How Many Candles On That Cake?

Happy Birthday to Richard!

Where did 56 years go?

Weren't we just in primary together?

Have a GREAT day!

We love you!

A Day Of...

I just want to begin by saying again, I really don't care for this daylight savings time. It is hard to lose an hour. That being said, at least it takes place on the weekend and not a school day. Christine slept and slept. She sure needed it after 3 days in a row of very late nights with the Road Shows. They turned out great and she had a really good time.

I got dinner in the crock pot, round steak with mushrooms and gravy, and got ready for the day. I headed off for a song practice at Wendy's for enrichment night this week. It is all about 'Purse-onality'. It is going to be a fun evening. I will fill in more after Wednesday night.

Clue: Pink purse!

Church meetings were good. I learned a lot. Some new things, some from a new perspective, some re-learned, some reaffirmed. Home for a quick dinner and then off with Duff to give a blessing to a gal I visit teach who is going in for some surgery this week for a knee replacement. She is a wonderful soul and a kindred spirit with a complicated situation. It went really, really well and her family was there to support her and the spirit was tremendously strong.

I am not one who stays in church clothes all day long on a Sunday, but I'd been in these all day, so once home, off they came and into 'comfies'. Ahhhh. Then we headed off for the Peterson's to help celebrate Richard's birthday. He is a bonafide chocoholic! The more the better. Patti made a delicious and gorgeous checkerboard cake. The above picture is not her's (I forgot my camera), but you get the idea. Actually, her's looked even better. Vanilla ice cream was the perfect compliment to this comforting birthday cake. It looks so hard, but with the right 'tools' it is not hard at all! She gave me a lesson in the kitchen while we were cleaning up the dishes. Pretty nifty.

Between Duff and I we talked to all of the kids. Busy, but a different busy and a nice day.

Boy, That Was Fast!

Time to change the clocks again tonight. Tomorrow we will officially begin Daylight Savings Time. We lose an hour. It's only been 4 months. Just 1/3 of the year. I remember when it was 6 months on, 6 months off. I wonder if we should stay on the same time always like Hawaii and Arizona do? Did these 4 months really make a difference?

So, don't forget to change your clocks tonight!

(Journal: The Road Show cast party was great last night. Christine loved it! We picked her up at 10:30, but by the time the kids all came out and we got home it was after 11. We dropped off Noelle and Amanda and came home. She was so wound up, so we got ready for bed and then I laid on the couch with her and we watched some tv until she got tired. I got there a lot faster than she did! We slept in this morning and then did Saturday chores. Christine's friend, Maddie, came over and she went with us to get Christine's lacrosse equipment. Practices start this week. Duff volunteered to take the grocery list and did the marketing. He's always been good with things like that. The girls headed to the last night of Road Shows. Maddie was excited to go and observe and they were both looking forward to the dance afterwards. It is a quiet evening for Duff and I. We bbq'd and had a nice salad for dinner. We worked together to put out some simple St. Patrick's Day decorations out. We have always worked well together that way. I like it. I would love some more rainy days, but for now it is still cool-ish, and soon that will move into spring. When I was out in the backyard watering this afternoon, I noticed that the calla lilies are beginning to bloom. We just planted them last summer, and they have filled out a lot. Our rose bushes are getting new growth. We should have roses blooming by easter. I am working on a 'project' that will be a xmas present. I'm excited about tucking that away for the holiday!

And now, Duff and I are going to curl up and watch a movie and wait for Christine to come home!)

New Baby!

We got an email from Deidre and Brad, and also Aunt Ann letting us know that William was born yesterday! Go to Deidre's blog and check out the other pictures and details. Isn't he just so sweet and adorable!

Announcing:

William James Cammack

Born March 5, 2009

8 pounds 13 ounces

21 inches long

Parents: Brad and Deidre

Big Brother: David

WELCOME TO THE WORLD!

