Random Thoughts from Last Week

* Yesterday we splurged and purchased a camcorder. I am ashamed to say we haven't recorded anything in years. The Practical Annalee said, "Don't do it. It's not a need; it's a want." But the Sentimental Annalee said, "What if I get old and can't remember the sound of my childrens laughter?"

* I love the word didgeridoo. It's an Australian musical wind instrument. Say it a few times. You won't be able to stop. I dare you. DIDGERIDOO! DIDGERIDOO! (Insert advice here ~ don't repeat it over and over while your significant other is trying to get frisky with you, however. He probably won't appreciate it's vocabulary significance after that.)

* Josh was very ill last week with strep. How grateful I am for antibiotics. The doctors treat Strep so aggressively because that particular bacteria releases fatal toxins into the vital organs and can cause death if untreated. Elder James E. Talmage died of strep throat just a few months before penicillin was invented.

* I love my husband's hands. They are handsome hands and they serve and bless our family as well as others. A neighbor who is less active called him to help him administer a blessing to his wife a few nights ago. This neighbor was nervous about giving a blessing because it had been years since he had given one. These same hands do the dinner dishes every night, and make bunk beds for the kids, and tenderly wipe away tears of crying toddlers...God, how I love that man!

* The Mister and I were watching the last Nuggets/Jazz game the other night and we loved seeing President Uchtdorf intently watching the game from his courtside seat! It was my favorite part of the game... (that, and eating chocolate covered cinnamon bears, of course.)

* I love American Idol. I just wish America would vote off Fabio. He may be eye candy, but he's got the least amount of talent on the show, if you ask my humble opinion.

* Our 8-year old (a.k.a. Punky Brewster) is getting baptized this Saturday. We are thrilled. Tomorrow night for a special Family Home Evening, we are going to use our newly purchased camcorder and record each of the kids sharing their testimony, and singing primary songs. Then we'll watch them on the t.v. afterwards while eating Orange Smoothies.

Funny Emma

One recent evening, the Mister and I went to the temple. My sister babysat the kids while we went. Taped to the outside of the garage door was a note by Emma, which said:

"Sarah and I have been transported to another world, but don't worry. The other kids are safe.
I love you,
Emma"

......................................................................................................................................................................
A couple of weeks ago, this same Emma lost one of her front teeth, but lost it sometime between losing it and bedtime, sooo... here is her letter to the Tooth Fair:

"Dear Tooth fairy,

I love you. I wish I could see you. I cannot find my tooth. I really like a lot of money, but I only have $2.00.
I really want money. I really want to find my tooth, but I looked everywhere. Your best pal,
Emma Kelly"

Adversity

"Studying Joseph of Egypt, we see that the wait for rescue may sometimes be long, the days trying, but God wants our faith to be a sturdy thing. In fact, life will demand it and would not be according to it's purpose if we could squeak by with a fragile faith that shredded in the winds of adversity. God is making something of us that could not be forged in easier circumstances. How can He come to count on us unless He teaches us the strength of one, who can, in fact, be counted on."

(Meridian Magazine, 4/20/10; Maurine Jensen Proctor)

Poetry for Today

I am sick of four walls and a ceiling. I have need of the sky. I have business with the grass.

~Richard Hovey

Spring (Winter) Break 2010

Easter Egg Hunt at Amber and Andrew's.
Friday, April 2, we had a barbeque with our old neighbors. Some of the greatest women I've ever rubbed shoulders with. The Fraughtons, Torgersen's and Cottles. (Thanks for organizing that, everybody! I miss you all:) )

Easter Egg Hunt at the Cottle's.
Emma's birthday! April 1... We woke up to Amber cooking Emma's favorite breakfast ~ waffles. Then we took her shopping to Deseret Book, where we bought her her very first official CTR ring.
My sweet sis-in-law insisted on baking Emma a strawberry cream cake for her birthday. Had it not been for Amber's culinary skills, we wouldn't have had one!
Emma's birthday dinner...at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Salt Lake. This is my big brother Paul, his wife Becky and Elia. (plus one on the way and two other sons seated at another table.) Thanks for coming to celebrate with us, Paul and company!
More cousins, my younger brother Andrew and sister Sarah...
Riding the TRAX into Trolley Square for Emma's dinner...gorgeous sisters, no?
Day 1 and Day 5 of our Utah journey... Peter Priers Violin Shop. My violin needed some work done, so this is "The Violin Doctor". Expensive, but necessary. 200 South, SLC, Utah. Yes, it snowed every day we were down in Utah for Winter Break. Uhh, I mean, Spring Break.

Gratitude in a Random Sort of Pattern...

This is one of my all-time favorite students. Former students. (She graduated early and entered BYU-I in January, so our last lesson was in December.) She invited me and the Mister to her last concert of the semester...the Brahms Requiem with the BYU-I combined choirs and Symphony Orchestra. It was amazing. Kate makes me proud. She's why I teach. It was a sentimental journey to see one of my students playing in the same concert hall I spent literally hundreds of hours playing in as well. She is so talented and dedicated. I am grateful for her example, talent, ambition and dedication. And I forgive the fact that she's a Utes fan all the way. I can look past that. At least she's not a democrat.


Monday I went to bed not feeling well. When I woke up at 6 the next morning in preparation for my early morning group lesson, I found that the Mister had stayed up late sweeping and mopping all of our floors! (And believe me, we have a TON of tile on our main floor.) I love that guy. I'm grateful for his love.

During FHE this week, 4-year-old Caleb made the comment, "Satan doesn't have a very good future, does he? But we do, right Dad?" I'm grateful for the lesson Caleb taught me that night...what a literal doctrine--he gets it.

Today for the closing hymn in sacrament meeting, we sang "He Is Risen." I could not hold back the tears of gratitude and love I feel for the Savior. Jeffrey R. Holland once said, "Because the tomb is empty, our lives are not." I know that He lives. And I love Him.

Unprecedented day in the history of our nation...

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
~ Thomas Jefferson

"But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren."
~Helaman 7:9