Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Every time the kids are around it's a party, but this is the first time we'll have a sleepover with all the kids new slumber bags! Wanna come?

Gettin' Wet with the Boys

We had a fun "Cuzzin' Camp" at the beautiful Clearfield Pool. It was amazing to romp through the lazy river whirlpool, trip under buckets, fountains and sprayers attached to the kid friendly water playyard, and whoosh down the big yellow slide with a grandkid atop my lap. Love it!

Back to the Real World

I had such a fun week in Vegas but I must admit, I got a little tired of "the bling" that surrounded us all week on all sides! I'm a sort of glad that our girl Jill gets to go back to being Miss Utah. She will always be a winner in our eyes and will do much good wherever she goes!

Go Jill!

Here's a photo of my friends Karen and Miss Utah Jill Stevens and a card I made to pass around to the other groupies!

Groupie Gram

I have to confess, I have become a groupie! My dear friend Karen who serves in the Tabernacle Choir is the mother of Miss Utah, Jill Stevens. Since I love Jill, too, and since I love the cute young man Brad who grew up on our neighborhood that she is dating, and since I can't think of anything more exciting than Miss America in the middle of the bleak winter...I have become a dyed in the wool Groupie! I follow every detail of Jill's varied speaking engagements, dress, hair, swimsuit, and funding dilemmas during my carpool rides to Choir. I Google Jill Stevens, GI Jill, Miss America, etc and watched tons of video clips, read articles and commentary all regarding our darling soldier/marathoner/RN/pageant contender. Layne and I cuddle up with treats and the TLC Channel at Grandma Ottley's house every Friday night for the Miss America Reality Check Show. I went to lunch the other day with the strangers/now friends who I'll be riding with to Las Vegas to attend the pageant in person! My kids think I've gone crazy, but the truth is, I really think this little blond cutie has what it takes to be Miss America. I would like someone of her brains, brawn and beauty for our country's girls to look up to. She has something to say and I hope she gets the chance to say it to the whole country. If not, it's been a fun ride. Her life, and the life of we groupies...sigh, will go on AP (after pageant). I honestly think we'll all be better for having taken notice!

The Visiting Teaching Don't Be Pokey

My RS is having a VT workshop this week and I was asked to do a silly something to encourage the sisters to do their VT early in the month. Even though I haven't done mine yet this month, I did make up new words to the familiar Hokey Pokey:here goes...

The Visiting Teaching Don’t Be Pokey
(sung to the tune of The Hokey Pokey)

By the 5th you’ve made your contact, by 15th you’ve (done the date,
(five fingers arc across body, three hand claps)
By the 20th you report it, 25th it’s kinda late!
(pop 10 fingers twice, high five fingers then throw away)
But, you DO it, don’t be pokey, and you’ll turn some lives around.
(shake a chiding finger, both hands victory ‘V’ as your turn a circle)
That’s what it’s all about!
(slap knees twice, clap twice, victory ‘V’s)

Jump right in and serve your sisters, put your shoulder to the wheel.
(big jump foward, alternate shoulder shrugs)
Add a little elbow grease and then you’ll see how good you feel!
(elbows flapping twist)
Just DO it, don’t be pokey, and you’ll turn some lives around.
(shake a chiding finger, both hands make victory ‘V’ as you turn a circle)
That’s what it’s all about!
2 knees, 2 claps, V’s

You put your head in (know your ladies), You take your nose out (no gossiping)
tip you head way forward, grab your nose and take it out
You throw your whole heart in and then you shake it all about!
hands to heart then throw them forward in the champion shake
You DO it, don’t be pokey, and you’ll turn some lives around.
shake a chiding finger, both hands make victory ‘V’ as you turn a circle
That’s what it’s all about!
2 knees, 2 claps, V’s

You do your Vis’ting Teaching, you do your Vis’ting Teaching,
hand jive i.e., 2 knees, 2 claps, hands cross over R / L, fists R /L, thumbs up R/L
You do you Vis’ting Teaching, THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT!
both hands ‘Vs’ with turn, knees, claps, V’s

Oh, yeah!!!!
Victory V’s high and shake

Gratitude Group!

I have a cute friend in the Choir who challenged a slew of us to think of three things we were grateful for every day in November, in honor of Thanksgiving, of course. I started sending those off to the 'challenger' but not to my own friends and family that I adore. So here's my month of gratitude...for what's it's worth! You could start your own list too!

Gratitude November 2007
11/1-1. I'm grateful Carol let me joint this little grateful group
2. I'm blessed to have a pirate, a princess, a fairy, and an astronaut that, when it's not Halloween, I usually call my beautiful grandkids!
3. I'm grateful that at least the first trailer load of leaves from our tree laden yard are raked and ready for the dump.

11/2-1. I'm thankful for a chill in the air that makes me bring out the fall clothes. They are in better shape than my summer wear
2. I'm grateful to hear that my sister in law who is recovering from colon cancer surger just got the report of NO cancer in the lymph!
3. I'm happy for a computer so that I don't have to hand write stuff...my fingers hurt!

11/3-1. I'm grateful for living parents who today celebrated 65 years, and counting, of wedded bliss (and challenges) together!
2. I'm grateful for my own husband and the daily hope that he'll be happy to "Grow Old Along With Me"
3. I'm happy today for PERFECT weather.

