on his closet door? We already moved Gwen into his room, and that hasn't helped. We gave him blankets by our bed, but that doesn't seem to be solving anything either. We always say prayers when he is scared, we tell him that our house is so safe and that he has so many guardian angels watching over him and that he has never been hurt and that he won't be hurt now. He is still scared.

And we can't sleep.

(PS Since the last entry we went to the Stewart's Christmas party which was fun. I got some Isagenix products during the white elephant gift exchange. It was a miracle. I willed it to happen, and it happened. But somehow I can't do that with Asher's sleeping habits.

I also went to East Valley Mormon Choral Organization concert at the Mesa Arts Center. One of my friends had an extra ticket, and I am so glad that she offered it to me! The song arrangements were amazing, the orchestra was amazing, and the 1,000 participants in the different choirs were also amazing. Many people asked if I wanted to join afterward, and I think I almost do want to sing with them. Almost. I for sure want Asher to sing with the little kids. They were fantastic and hilarious. And somehow I missed the memo that a few of my relatives were in the choir, so that was a fun surprise to see them performing up there.

I was in the Stake Christmas choir this year. I also directed the Young Women choir. They sang The First Noel and sounded like angels with violin accompaniment. It was an amazing concert with an orchestra and everything. Not as amazing as EVMCO, or Disneyland, but still pretty darn great.)  

Thanksgiving!

We went to Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving. We were there from Tuesday night until Saturday. It was great to be by the beach and around family and in our old hometown. We hope to visit again soon. It was too short and we forgot how much we love it there. It was crazy to be staying in a house where 55 other people were hanging out... but it was mostly a good kind of crazy.

I exercised every day while I was there. I saw my sister every day too, which was so great. We jogged together, talked together, and went shopping together. More on that later.

My kids had a lot of time to hang out with their cousins. I think they were sort of in heaven. And so was I, because I got to be free of responsibility for large chunks of time. My children are at an age where I feel ok about letting them do their thing, and I have very responsible nieces and nephews. It works out splendidly.

I hardly helped at all in the kitchen before or after the Thanksgiving meal. It is shameful really, but it was sort of covered by everyone else. Mostly Alison. But believe me, had any need arisen, I would have helped. As it was, I felt like I was in the way every time I entered the kitchen. Plus, let's be real here. I'm lazy.

The meal was fantastic. I tried so hard not to over-eat, but there were a million dishes and everything was so good! I had a little bit of everything and I was stuffed.

So, besides going on jogs (and walks with Dan) and hanging out with everyone, I went shopping downtown with some family. (In other news- Boom! Santa Barbara now has an H&M.) So, I spent some money. It is nice to shop without kids. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but they don't love shopping.

On Friday my sister took Rachel, Alison, and I to Solvang to this amazing place where they sold clothes and fabric for super duper cheap. We didn't think we would spend tons of time there, but we did. We found all kinds of goodies, including formals and temple dresses for three dollars. THREE DOLLARS. All the fabric I bought was a dollar a yard. I scored, and it was super fun. We took pictures in the room where you pay for everything. I offered to be a boy, but Rachel and Lori took one for the team. This picture cracks me up! What a fun group.

We were hungry after foraging for deals in all those different rooms, so we walked to a main street and bought pastries. I wasn't expecting much from my apricot danish, but it was OUT OF THIS WORLD good. I need to go to Solvang next time we visit SB, because it is cute and amazing and I'm still thinking about that danish.

While I was doing other things, Dan went shooting. Once with guns in the mountains with the boys, but mostly he did the kind with his camera. There were a lot of photo-shoots last weekend! He was asked by 4 of his siblings to do family pictures, and he also did a few surf/beach shoots with teen and adult family members for his and Jake's venture into selling clothing. It's called Babes Arizona Surf, and they have a lot of followers on Instagram. Check it out. We hope it will help pay for Jake's mission to Croatia. (Click here for Babes!)

We took the kids to the beach before we left. They wanted to stay there for much longer... mostly to play at the park. It was such a beautiful day... I didn't really want to get in the car either. But we loaded everyone up and headed home eventually. The kids were pretty good in the car, and we had a great vacation. For that I am thankful.

Carnival, Creating, and Celebrating

We went to "Frontier Days" at Asher's school. It is their one and only fundraiser (so they say) and it is huge and beautiful. I always loved carnivals as a kid, and I think my school even did one at some point. It probably wasn't as epic as this one. Each class has a booth. I was stuck at ours for an hour because I volunteered to help and nobody came to relieve me at the end of a half hour shift. It was fine, but I missed the kids going on the train ride, bouncing in the bounce houses, dominating the other booths, and I missed Gwen going on a pony ride. Dan got some video though, so I didn't miss it completely. We saw a lot of friends from church. There were a lot of silent auctions, food choices, etc. I got a free back rub at a booth, but we didn't take advantage of the free face painting. Maybe next year.

I also finished a big sewing project for a friend. Her photo shoot got moved up three weeks, so I felt like I was on Project Runway. I was actually sewing some finishing touches RIGHT before their photo shoot. It is a good thing my friend is laid back. I snagged some pictures from some blogs so I could show what I made.





I made the dresses on her girls. (I took a picture of the baby dress so you could see it a little better.) I also made the ties and bow ties on her boys, and the light blue houndstooth jacket on her oldest one. My friend was SO trusting of me... she gave me fabric and said "make whatever you want." I mean, she knew she wanted ties and dresses, but that was it. She showed me some pictures of kids clothes that she loved, and then gave me complete creative freedom. It was kind of nice, but sometimes I was scared she wouldn't like what I was doing. She ended up loving it all, thank goodness!

 And look at her kids! They are so stinking adorable! What a good looking family.












We also had a birthday in our family... Dan's! I felt bad because I was super busy and didn't have time to get many gifts or to plan very much. But I made him breakfast and lunch, then we went out with family to dinner at Firebirds. It was really nice. When we got back to Stephen and Rachel's house our little niece Lauren had made him a cake. The birthday cakes at their house always feature this Stuart Little figurine. I think it is a cute tradition. We opened presents two days later, so Dan's birthday was stretched out a bit. I think that is always the best way to go.