Thought for the Day

Be Kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - Plato

It was chilly this morning. As I walked out in my bare feet to the suburban to take Ali to school, it felt a little cold to the touch. What is up with that? The weird thing is, bushes that have been only green since we moved here in June, all of a sudden with the slightly cooler weather are blossoming with flowers and color. Different bushes are blooming at different times of year, but something is always blooming. I like that.

I loved having Spencer here this past weekend. He brought a backpack for the whole 5-day weekend and that was it. All of his clothes shoved in a backpack. Oh Spencer, you are so low maintenance. Almost too low if you know what I mean. Luckily, I had saved a few things here so he had an extra shirt or two. He went surfing one day, two movies with sisters, and hanging with friends. We checked grades, which looked really good to me, so that was a relief.

Thanksgiving ended up being great. I thought we were going to have it alone, but we got invited to the Anderson's home to share it with them. Mark and Julianne were there, and as a fluke, Brett's other brother Brock and wife Kim were on a flight to Hawaii that got re routed to L.A. due to mechanical problems. So, they got to spend the day with us too. Kim helped me make pies all day and just after dinner, they were off to Hawaii. It was a really great day.

The Anderson women. The matriarch of the family Pat on the left. Becca, in the middle, is attending culinary school, so she helped up the food enjoyment. I want to attend culinary school. My new friend Stacy on the right. I like Stacy a lot. Thanksgiving was casual, comfortable, lots of food, and in this new house of theirs, they have soft drinks on tap. Right next to the water. What more could the kids ask for?

Kim and Ali posing because they were matching. Kim, what's with the arm?

Mark, Spence, Brock, Brett. This was taken after the Turkey Bowl, which every one of them said they played amazing in. They are skyping mom and dad Blake in Germany in this picture. Spencer, why do you never smile? Look how much better it looks when people smile.

Interesting story about the Turkey Bowl. Ali took Kate to watch the guys play, while I ran to LAX and picked up Brock and Kim with Maddie. Ali ended up leaving the game early to take food the homeless shelter in downtown L.A. and Brett told her to leave Mark's wedding ring, which she was holding for him, on the suburban bumper. Pause. I said the same thing. Why would he tell her to leave it there? So, exactly as you have probably guessed, Brett ended up leaving after the football game, forgetting about the ring.

When they realized what they had done, the guys went back to the parking lot and looked for an hour or more. They tried to drive the same way home that they drove before, but still no luck. All day Ali said, "It's not my fault! Dad told me..." and Mark gave us all a little grief over losing his beloved ring.

Get this. Later that night, after it was dark, Mark's wife's sister's husband (are you with me?) was driving around town. He lives here you see, so driving around town at night is a completely normal thing for him to be doing. I think he knew Mark lost the ring, but not where. He saw something shiny in the street. Yep. He pulled over and there in the street was Mark's wedding ring, a little banged up, but right there in his sweaty little palms. In his case, they were probably big palms and most likely not sweaty at all. What a completely random find! Or was it?? Coincidence or as my little friend Jane likes to say, Tender Mercy?

Here I am with the beautiful Ballard sisters. Shauna is on the left (the wife of the lucky ring finder) and Julianne, my sis-in-law who was responsible for leading us to La Canada, is in the middle.

Further news and complete change of subject. You know how I am sort of, well, polka dotted? One of those polka dots on my back was recently judged as "severely atypical" by a lab at UCLA hospital and the doctor personally called me to tell me to get in there and have it taken out. "Don't worry. It isn't cancerous yet. It's just as far on the atypical scale as it gets before it becomes cancer. We don't like those type of cells at all and we just need to get it out. Now."

So, being a little sensitive about the word cancer right now, I got it taken out this week. Here's the thing. The doc said I could either have a 3 inch line down my back (stitches) or a round crater if you will. My friend Melinda analyzed my energy type once, and I am all about round. My eyes, my face shape, which then even influences my clothing choices--round collars, round earrings. There is nothing angular about me or my energy. So, I thought about it for about 5 seconds and told the doc, "No big line scar for me. I want you to just cut it out and I'll have a round scar."