Road Show 2009

Road shows started tonight. The stake theme this year is "How To Be...." and then focuses on a principle from For The Strength Of Youth pamphlet. Our ward's is titled: "Weekend News Update" and is about a local news station with 2 anchors covering MNN (Mormon News Network). It's pretty cute. This a only a portion of the Mia Maids at the hair and makeup house before going over to the church. Leslie, Chelcie, Christine, and Addy. They are 'bridesmaids' in modest formal attire. Dang, when did they grow up? (set in the 80's--hence the big hair)
The Golden Spoon Girls---Stephanie and Brittany (set in 'today' and yes, they remark about the 'weird hairstyles'!)

Kali and her side ponytail and total 'mall bangs'!

Sister Coles getting that stage makeup on MacKenzie M. Check out the hair crimping.

A dance number by the Mia Maids (background) and Teachers (front)

A scene from the finale, Christine on the far right. I need a better camera!

They perform again tomorrow and have the cast party. Then Saturday night is a performance for all the stake youth only where they perform for each other with a big dance afterwards. This is always a great time of year. I have such GREAT memories of my youth when we did Road Shows.

'Back then', they were judged by drama judges that were from distant areas so they didn't know any of the wards and could be impartial. You had to be 14 and up to participate. The Beehives and Deacons did the entre acts, which were 5 minute acts on the apron of the stage while one ward exited and the other ward set up. These were also judged! There were STRICT rules for the judging. Noise was a big one. NO noise in the wings or setting up or getting off. Timing. You only had a certain number of minutes for set up and take down and your show. You got docked X amount of points for anytime over the alloted. Originality, music, dance, script, directing, costumes, make-up, props and sets and scenery.

Our ward won 1st place many times. I can still feel the butterflies and anticipation of performing and the awards. A few years, we won 1st place in the stake, region, and area. Yes, we traveled and there was competition on all those different levels. Sister Beverly Spencer was our director and she was amazing. She was in charge of it all with helpers underneath her, and they all knew their place and job and youth and adults all worked together.

The Stake put on an 'Academy Awards' show a week later, with sit down dinner for all the youth and movie clips of the nominees in all the different catagories! Oh, the suspense and drama!After, we all helped to clean it up and had a big dance.

I can STILL sing some of the lyrics to the songs and remember the storylines and costumes.

Loved those days! Some of the best memories ever!

Happy Birthday Aubrey!

Today is your big 18th birthday! We hope you have a really fun day and have oodles of happiness.

Happy Birthday to you--

Happy Birthday to you--

Happy Birthday dear Aubrey--

Happy Birthday to YOU!

BTW-- Congratulations on winning the state volleyball championship! You rock!

The Power Of Pink

This really isn't the best picture of it, but Duff wanted to get this for Heather. It is a breast cancer awareness bracelet from Brighton. Proceeds from the bracelet go to help breast cancer research. We took it to her this morning when it was my turn to go help with physical therapy. He is not comfortable with things like this, but he was so tender. He sat on the bed next to her and put it on her wrist. She wore it to radiation. One day when the time is right, Cherise will give it to Heather's daughter, Hannah.

She looks good. More color in her face. She is on day 3 of radiation and you can see that it is making her tired. BUT, when she got up out of bed she just popped up and got to her walker and went down the hallway. What a difference a week makes! I was really excited to see that. She ate her lunch out with all of us so she could visit some more and get ready for the ambulance to pick her up and take her to the hospital for her treatment. They let Uncle Fred ride in the back with her. Isn't that cool?She has the radiation through Friday and then they all meet with her oncologist on Tuesday and assess where she is and make some more decisions.

Cherise and Tristan were there, and it was fun to be all together. I love them all so much. I was thinking about that on the drive home. 'Fun' in the middle of terminal breast cancer. I came to the conclusion that it is about the power of family, love, perspective, time. Spending time. We use it in so many ways. Time together is so important. It gives us hope. It strengthens ties. It increases our capacity to move ahead toward our larger goal of eternal families.

