Halloween Party at Maren's

Abby and Taylor decided that Boston needed some more hair. We all decided he looked like Jordyn Lyn with a full head of red hair.
Of course, we ended the evening by playing a card game. This particular game we were playing is called "Nickles to nickles" or as we've renamed it, "Pay Me". I have to put in here that I won every game! That statement is for Tucker's benefit.

Lyndsy as a Power Puff Girl or is it Powder Puff. I honestly can't remember.

Abby and Taylor who got the record for trick or treating the second longest of all the kids.

Hayley as a Leopard

I love Brock's pose - Hummm, does he have some Tucker in him?

Andrew was a dinosaur. We needed to have him turn around so you could get the full affect of the costume and see the colorful tail.

River as cute River

Your guess is as good as mind as to what was going through Jeff's mind.

Maren and Jaden. I think Jaden wasn't smiling because Maren just asked him to take out the garbage.

Boston and Hayley

The Cutler kids

The finished product. Annie's ghost rolls.

Lynda Ann being creative and festive

Yes, everyone had to have a gob of dough.

Maren's darling table decorations. We had such a fun time at Maren's. She had baked potato soup, taco soup along with rolls, salads, salsa, dip, chips and pop along with a decadent dessert. After dinner everyone went trick or treating. Jaden stayed out for over two hours in the cold and ran and came home with a pillow case full of candy. That should keep the boy hyper for weeks to come. We played table games and laughed and talked until about 10:30. It was then time to pile a bunch of tired kids in cars and head home. Thank you Maren for hosting such a fun party. I hope it becomes a tradition!

Halloween

That's me on the left, lighting the candle. I was in 5th grade. I think you can read the caption under the picture but just in case it says: "Garbed in Alice-in-Wonderland pinafores, Jeanne Ross (they spelled my name wrong!), Cheryl Fisher and Esther Hafen (one of my very best friends), from left, observe Book Week at Franklin school by leading traditional Sprig of Green ceremony in remembrance of Lewis Carroll's famed gift to children's literature.
At work we have to have some kind of a costume and because I'm not a great lover of dressing up and decided to come up with a simple and yet nice costume. I found this pattern for an Alice in Wonderland costume and decided it would be comfortable to wear all day long. As I was putting the dress on for the day, I remembered that when I was in the 5th grade , I was chosen to be one of three girls to represent Alice In Wonderland at our library at Franklin Elementary. So I had to hunt up the picture and post it. I clearly remember how excited I was, not only to be able to miss class all day but to have my picture in the Provo Daily Herald. Of course, my mother made my blue dress with the white pinafore. Now, here I am 66 years old and wearing a blue dress with a white pinafore and being Alice all over again. I know, I should have taken a picture of me in the dress but I didn't want to put it back on again. Besides, Alice at 66 years isn't nearly as cute as Alice at 10 years old! So, just use your imagination. What goes round comes round? By the way, if anyone ever wants to be Alice, the costume is hanging in my closet.

Just some thoughts.

Autumn is a mellow and beautiful time. The colors I can see outside my window are vibrant and gorgeous. I especially love the trees that have red burgundy leaves scattered in contrast with the bright green ones. There is something restful about this season. The harvest is in, and the Christmas rush hasn't yet begun. The earth has quit producing and is following its inevitable pattern, gearing down for winter rest.

The trees are letting go of their leaves, so snow will slide easily off the branches and not break them. The grass and flowers stop growing, hibernating, willing to just be until Spring's warm sun wakes them again.

Most of the birds have flown south except for the geese who live in the ponds around us. I miss having my bedroom windows open and waking up early in the morning to the sounds of the birds singing. (Geese don't sing they just 'honk'. ) But, there is a rightness in the change of seasons. All nature cooperates. There seems to be no resistance to the timing or the flow of it.

My life has seasons too, but I haven't always cooperated or enjoyed them. As a young mother, I often wished my little ones would quickly grow past the stage of waking me up at night and needing my attention every minute. Then, before I knew it, the children were grown, and I again resisted the obvious signs of that season.

How much more joyful life would be if we surrendered to and enjoyed with gratitude each season as it comes. I need to recognize the beauty of these golden years I'm in, showing gratitude and embracing this new season for the unique joy it brings.

I'm grateful for the abundance of my life. I am grateful for the things that make my life so good - for the beauty of the earth and the blessings of nature, for fresh food and air, for pure water, for wholesome vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruits. Those of us who live with such abundance need to constantly be aware of it and not take it for granted.

