Free day at the zoo

Yesterday the weather was PERFECT for our free day at the zoo.  I am really surprised it wasn't more crowded.  We have had season passes to the zoo for two years since living here, but we haven't been since the new polar bear exhibit opened.  I have to say it was amazing!  The seals were jumping in the water, the polar bear was swimming and then lumbered out of the water and then back into the water he went. The sea otters were awesome to watch playing swimming like little torpedoes.  The sea lions swimming around and playing with each other.  Super fun!

happy thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was good, but a little lonely for me.  I have taken for granted these last four years we have been in Utah that we had my sister and parents to have Thanksgiving with.  This year my parents went to my little sister's house and my sister when to her brother in law's house.  It was fun filled and we had a great time, but it just wasn't the same.  The best thing we did for Thanksgiving day was toast mini marshmallows over our candlelight while saying something we were thankful for.  I got that brilliant idea from my friend Melissa Baxter.  Oh yes, when I gave Emma some turkey, breast meat, she looked at me and said NO, I want the BONE.

Other fun highlights, Planet Play twice (a fun arcade style game center), a BYU basketball game, a BYU women's soccer game (the elite eight against North Carolina), we put up Christmas, oh and on Black Friday I was chosen to have my receipt reimbursed at Kohls!  It was seriously awesome. 

happy halloween

Yes I am out of order, but I have to play catch up every once in a while!  Sarah was a head in a jar, she went to school and everyone was amazed but it was too hot and stuffy so she took it off, it was never quite the same. That night she went out as a bird (Becca's costume from last year).  David was Bowser from Mario Brothers.  I made it and I have to say I did a great job :)  Becca was a witch, thank you for an easy classic costume!  Emma was Rapunzel in the day and for the first half of the houses trick or treating, when she got a little chilly she changed into her carebear costume (thank you DI). 

Happy birthday to my first baby

Well, my first baby is practically a teenager!  For Sarah's birthday we had her friends over and made cupcakes.  We were going to go to a corn maze, harvest festival but it snowed that day...we ended up going to a glass blowing place where we love to go, but her friends have never been.  Then we came home had cupcakes, ate pizza and played games.   I know I took pictures of her angry bird cupcakes...but WHERE ARE THEY!

Thankful for a working body and sound mind

This morning we had the opportunity of going to the development center and taking the residents to church.  It really made me grateful that I can communicate with others, walk on my own two legs (although the woman I brought to church walked all the way there (probably a good 2 city blocks). I was grateful that all of my children and healthy and can reason with me.  It really made me think of my body in a different light.

living vicariously

So you know how people say that parents try to live vicariously though their children...well, it happened tonight!  About 5 weeks ago I was asked to give the name of 3 girls from our ward to participate in the Lehi youth choir.  Sarah wasn't even 12 yet, but I asked if she wanted to do it and then recruited some of my laurels and it turned out that I had 5 young women participate.  Sarah has perfect pitch, no lie.  When she was about a year and a half the way I would get her to brush her teeth is I would sing a scale and have her sing it back to me.  Then I would sing a note, then she would sing a whole note higher or lower all the way up and down the scale.  As Sarah grew older she grew more aware of other people looking at her and being in crowds and well she didn't like it too much...she did not like performing in front of others especially in large crowds.  She didn't like primary programs, or giving a talk in primary let alone sing in front of a bunch of people.  Which is why I was SO, SO proud of her tonight.  She was in the front row, because she was one of the shortest (and probably THE youngest) and she sang with Vocal Point!  Vocal Point is a BYU men's a cappella group that is incredible.  The youth choir sang the opening and closing song with the majority of the concert being Vocal Point. After the choir sang their final number, which was amazing, Vocal Point sang an encore song and the choir was singing and dancing with them by the end.  I was just LOVING that my little girl was up there on stage with that great group!  Our computer is being worked on and as soon as it is up and going again I will post pictures.

As Sarah and I were driving home tonight she was just beaming and I said I bet this is a night you will never forget.  I told her that I loved being in choir and some of my best memories were singing in a choir. I told her she didn't always have to sing in the choir if she didn't want to, but it sure was fun!

On Friday Aaron and I went to the musical South Pacific with some of our friends.  While we were there the subject came up if I liked to go to concerts.  I said, eh, they are okay (she was talking about going to a U2 concert) but after going to tonights concert I think I would much rather go to a concert like this one than a big production.  Just all around GREAT upbeat music.  Loved it!

So, one of my friends told me that I made a resolution to write once a week for the year and the last post was September so I have 20 more posts for the year :)

She was telling me that she was writing a life history and asked me if I remembered anything from when I was 4 (the age of our girls playing).  I honestly can't remember much.  I lived in the same house for my whole life so my childhood kind of blurred together.  I remember raking leaves, family traditions, going to the creek (although I am sure not when I was 4).

My computer is in desperate need of repair so until then I will wait to post pictures...