I Confess I Watched It

The Bachelor finale. As soon as our phone rang at 10pm and it was Meredith for me, I knew something was up. She is usually long in bed by that time (an hour later than us, so it was 11 for her). She had just finished watching After The Final Rose where Jason breaks up with Melissa on national TV and then goes after Molly, who he let go.

So of course we had to stay up and see what happened. Cripes Mirandy! What a creep!

Shame on Jason. Shame on Molly. Shame on Chris Harrison. Shame on ABC. Melissa is a class act. Hang in there girl. And NEVER again will I get suckered into watching this show.

Water Storage Information

I know this month is dedicated to 72 hour kits, but I just want to put this on since it is fresh in my mind and so in case my emergency preparedness binder gets lost or damaged, I have this information.

Water Storage

• MINIMUM: 1 gallon per person per day is the minimum recommended amount of water to have on hand. The Red Cross urges people to have at the very minimum a 72 hour supply of water stored.
• IDEAL: 2 gallons per person per day is highly recommended to ensure that there is adequate water for first aid and hygiene purposes. A 14 day supply of water is recommended for storage.

To determine the amount of water you need to store, fill in the following blanks:

1 gallon X ___ people X ____ days = ____gallons

2 gallons X ____people X ____ days = ____gallons

WATER BARREL STORAGE FILLING AND CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse barrel thoroughly inside and out before filling. Take the barrel to the location you will be storing it. Once the barrel is filled, it is difficult to move by hand.
2. Store barrels in garage if possible or out of direct sunlight. If it is stored outside, place it in the coolest and shadiest part of your home.
3. Place barrels on 2 X 4's before filling to keep off concrete and prevent wearing as concrete expands and contracts slowly eroding the plastic barrel over time. If stored in a garage, try to keep them on the opposite side of your car's exhaust pipe so the fumes do not penetrate into the water.
4. Unscrew one bung on the top of the barrel.
5. Add 1 teaspoon of plain Clorox bleach per 10 gallons of water. (1 1/2 Tablespoons for a 55 gallon drum) Be sure that the label on the bleach states that sodium hypochlorite is the only active ingredient. Bleach containing soap or fragrances is not safe.
6. Fill the barrel with a clean hose (wipe it off first) and hold the hose above the barrel. Do not insert the hose in the barrel unless you are right there watching it to avoid contamination when the water level reaches the hose.
7. Allow the water to flow to the top and out the opening.
8. Replace the bung and tighten with bung wrench. Tighten the 2nd bung.
9. Place a heavy duty plastic bag around the bungs. Secure with a rubber band. This is to prevent dirt from collecting in and around the bung which may contaminate the water when it is opened later on.
10. Mark the date the barrel was filled with a label and a permanent marker. Place it on top.

NOTE: The water must be replaced every 6 months to ensure the quality of the water. Should the water be stored for a longer length of time than the 6 months, it is recommended that the water be boiled before using. This is a good idea even if using within 6 months.

6 MONTH CLEANING AND REFILLING

1. Drain the water from the barrel making sure not to drain into a planted area. The chlorine content may damage growing plants or grass. Recommend using a siphon, or a small garden hose set aside especially for this purpose.
2. Once emptied, place 1 cup of bleach in the barrel and fill 1/4 of the way with water. Close the bung tightly and turn the barrel on it's side. Roll it back and forth.
3. Turn the barrel upside down to allow the solution to clean the top of the inside of the barrel. Let is sit upside down for 10-15 minutes.
4. Drain the barrel making sure not to drain into a planted area. Rinse several times.
5. Refill according to the directions above.
6. Mark new date.
7. Recover bungs with new ziploc bags.

NOTE: If you live in a hard winter area, check with local authorities/officials for the water level as it will freeze solid during the winter and you don't want your barrel to burst.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATIE

Today's your day, Katie!