I'm also thankful for technology and that I have the world at my fingertips without even leaving the house. To have Derek in China and be able to talk to him without horrendous charges that used to accompany long-distance calls makes me even more grateful to live in this day of breathtaking technology.

I will recognize my GREATEST blessings:
When my grandchildren are making a racket and tearing through the house, I am going to thank my lucky stars that I have grandchildren to love, pamper, learn from and enjoy.

When I have too much to do, too many presents to buy, or too many family events to attend, I'm going to take a deep breath and re-think the whole scenario. I will tell myself to be thankful for the great blessings of my family! When I feel overloaded, I'm going to think of grand children's arms around my neck. I'm going to remember a lifetime of family interactions that give life meaning and purpose.

Most importantly, I'm going to remember that my greatest blessing is that I KNOW the Source of all my blessings.

There is so much joy to be found when we see blessings for what they are, recognize the good, and appreciate the upside. It's great to be alive, right her, right now, today!

Poor Bella - She doesn't like Halloween!

Bella in her ghost costume. Do you see a smile on her face or "Are you kidding me" look?

Getting ready for Christmas early!

And the stacks have grown even higher since I took these pictures.

First real signs that winter is upon us

We had rain all day yesterday and wind gusts that seemed like they were going to blow the trees over. When we got up this morning there was a trace of snow on Neal's car. I just got home from work and looked up at Mt. Olympus and saw the sun breaking through the clouds to give us a beautiful picture and a reminder that Old Man Winter has officially come.

Neal's obsession with unusual plants!

Neal brought this home yesterday. He was so excited about finding a coconut plant. I think he is trying to create Hawaii in our home. Not sure where yet another plant is going to be placed, but we'll have to find a spot somewhere.

OCD - Which I'm not but maybe kind of? Ask Mindy

I had to post this cartoon just for Mindy and me.

This cartoon absolutely made me laugh and I thought of Mindy who, sometimes chides me about what I do when entertaining or having meetings at my home. She has also watched me fold things and arrange things in my kitchen drawers. I'm not aware of my 'little' idiosyncrasies but apparently I have a few of my own personal ones. I shared with her the other day that I had to clean out the heating vents for fear people who look down them and see that they were dusty. Yes, that is going a bit too far - I agree. But, what can one do? Just smile and love me for me.

Lunch and shopping

Susan, Lila, Lynda Ann and Mary and I always get together when our birthdays roll around. Lynda Ann and Mary are in September, mine in August, Susan in March and Lila Mae in October. When mother was alive we would also get together for her birthday in November. The routine is usually the same. We meet about 11:00 a.m. and go some place for an early lunch and then to stores that vary from Target to Quilted Bear. This Saturday we got together for Lila Mae's birthday. The day began as pictured above. The temperature was about 46 degrees and the sky looked liked it was just waiting for us to begin our shopping to bring down the rain. Is that not a gorgeous picture of Mt. Olympus and her fall coloring?
This was a necklace that I fell in love with so it was a gift from me to me. However the picture doesn't do it justice.

We stopped at Red Robin for our lunch and as we were getting out of our cars the rain came down and it poured! We all made a mad dash to the restaurant doors. The food was delicious and the company even better. Susan gave me a Halloween card that had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe for quite some time. From left and around the table: Lila Mae on her 79th birthday lunch, Arnette (Lila's daughter-in-law), me, Lynda Ann, Emmi, Anna (Sara's roommate), Sara, Susan and Mary.

This is a picture of Tyler, Emmi's friend who used to live in Stansbury and now lives in Herriman. He joined us as we shopped at IKEA.

Lynda Ann just getting started!

Here we are just finished paying for our purchases. We bought an array of items from birthday presents for Hayley to Christmas decorations. The fun thing was that Neal was just coming back from teaching in Orem and he stopped by and ended up paying for all my stuff. Isn't that the family saying that started during our Florida trip? "Neal's paying."

Lila and Arnette checking out while Mary and Susan are trying to get everything sorted out. This store is ginormous!!! (I know that isn't a word but it fits the description of IKEA perfectly!!

After IKEA we went to Quilted Bear to finish getting anything that we couldn't find at IKEA.

The ending of a perfect day was seeing this double rain bow as the storm let up for a few minutes and the sun peeked through the clouds just long enough for us to see a miracle of nature.