Ugh. I have regretted that decision from the moment I said it. It's bigger than I thought it would be. Also, because when Brett went to change the bandage, words like, "wow" and "whoa" slipped out of his extremely otherwise sensitive mouth. I quietly cry every time anyone looks at it. He says it looks like a bullet hole in the middle of my back. No big deal right? So why is it then?

As I was lamenting my decision again this morning, wondering why I wouldn't want a clean line instead of a big round scar, Brett said words meant to be comforting. "Erin, think what a cool grandma you'll be. You can tell the grandkids Mr. Creeps stories (like the ones my dad told my kids) and you can say that as you were running away, Mr. Creeps shot you in the back. Then if the kids don't believe you, you can show them your wound and they'll love it!" Thanks? Oh and then there was this line..."Well, it's not like you're a supermodel or anything. It's not going to ruin your runway or photoshoot career. Wow. Whoa." Ha ha. I liked that one. Really, I don't obsess about stupid stuff like this normally. I just have felt vulnerable this week, and I guess that because the reason is the C word, I am obsessing a little bit. I have to go in next week so the doc can "re-look" at my other, um, polka dots now that he knows I am severely atypical. I could have told him that already. There's no way that doc won't want to cut out more. It will never end!

Well, it never fails. Blogging, writing makes me feel good. A good creative outlet for me when I don't have many other creative outlets at this exact moment. Working on that! e

Flash Mobs

I'm fascinated with Flash Mobs. I love the idea of people spontaneously bursting into song in public places. I saw this one this morning, happening in Belgium, and it is my favorite so far. It makes me nostalgic for the musical that I got to be in with Ali. So much fun.

Enjoy.

17

Happy Birthday Maddie! You are the biggest blessing in our lives, and I am not just saying that. Completely serious. You are wonderful. You are beautiful. I am grateful to you for everything you are and do.

Welcome home Spencer! I'm glad your plane made it out just minutes before the whiteout. Pretty good that you are here tonight for Maddie's Portos Bakery fruit tart cake, pumpkin pie and guava cream cheese pastries.

I'm thinking of my friends in Utah. Enjoy the fun of a good old fashioned blizzard. So cozy! Screams hot chocolate. It's cozy here too, even without the blizzard. Christmas is up and it feels nice.

KEEPIN IT REAL

It is 7 p.m.

For some reason, I thought it was 8 p.m.

It feels like 10 p.m.

I just found out that Brett hasn't left the office yet.

That means add another hour and 15 on for the commute.

Kate is a crazy crazy baby.

Why do I want to crawl in bed at 7 p.m.?

Why is it pitch black?

Why am I so tired?

Should there be a limit on the age a mother can be to give birth?

Should there be a rule that long commutes are illegal?

TWILIGHT ZONE

Do you ever experience days that are just, well, a little weird? Our drive to Vegas on Friday was one of those Twilight Zonish days. The quick, 3 1/2 hour drive ended up being a long 6 weird hours. I felt like if we had driven 5 more minutes, we would have been in SLC.

We were stuck in traffic in L.A. for, oh maybe 2 hours. By the time we got to Barstow, we were starving and looking forward to dinner. We pulled into a ghost town. Eerily empty. All of the restaurants had their lights on, with no one inside or out. What? At first, we just thought In-N-Out was closed for some reason, but then no Arbys, Carls Jr. and finally Tommy's. We started noticing signs on all of the doors. The sign said something like this....DO NOT DRINK ANY WATER IN BARSTOW OR YOU WILL BE SORRY!!!!

Something like that. Seriously.. "Due to some nasty bacteria in the water supply, don't eat anything that was prepared with water or any food where the preparer was even thinking about water at the time. If you do, your intestinal tract and colon region will never ever be the same. Just to be sure, we are locking the door to every establishment in the entire city. It's THAT serious." As I read the note on Tommy's door, I turned around and noticed a news van across the street filming me reading the sign.

So, on to Baker it was! All of a sudden, every single one of us was parched, aching for water-- craving the cold, pure liquid that satisfies a scorched throat. Agony in the Blake car. Complete thirst. Once we reached Baker, our options were the "Mad Greek" (you all know the one..) or this new little number.

Good thing aliens had a parking spot here, because I snapped this shot below confirming how much aliens love this place. This one is scouting out a parking place for the hovercraft above his head trying to park.