You have a birthday
Shout Hurray!
We want to sing to you today.
One year older (and wiser too!)
Happy Birthday,
TO YOU!

We love you and hope you have a fantastic day!

Scratch It Off The List

So today we finally got it done. We used to be regular. Every 6 months, change out the water barrels. Well, it's been almost 2 years. Yikes. Mike came over and he and Duff worked all afternoon and got them done. We just added 2 more 55 gallon barrels, so now we have 6 of those and 2 15 gallon drums. This is the stage after they have been emptied and the bleach water is in them, they have been rolled around and are now upside down for 10 minutes.
Here is our storage area in the side garage. We decided to keep them in this garage because it keeps them out of the elements and this one stays pretty cool all times during the year. We learned that they shouldn't sit directly on the concrete. They need to be able to 'breathe' and if they sit on the concrete they can also pick up any odors, etc.

Nicely stacked on top of the 2 X 4's.

Cleaned, filled, and ready.

Duff was at lunch with a couple of his business partners. They wanted to go see a movie after, and he told them he would have to pass today. They asked why, and when he told them he was rotating our water storage, they laughed at and were teasing him. However, one of them told him that he had been recently at a HOA meeting for where he lives and the fire department was the keynote speakers on emergency preparedness. The first thing out of the speaker's mouth was, "Whenever we have a big emergency; fire, earthquake, etc. Find one of your Mormon neighbors. They've got this thing down. They'll have food, water, and supplies to get you through!" Of course that comment got a round of laughter, but the fireman was serious. Duff looked at John and Mike K. and told them they won't think it's so funny when they are knocking on our door! It's good they all like each other....

Anyway, scratch that one off the list for now.

Sunday Highlights

We had a really nice day today.

Quiet.

Rejuvenating.

The house was quiet in the morning. I watched the Tabernacle Choir broadcast, which might not seem all that exciting to some, but we just don't get saturated with that kind of stuff down here, so every now and then it is a real treat. I put the pot roast in the oven, spiffed up the kitchen, and read for a while.

We fasted for Heather and her family and the doctors today. When we drove into the garage, you could smell the roast in the oven! Get in the house and get those potatoes and other veges on the stove! De-lish!

They changed the Primary Presidency today. It has only been a year. The president has had some very serious health issues going on. After an MRI for some other problems, the doctors discovered a cancerous tumor on one of her kidneys. While the other concerns are still there, this now became the main focus. She just completed a serious surgery to remove the kidney and take care of some other things. I am praying for her. She is a tremendous woman. The children are in good hands with the new presidency.

Our highlight was when Christine bore her testimony. We've had many lessons and discussions on what is a proper testimony vs. a 'thank-a-mony', 'story-a-mony', 'I'm so grateful for my friends/teachers-a-mony', 'I'm living the dream-a-mony', 'prepared message-a-mony'. When Duff was in the stake that was something they encouraged the wards to improve on, so we got it a lot at our house. Anyway...

She bore her testimony of answers to prayers and recognizing when the Holy Ghost speaks to you. Unbeknownst to us, she has been praying about what to do and take in high school next year. At her orchestra concert last Thursday, she had a simple but profound prompting that she was to continue her violin in high school. We got in the car after the performance and she matter-of-factly told us about it. Wow.

Then she bore testimony of families and how she has been effected by Heather's situation. Testimony of the importance of our bodies. Her testimony of the gospel and Heavenly Father's plan for us. She was very emotional, which is a new side to her to show that. On the way home from church she told us she had cried herself to sleep the night before thinking about Heather, Scott and their children. She had such a fun time playing with them on Saturday, and Hannah didn't want her to leave. These are hard times and we are all learning a lot from them.

As a mom, it is the best thing in the world when you see your children interact with the spirit. It is better than dessert or straight A's on a report card. For me, it helps to see them the way God sees them. They are His children first and we are stewards. What a humbling responsibility. Thanks, Christine, for reminding me of that. You are awesome!