11/4- I'm eternally grateful for Jesus my Savior, my comfort by day and my song in the night!
2. I'm thankful for a wonderful friend to ride to choir with.
3. I'm happy that our youngest daughter and her husband invited US to dinner today! Yeah!

11/5-1. I'm grateful for a walking buddy. It's free psychiatric counseling!
2. I am thankful I finally learned how to start the leaf blower
3. I am thankful for clean socks!

11/6-1. I'm thankful for Ibuprofen and Tylenol today
2. I'm thankful for knowledge of the eternities and comfort it gives those who lose a loved one. (funeral for a neighbor today)
3. I'm thankful for vocal students who sometimes look at their assignments before they come to lesson!

11/7-1. I'm thankful for fall time sales on the grandkid stuff. I hate shopping in December
2. I'm thankful for be an ordinance worker in the Bountiful Temple
3. I'm grateful for new paint!

11/10- 1. I'm grateful for the heady feeling today's weather leaves me with. It's gorgeous!
2. I'm thankful for silly grandkids to play with me and help me feel young again!.
3. I'm grateful for a hardworking husband who can fix anything.

11/11 1. I'm grateful for my 85 y/o Dad, my favorite veteran, who served 20 missions over Europe during WWII curled in the ball turrett of a B-17 bomber.
2. I'm thankful for all those who support our country in the military.
3. I feel blessed to have a dining room table to share with my loved ones on Sunday!

11/12 1. I am grateful for a wonderful book by Rachel Naomi Remen entitled "My Grandfather's Blessings:.
2. I'm als thankful for her other book "Kitchen table Wisdom". I have learned so many insightful truths from the stories of this pediatric oncologist and counselor that help me heal my heart and sould with in turn seems to help out the old body too!
3. I am thankful I FINALLY got to go to IKEA and find out what all the buzz is about. What an adventure!

11/13 1. I'm thankful to be walking out the door in a minute to research my ancestors at the Family History Center in our neighborhood. I love my family the more I know tham!
2. I'm grateful for things like genealogy that take time and patience in my world of hurry up and get it done.
3. I'm glad I completed my crossword and Sudokue this morning so I will NOT be getting Alzheimer's today!

11/14 1. I'm thankful for an amazing, able, insightful daughter who through her talk at her enrichment night, taught us more about Mary, the mother of Jesus. It's great when your children become your heroes, isn't it?
2. I'm thankful that it's my sister's b-day and she's well. Recently she's been dealing with blood clots in her legs! She's SO well that I can't celebrate her b-day with her because she is flying to Thailand today to be with her daughter and family. Say a prayer for my Linda. I hope they have great medical care in Bangkok, should she need it!
3. I am grateful for blogs, so I can keep up with my extended family and friends who are spread across the globe for work, missions, or fun!

11/15-1. I'm grateful for choir tonight! I always look forward to it!
2. I'm glad I'm finally learning to blog!
3. I'm grateful the leaves are ALMOST done falling...although I must admit I LOVE to see them falling
11/17-1. I'm grateful for yet another amazing beautiful fall day and one more trailer load of leaves ready to haul away!
2. I'm grateful for the luxury of dinner out tonight with a few of our kids at Gateway's Thaifoon! mmmmm!
3. I'm thankful for finished sewing projects and for a vacuum to such up the leftovers!
11/18 1. I'm grateful for the traditional music of Thanksgiving and the joy at singing it again today. It seems that Christmas music creeps in a little too soon for me.
2. I'm thankful for an invitation to Sunday dinner at our daughter's home. Mmmmm!. this is shaping up to be a pretty easy cooking weekend for me!
3. I'm thankful for wonderful cook who share recipes for their favorite Thanksgiving pies. Another mmmm!

11/19- 1.I'm grateful for my Layne.
2. I'm glad he's my sweetheart, my confidante, and my able teacher in so many ways.
3. I'm thankful he loves me back.

11/20- 1. I'm grateful for Adri for blazing the way in teaching us how to be parents.
2. I'm thankful she made such an awesome choice of a soulmate in our Chad.
3. I'm so grateful to be Grammy Fay to their lively little elfin children Dal and Kate.

11/21- 1. I'm thankful for Kami. She teaches me much about patience and thinking things through.
2. I'm grateful for her awesome choice of a soulmate in our Shawn.
3. I'm happy I get to claim wonderful Carson and Maryn as two of my favorite grandkiddos ever!

11/22- 1. I'm thankful for Preston. He's definitely our favorite son. I'm proud of him for reaching for his dreams.
2. I'm grateful for his awesome choice of a soulmate in our Breck.
3. I am grateful for two beautiful granddogs Soda Pop and Mel, but hope someday that they will have some human brothers and sisters!

11/23- 1. I'm grateful for my baby Jaci. I'm glad she still lets me call her baby even though she's matured into a capable amazing woman.
2. I'm thankful for her awesome choice of a soulmate in our Zach.
3. I'm thankful for their patience with newlywed 'poverty' and the creativity with which they enjoy their lives!

*the month isn't over yet, but I'm pretty sure this list is over for now. I'm thankful for all the things that will keep me busy the rest of the month! I'm grateful YOU took the time to read this monster list!