Sunday Dinner

Carrie comes over for Sunday dinner and this Sunday she took pictures of the boys to send to Michael and Tacy. It is great to have everyone over for Sunday dinner. It is a joy in my life.

Greg, Brandon, Barrett, and Seth

Owen, Barrett, me and Greg

Thanks for the pictures Carrie :)

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving at our house is a very casual event. It is my favorite holiday. All the food, none of the stress of presents and all. A day to be grateful and to be with family. I should get the extended family together but we never seem to plan ahead to do that. Maybe next year... While the turkey is in the oven there is time to play. The boys have been shooting targets in the back. Here they are trying to shoot an aresol can and see if it would blow out the candles. The shot sent the can flying and the concussion took out the candles.

Here is Greg taking the shot with Steven looking on.

Owen, Seth, Steven and Barrett checking it out.

Here is Beans. She was very put out to be left inside while all the excitement was happening outside.

Later, Barrett learned out to play Ma Jong and is here, with Steven, setting up a game.

Greg is doing his new found favorite holiday past time....professional football. Now, he is the only sports fan in the house. Go Green Bay.

Dinner turned out great. Most here are toasting to what they are thankful for...the rest are engrossed in whatever is on the tube.

One chair short at the table; Greg's opportunity to take the couch and tv. Beans is begging.

Barrett and Beans in a turkey coma.

On Thanksgiving I think a lot about Pat. She taught me how to make the dinner; she insisted on corn to remember the Indians; the stuffing has to have the giblets.

I love Stake Conference!

We went to the Saturday night session. Brandon came with Owen and me. Greg didn't come and Barrett spontaeously decided to go to the movies with Seth. The meeting was good; it was about sharing the gospel. I commented last night that you really can't explain the meeting because the message was only part of it. The spirit was very strong and most of what I learned came through the spirit, so all I can say is that is was good.

Sunday was the same for me. Sunday was about the temple. It was beautiful. The best part was that Pres. Watkins called us firmly to repentance. He said whatever you are doing that is keeping you for going to the temple, cease doing it. Again, these were spirit teaching moments. That is why it is so important to come to these meetings. So much counsel but just empty words without the spirit. I made many decisions on what to do to improve my life.

When we got home, I had to laugh at our sabbath day activities. I tease, we have lots of fun together and I am glad that everyone comes over for dinner.

Greg and Seth are shoot dart guns; Brandon, Ana, and Barrett are playing Go Fish.

Happy Brithday to me - New Moon! Thanks Greg :)

Greg treated me to New Moon and Fresh Mex for my birthday! They were pretty successful in surprising me. My birthday was Thursday and nothing happened. I came home to a clean kitchen and the smell of warm brownies. I thought they had remembered, but NO, it was just a coincidence. So Friday they asked what I was doing on Saturday and I told them. Greg came a long to help me get the stuff to make posters for the Stake Christmas Musical Fireside coming up, but instead of going home, we went to the theatre.

Owen and Greg.

Barrett, Gavin, Brandon and Spencer came too. We went to Fresh Mex after the show.

Good eats!

So, New Moon. I liked it. I knew I would but it was my least favorite of the books and I knew that the movie would be the same for me. It is obviously the link that gets you into the next book, but it is definitely not a stand alone. It can't be but I don't like hanging until the next book or movie. I didn't like it anymore in the middle Lord of the Rings movie either. The other thing is that I get a little tired of the whiny teenage thing. With that said, Stephinie Meyer is good at teasing, suspenseful sex and hot guys so that's not bad. As I told the boys at lunch, Edward's appeal is that he has the body of a hot 17 year old but, supposedly the maturity of a 109 years. However, he doesn't act at all mature in New Moon. Edward and Bella are just stupid through this whole movie (and the book).

Fourth Triple D - Jamies Broadway Grille

I work with Erik. He is also a Facebook (FB) buddy. From FB he has read some of my obsession with Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives so for my birthday and some other reasons that he came up with from work, he decided to take me to Jamie's for lunch. Yummy.

Jamie's is a dive.

Jamie, Erik, Kim, and me. I love Erik. He helps me keep perspective. He is my age and one of two boys. He tells me all the stuff he pulled as a child and teenager. He tells me about his mom and also tells me when I am being over the top as a mom. He cracks me up. It helps.

Kim, me and Karen.

The famous Cheeseburger. Erik was bothered by the wait but it is part of what makes a Triple D a Triple D. Mostly it was because we had five people. Tables for two were no problem, even four was okay. No worries, it was great having all five of us there.

Grandma's 84th Birthday

My mom turned 84 today. Japanese food!

I love that my mom's birthday is on Veteran's Day because I always remember it and I always have it off. Most important she is so patriotic. She was in an internment camp during the war and, though she doesn't appreciate it, it did not negatively affect her patriotism. She is proud to be an American, always has been. She taught me to never take my citizenship for granted. I remember, because of her life, that life has not always been as good as it is now. My generation is soft. We have somehow come to think that we are entitled to have a cush life, for nothing to ever go badly, or it is someone else's fault. It makes me sad and a little nervous.

My faith and eternal perspective generally keeps the nerves at bay.