silly girl

Silly girl Sarah got asked to Skyline's Prom by her best bud Canon. It all started with the late night banging on the door and a poster on the doorstep that looked like this:



She responded in kind with this:



A few weeks before the big date we realized she had a dance performance the same night as prom. Sarah reluctantly called her date to cancel. Long story short (Which she told Sarah style from the pulpit the next day in Sacrament meeting! Call me for more details on that one!), he wouldn't take no for an answer. He picked her up for pictures looking like this:





For dinner he took her through the Wendy's drive-thru while the rest of the group went to a fancy restaurant, and waited in the audience in his tux while she did this:



She changed back into her Cinderella dress as soon as her number was over and enjoyed a wonderful evening reminiscing with her date and good 'ole Skyline friends who she hadn't seen all year. Leave it to her to make an evening like that amazing.

brace face

Going through orthodontics with three of my girls didn't seem so bad. Go in with with crooked teeth, slap some braces on and voilà, a year or so later, perfectly straight, gorgeous teeth. With my 40th b.day looming around the corner, I said to Brett, "You know, I've always wanted to have straight teeth. Maybe it's time for me to just go ahead and bite the bullet."

And bite it I did!

As I lay in the doctors chair looking up at the TV screen on the ceiling, the movie they had playing was none other than The Princess Bride. "Oh good!" I thought. "This will really help get my mind off things."

Typically, my favorite scene in the movie, the one that replays in my head long after the movie's end, looks something like this:


On that particular day all I could see was this:


And the words repeated by this guy over and over again!

They stretched and pulled and super glued 28 baby tooth sized razor blades on to my permanent teeth leaving me questioning why in the world I would ever put myself and my children through such torture.

Needless to say, my vita-mix has been running on turbo speed and I have rekindled a love for mashed potatoes and ice-cream. I hope and pray that a year from now I can smile with confidence and say it was all worth it. Today ...not so sure.

True North

Had to share some photos of our annual CDT concert at the Capital Theater. This was one of the first years I didn't sneak a peak at rehearsals and waited for an actual performance to watch my girls in action. All I'd heard from them was how unexciting it was and things like, "Hope you're not too disappointed." During one of the school matinees, I sat way in the back of the balcony with my date Joseph, not expecting to much. Surprisingly, I was simply overwhelmed by the beauty of the message. The title True North embodied it perfectly.

There was a birth and a childhood..


a journey and migration (Analisa was in a dance that depicted caribou, her friend nicknamed her Bambs in honor of her gorgeous deer like stag leaps)...


there were threats and temptations...


and the purifying power of water...


There were many other symbols (Aurora Borealis) and metaphors that all pointed back to their journey...


towards True North...


During Capital Theater week, the older girls are assigned "little sisters" to mentor and look after. Analisa's little sister clung to her like glue.


There was also plenty of time to bond with dear friends.


And time for scary poses for the camera.


I snapped this picture of the family greeting the girls after coming off stage.


You've got to love the proud grandparents who dote on their girls.


And the Tias and cousins who show their support year after year! Thanks guys!








How I adore these girls and how privileged I am to be on this journey with them.

Piano Girl

A few weeks ago my girl Analisa had the chance to audition, win and play at the beautiful Assembly Hall on Temple Square. She put in countless hours in order to pull off a solid audition. Come performance time she was looking a little like this:


As she stepped on to the very high platform to play the piece I'd heard a thousand times before, I felt my heart pound out of my chest for her. A hundred little silent prayers shot out of my head as I held my breath listening to her music fill the room. She was poised and confident and played it better than I'd ever heard it all other 999 times before. We were so proud of her! I wish I'd been allowed to record it. It was gorgeous. She's a hard worker, that girl of mine, and it was so rewarding to see it all pay off when she needed it the most.

My pictures don't do the night justice. Brett, Matthew, Grandpa David, Tia Moni, and her not so secret admirer, Howard, all treked out in the rain to hear her play. It was a night we'll long remember.

April in Utah =

Lovely tulips dancing around my front yard...