Where the heck are we?! Only in America. (If you are a senior citizen reading this and are VERY close to me, I know you are happy seeing these pictures. You know who you are.)

We decided to bypass a meal with the little green ones and finally pulled into an Arbys. As we ate, a male customer kept asking if anyone had found his daughter's coat. "Nope," was the reply. He made the workers go into the bathrooms to check as well and had no luck. He left, very disgusted with himself, Arby's and everyone within a 5 mile radius of Arbys. Ten minutes later, he came back in saying, "She left it here! It doesn't just disappear! I'm not leaving until we find it!" At this point, the worker went back into the restroom, this time coming back out with a small white coat. "Sorry. It was in the garbage in there." ???? Who would shove a coat in the women's restroom garbage?

I could swear that I could hear the Twilight Zone music faintly in the background and am almost sure I spied Rod Serling, that quirky host, peeking in the windows from the desert parking lot.

By now, we're all drinking anything we can get our hands on BUT water (shakes, soda and the like) and are all feeling slightly "sick," most likely due to worry that somehow the bacteria at Barstow is seeping into Baker as well.

After another longish car ride, we arrived in Vegas. We walked into the lobby to a ceramic life-size Elvis. Finally! Reality!

The rest of the weekend was soooo normal. We just saw big fake elephants and gorillas moving in a rainforest as we ate. Kate didn't know what to do with herself.

...and rounded the weekend out with seeing people dressed as lions, hyenas, meerkats and warthogs in Disney's The Lion King. Quite the weekend.

Honestly, I am grateful to be out of Vegas! I always feel as if I'm doing something wrong just being in that city as if the earth might open up and swallow the entire place. A sign we saw advertising a new hotel pretty much sums up why I hate Vegas. Are you ready? Here it is.

COSMOPOLITAN.... The Right Amount of Wrong.

Are you serious? That is your logo?

Get me home. Back to safe, peaceful L.A.!!!!!

TODAY

Kate and Spence at the funeral. Kate's getup makes me laugh.
Sydney's best school friends. Kate and I helped at the lapathon. I got to squirt water all over the kids with my squirt bottle. I took that job very seriously.
Warm colored goodness from Maddie
Ali letting Kate help with homework.

Today is the day. Christmas goes up. UP, UP, UP. My carolers are going on the grand piano. They will sing to people as they come in. I'm hanging some big ornaments from my curtain rod. There is no space for the tree. Eek. Seriously, no idea where that is going. No big bay window anymore....

It's ok. Kate would probably wreck it anyway. I'll get creative. I do know that snowflakes are going all over my fireplace on both sides. Covered with homemade snowflakes. What else?

I think, gulp, I might start the pie night tradition here. The night before Thanksgiving, pies pies pies and friends friends friends. Si, what do you think? Do I dare? I always loved that tradition so much at your house. Should I wait until I move-maybe next Thanksgiving?

I'm excited about something that happened yesterday. For the Christmas concert, the choir teacher decided he would choose 5 specialty numbers to fill in between the choirs--duets or trios. Lots of kids tried out. My two girls each tried out with guy friends of theirs. Ali and friend Tyler sang "Mary Did You Know." I can't help picturing Clay Aiken or Donny when I hear that song and was also not crazy about 3 verses of the same. Not a lot of variation there. We got the music off of the internet, and as I usually find, the piano was awful.

Here's the deal. When you hear a song on the radio and it has been recorded with either a guitar or strings or whatever, when that same piece of music is transcribed to piano and put on paper, it just isn't as good. If it's not written for piano, the right hand usually just mirrors what the singer is trying to sing. Why have that? Anyway, I tried to "fix" it a little bit. First of all, we had to add a second part, right? So the night before the audition (major rushed because we were gone until the night before) we got Tyler over here and made something up. They sounded great, echoing each other, descants over the melody, etc. I could also hear a guitar with my piano picking the simple chords which would add another layer. I'll have to see if the teacher would let us do that.