Things I love about Fall

The piles of leaves on the ground. There is nothing more fallish than walking through fall leaves and hearing them crunch beneath your feet. I remember so well walking home from BYU in the fall under the huge maple trees along University Avenue. Along about October with the air of winter just around the corner, they would be shedding their huge leaves. The smell and the sounds are warm memories. I loved watching the huge leaves drift slowly to the ground. I loved shuffling my feet through them.
I always wonder what leaf will be able to hang in there the longest and be the last one to fall.

The brilliant colors of nature seem more vibrant in the fall as they change their summer coats to deeper colors.

Tucker's Birthday and my 'best find' birthday present!

Can I just say how excited I was to find this priceless present for Tucker! He is my dyed in the wool forever Utah fan. I, on the other hand, spent my college years and most of my life in Cougar country so I'm loyal to the White and Blue BYU Cougars. It has been a long standing bet between Tucker and I over the years. He betting on the win for the Uts football team and I betting on the win for Cougs. I honestly don't know what the win/loss ratio is, nor do I care. I just love the annual game and the fun that comes with it.

I love Tucker's zest for life. I love when he walks in our home, he brings a feeling of fun, laughter, well being and completeness. Tucker and I have had a wonderful journey together for the past twenty years. We've share struggles, disappointments, a little despair, but mostly wonderful, positive memories. All combined have knitted our relationship as mother and son tightly and securely. I love you Tucker! I love your competitive nature. I love when we play table games that you can usually make a face or say something that will make me laugh so hard that I can't breathe or make a sound. I love your warm hugs when you greet me. I love your ability to sense my moods and help me through them. I love that you always have time to listen. But, mostly, I love that you have accepted me completely as your mother, even with all my imperfections. We have traveled a winding and interesting road together and I have loved every moment of our journey. Happy birthday, Tucker. Love, Mom

A perfect Sunday dinner

Saturday and Sunday were busy days. Saturday I spent the day with Mallory down town for her evening concert. We left home at 10:00 a.m. and didn't get back until 10:00 p.m. Consequently my Saturday errands didn't get done. One of those weekly errands is going to the grocery store to stock up for the week and buy what ever we need for our Sunday dinner.

Sunday consisted of my visiting a relief society meeting and then from their to another sacrament meeting where I was speaking. When I got home at 2:30 that after noon, I was not in the mood to fix anything fancy so I went to the refrigerator and this is the dinner I came up with for Neal and I. I absolutely love vegetables of all kinds (except maybe egg plant) and I usually have a variety in the fridge. This day was no exception. When I put the corn, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, avocados and shrimp with chopped celery on the plate I couldn't help but notice the contrasting colors and how delicious and inviting it looked. I just had to take a picture. Neal and I sat down to a perfect dinner at the end of a nearly perfect day. (By the way, I think Neal had some sword fish on his plate which I wanted no part of!)

A Joyful Journey - Combined Suzuki Students of Utah

Just a cute picture of Mallory during rehearsals.

This is a picture of the paper birds that children walked through the center during the final song. They were held on long rods and when waved around actually looked like birds flying.

We stopped at Ben and Jerry's for an ice cream and Mallory noticed
the advertisement for their concert in the window - so we just had to stop and take a picture.

Mallory and I had a 2 hour break between rehearsals so we wandered over to the Gateway and she picked Applebee's for lunch.

Rehearsal picture. The flute section is the left side on the stand.

Mallory's name 5th from the bottom left.

Program listing the flute section.

We also ended up sitting on the very same row with Darin and Annette Gardner. Annette was the relief society president when Judy passed away. Darin should be remembered by Tucker and Maren. Gardners lived across the street in the house that Livingstons now live in.

The family joke is that no matter where we go, Neal will always run into someone he knows. Well this evening was no acception. When you sit in a conference center that holds somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000 people what are the chances that you will pick a section and row right by your cousins! From left to right Ann and Brent Maxfield, Brent's x-wife, Dorothy, Michelle Maxfield Cutler and husband Chuck.

This is the end of a long day and the end of the concert. I have no idea how many participated in the actual concert but it was an amazing number of young people playing cellos, pianos, violas, flutes, guitars, and violins. An incredible experience. I have to add here that the final number was call "A Joyful Journey" written and composed by Michael McLean who was the guest conductor.

My buttons are popping! Mallory we are so proud of your accomplishments and your devotion to your music. Keep practicing and maybe some day you, Jordyn Lyn and Lexi can do a concert for the family!