Family parties that can be taken outdoors...

Glorious views like this from my spot on the baseball field...


And occasional storms producing white fluffy stuff like this... spring in Utah...gotta love it!

mind over matter

(Me and my gorgeous girl Analisa at her Honors Recital on Temple Square. Day 16)

Because consuming food on a daily basis is required for survival, I think I sometimes lose track of how much "good" vs. "not so good" goes into my body. While I have always been a health conscience person, I do tend to indulge in my fair share of treats and brown fizzy stuff that tastes good with fresh squeezed lime. Those who know me well know what happens when I bite into gourmet, homemade goodies. It's comical really. My head tilts back, my eyes close and "oohs" and "aahs" can be heard in my general vicinity. As a personal challenge to myself I decided to participate in a 21 day purification/detoxification program. My diet consisted of spring water, fruits and vegetables with chicken and salmon added on day 11. Protein powder and nutritional supplements were also included. NO sugar, no fizzy stuff, no carbs. Yes, you can call me crazy. And yes, I believe in occasional self torture;) (Remind me to write about my all natural child birth experience with Samuel)

I dusted off my Vita-mix , headed to whole foods, and pulled out every veggie/salad recipe I could find. Day 3 presented a challenge when my dear friend Blue dropped off a platter (not a plate) of beautiful treats. I let the kids go to town, went to my room, shed a few tears and came back a new determined woman. While I learned many things through this experience, I can honestly say the # 1 thing I learned is that if I am determined to see something through to the end, no matter how tempting it may be to cheat just a little, I have within me the discipline to do it. The longer I dedicate my energy towards it, the easier it becomes. I feel healthier, lighter, clear headed and unencumbered. I've seen positive effects of self control flow into other aspects of my life as well which has been a really cool bonus that I didn't expect.

I am looking forward to a scrumptious treat tomorrow, Day 22. I will do so with caution and control and a few oohs and aahs thrown into the mix for good measure.

Sarah's turn

I just loved the way Sarah's pictures turned out! I felt that they captured her personality just perfectly. Some nice lady from Park City left the following comment on Jamie's blog:

"Will my daughter have that confidence at that age, oh I hope so. What have her mom and dad said to make her so confident and lovely? Not that it's about them but what got her here? The red lipstick is Gwen Stefani good. She is lovely, your eye is incredible. Nicely done!"

In response to that I say, Miss Sarah was born confident. Her zeal and love for life and people is contagious. While I probably wouldn't have chosen ripped up jeans and hand decorated Converse for her pictures, they describe who she is at the moment and I accept her for that. She tests my boundaries to the limit and gets grounded more than anyone else in the family but always she knows she is loved. We've tried our hardest to give her positive outlets for her specific personality and she has found great success in music and the arts in general. Every child comes with his/her own approach to life and I guess it's up to us parents to figure out who that child is and gently, lovingly guide them back home.

So three cheers for Sarah! Rock that red lipstick baby girl. Don't know many people that can wear a blue sweater dress quite like you!

Vogue

About a month ago my little sis Crystal sent me an e-mail stating that her favorite photo blogger was having a contest and insisted that I enter. As my lucky 1/100th Irish side would have it, I won! Sarah and Analisa got to hang with the quirky and stylish Jamie Sampson and play supermodel for an afternoon. She posted a sneak peak of Lisey on her blog. Scary, huh? Brett is thinking of going Catholic in hopes of entering them into convent. Can't wait to see the rest.

music man strikes again

In case you haven't heard, our little music lover is featured in this months The Friend. I wrote about how this experience came to be last April here. It's hard to believe that was a whole year ago. Time flies when you're having fun! While a few things have changed with Matthew since then, such as a shift in his front tooth and a few added inches in height, his love and passion for music remain the same. You can also follow the link on the church website to get a peak at the experience on video.

April Fools

This photo was taken today. And that ain't no joke! I give up trying to wear ruffle skirts. I think I'll hit the slopes tomorrow with my boys. Happy spring break to you too!