I guess the choir teacher loved them! I was so happy! He asked where they got that arrangement? Ha ha. Ali said, well we didn't like the internet version so my mom did it. Then I guess he told all of Ali's classes about them and Ali's mom who did the arrangement. Yikes. Is that even legal? Do I need to get permission from the composer to rewrite his song? I think there are rules about that. Here's my same old problem. They have a guy who plays for all of the choirs, a professional accompanist. What do I do? I don't want him to play the normal version, I want to redo it, but when I write music out for people, it is very hard to read and it seems way obnoxious of me anyway. "I took the liberty of rewriting the accompaniment. Here you go. I hope you can read my little handwritten notes." Help. I just hear it the way I think it "should" be and I can't let it go. I dreamt about it last night.

Maddie and friend Scott also made it! They are singing "Baby It's Cold Outside." Way cute. I'm going to try and let them do it themselves, but I won't be able to help myself. I'll hear them singing by the piano..I'll wander in..and before they can say "Hey mom, get out!," I will be making changes all over the place. ARG!

Does anyone have a warm little body on your lap with chunky arms wrapping around your neck right now? Can anyone else hear "mom, mom, mom, mom" over and over? Is anyone else getting their hair "brushed" with the flat side of a hard brush? Is anyone else liking turning on their mac and having that big picture of the Beatles stare at you as they announce they are now on itunes? Did anyone else just have frosted mini wheats and scrambled eggs? Is anyone else listening to Kings of Convenience while you type? Does anyone else still have pajamas on as you are getting out Christmas boxes? Hey! Me too! What a coincidence!

Celebrate Life Today.

Do something for Someone Else.

Study Your Scriptures for a Little Bit Longer Today.

Give Someone a Compliment.

Say Thank You More.

Call Or Write Someone You Haven't Heard From Lately.

Be Nice To Yourself. You Are Better Than You Think You Are. Believe It When People Tell You.

e

Here is a newish song from Pomplamoose. I love watching them! Creative. Fun. Accessible. Everything you hear in their songs, you see on their videosong. I am going to look into meeting them. Why not? They probably live right around the corner. We could get a bagel or something.

Enjoy.

JEALOUSY

I'm thinking about food today. I lost a little weight being sick last week (unintentional I promise) and so now I'm trying to be good and keep it off. Thus all of my thoughts about food. Treats mostly. I exercised today. I didn't buy any treats at Trader Joe's yesterday. (Syd, you promised you wouldn't tell about the little box of peppermint bark. We decided that didn't count, because Christmas Themed Goodness doesn't really count that much. Egg nog and peppermint ice cream also fit in that category.)

Well, today, I look at my young friend's blog from Spain. She is traveling all over Europe, staying in hostels, living it up. She's taking piano from a concert pianist for pete's sake. This past week in Barcelona, she ate this...

and this....

and this....

ARRGGG!! How can I go on eating only healthy stuff after reading THAT?

And her legs look like this even with all of that eating...

..not to mention her senses are being stimulated by looking at purple walls with red doors.

She eats in restaurants with lights like this...

and stares at windows like this...

As balanced as I am, do you think I am jealous and want to hop on an airplane for Spain?

YES.

Ahhhh, home.

I am back home after 11 days. It is only 8:34 in the morning, and I've already had my poor baby throwing up through the night, a panicked Sydney worrying about missed school work, Ali going a period late fighting some bug... It's all good though! I love how families take care of each other. Kate has recovered, Syd checked every item off of her list and left confident her teacher wouldn't get mad at her, and I have already cleaned out my fridge and began the all-day laundry process. I am happy being back. It is 65 degrees already. I love warmth so much. I don't know what happened to me in this short time away from Utah, but I was FREEZING there. I'm back to a short sleeve T-shirt, so I feel good.

The funeral was good. I felt peace during and afterwards. The little church in that small Montana town was packed and there were many humorous moments like the guy who yodeled, the woman who sang a Merle Haggard song dad loved and everyone joining in, and dad's favorite cousin who just stood up and did dad's big laugh for everyone. It was so good to see all of my extended family. It was good to have Spencer with us. I realized powerfully through this process that just as life is a gift, death is a gift too. It's just the next step and full of joy for the person moving on. We will all die. I want to remember the best of dad.

The best part of the funeral was when dad's friend Brad, who has downs syndrome, stood up and weepily mumbled that dad was his friend. I found out later that Brad lives in a group home with about 60 mentally handicapped adults. The man who is in charge of this program told me that my dad had somehow "broken in" to this community. They loved him. He knew every single name. He was closest to Brad and would call him every night to say good night. Brad was one of dad's favorite karaoke partners. That was touching to me.

Utah. Going to Utah is good now. Aside from two moments, where I ached for what I left, I had a good trip. I am really liking living here. It feels good to go back, hitting all of the places I want to hit when I'm there...favorite shops, restaurants, temple, a movie with sisters, lunch with friends, chatting and eating at moms. (Unfortunately, this trip was too short and I didn't get to do everything). I realize that if I do that once in a while, this experience here that I'm having with my family is stretching us and is exciting and stimulating for my brain and heart. It's good! We are close, we have simplified, we are exploring, we are re-evaluating, we are warm.

Ali is ready for me to take her to school, so I'll take a pause....

PAUSE

PAUSE

PAUSE

Ok back. Nothing like a little Steely Dan and Foreigner in the car on the way to school to start the day. Ha ha. I don't know what station Brett has preset in his car, which I am driving, but Juke Box Hero...gotta love it!

One of my achy moments was saying goodbye to Ben as he goes on his mission on Wednesday. I looked up at him as he spoke in church and it was like his whole life flashed before me. I remember the many many soccer games and car rides to and from. I remember wanting so much to help the little boy who had just lost his older brother. I remember correcting him so many times over his word choices. ha ha. "Ben! Don't say that!" I remember hearing him drive up our circle with his bass up WAY too loud in his jeep. I remember how kind he always was to my girls. Every one of them knows he cares about them too. He asked them to dance, he rooted for them. I remember when he and Paul came to Lake Powell with us. They were so great to have along! I remember Brett slipping him chocolate covered cinnamon bears. I remember the trip they took with Brett to Washington D.C. They were 11? and Brett "trusted" them enough to let them have a day to themselves and take the subway or bus back to the hotel, which they exited on the wrong stop, in scary-ghetto-could-possibly-never-make-it-out-alive wrong stop. They will never forget that. I think a bus driver drove them to the right area after he got off work for free, because he was worried about these young boys. Of course that was before cell phones. Yikes. I remember Ben singing right next to Spencer throughout two years of choir. They enjoyed singing together so much, always a bit irreverently of course. Finally, I remember how hard it was for him as Spencer moved away and made new friends. He really struggled with feeling like he was losing the Spencer he knew. I loved him for caring so much.

As I hugged him goodbye, I realized that this..THIS..is happening RIGHT NOW. They are all leaving. Ben to Colombia first. Spencer so soon. They have grown up. Major ache! I am so proud of how Ben prepared for his mission. I could see a dramatic maturing, spiritual growth as he spoke yesterday. It was awesome to watch.

This was obviously taken before that spiritual maturing took place :)

Good news. Kate is definitely not throwing up anymore. She is playing at my slippered feet with measuring spoons in her Dora the Explorer nightgown hand-me-down from cute girl Camden. I love when nice people give little ones clothes they have outgrown. Definitely a harmony of life.

More good news. I found I had a frozen loaf of bread, when the rest of my kitchen is bare (due to being gone so long.) Yeah! It's like a Christmas present you didn't expect. The possibilities are endless with a loaf of bread. I'm boiling some carrots for Kate and we're good to go!

I haven't washed all of the throw up sheets, blankets, and pajamas, but that can wait until after a walk with Kate and Rudy! Fo sho.

I am giddily happy that Maddie has a friend, who I'll just call Sam, who has made her two music mix cds. Now, after the first one, I realized--hey! This kid has some music depth! He had song after song of pop influenced songs from new bands that I didn't know. Then near the end, he had an obscure Beatles tune in there as well as the Hall and Oates song from 500 Days of Summer. Seriously, his cd made me so happy. I had to look up all of the unknown bands to see what was going on!

So, after Maddie and I gush and gush over how great he is for having such good music taste and then sharing with us, (ha ha. Do you like how I said us? He doesn't even know me) he made us another one. This time, he put a Paul McCartney Wings song on there. He put a Paul Simon song on there, mixed again with new bands I must find and explore. Oh my--he also has George Harrison's My Sweet Lord. It's playing right now! Seriously, who IS this kid?

Also, who do you think came up with the first idea to put a gnome in their garden? Someone, somewhere made a gnome out of a log, painted it and stuck it in their garden. What was the motivation? There is a company somewhere that specializes in gnome construction which supplies all Targets, Big Lots, and quirky garden supply stores. They are making bank! The gnome industry is HUGE based on what I saw this past weekend in Utah. There was one across the street from my mom who stared knowingly at me under that red pointed hat every single time I drove past.

Finally, before signing off, I just got in the mail THE CUTEST advent calendar from my awesome mo-in-law all the way from Germany. It is so cool! There are felt triangular pockets with appliqued reindeer on the front of each one which are hanging from these little wooden clips and when you open each one, there is candy and a little challenge for the kids. Things like....clean your room really well for mom today...stuff like that! It made me so happy, because it is so Grandma Blake-all the way from Germany. After I get my house under control and clean, I will put up Christmas. Tomorrow or the next day, I will deck the place out with snowflakes, snowmen, my caroler collection. It's going up! (right after I take a walk in my short sleeved shirt :)

Thank you mom for hosting us, doting on us, doing all of Spencer's laundry, making all of those cookies for us to eat on our road trips, and doing crosswords with Sydney. Have Kelly or Zach pull out that bed downstairs and kill that spider! He must die!!

Saltine Crackers= Not Good

Puffiness and wrinkles popping up around eyes=Not Good

Stretching to the ceiling and then down to your toes=Good

Maddie turning 17 in a week=Good

Moldy strawberries found in fridge=Not Good

Knowing my dad won't be reading my post today=Not Good

Being in the temple=Good

Back scratches from Brett=Good (subliminal message. Brett read this slowly)

Knowing in order to lose weight, I have to lay off of sugar=Not Good

Going to Lion King this weekend in Vegas=Good!

In case you didn't notice, this was an unusually L O N G P O S T. e

DAD

I miss you dad. Walking into your bedroom tonight made me feel like a little girl all over again missing you. Your cowboy books on your desk, your closet organized so meticulously with your vests, your long sleeve button downs, your hats and boots. So many hats and boots. I saw your two rifles behind the door, the collection of haikus you wrote by your computer, and the art on your walls. You loved western art-- Cowboys and Indians. I smelled your big brown coat tonight just like I used to smell your shirts back then every visit. You were a businessman in California when I was a girl and you were the cowboy you always wanted to be to my kids.

As I drove through Wyoming today, through Lander, Riverton, Meeteetse, Cody, I looked at the land you loved so much. The plains of Wyoming seemed to wrap around me like a warm blanket. When I woke up from dozing off, Misty said, "Look behind us." There was the white 250 Ford you loved to drive for so long following us. We knew it wasn't really you, but it seemed like you put it there for us as if you were accompanying us somehow. That was a sweet moment.

I miss you. I've really missed you my whole life. Only because you were larger than life. You taught me to love music, art, storytelling, people. You knew everyone in this town. They all knew you and loved you. You hugged everyone. I am a hugger too. You knew everyone's stories and really cared about people; the lady at the grocery store, guy in the cafe, all friends of yours. You were so generous. I will never ever forget the feeling I had when you flew in one day before my high school graduation and bought me the white cabriolet. Brand new, all mine. Not only was it a guy magnet in college, (Brett teases he married me for the car), but selling that car after having Spence paid for us to get to Boston for grad school, and still had money to spare for that lovely used Volvo wagon. A step down in cool factor for sure, but a step up for our life.

My kids remember you sneaking them candy, little toys after I said no. They remember the Papa who shot guns with them off the back porch at the ranch, the go cart rides, horse rides, Mr. Creeps stories. They remember you telling them how great they were.

Thank you for staying a part of my life even with the complexities of divorce. I never doubted your love for me, ever. I should have been better at making sure you knew how much I loved you. Life got so busy sometimes. I am sorry.

We had a saying with each other. We said it to each other often. It was to remind us of the time when we realized that although you lived far away, that we had so much that was the same in us. I have felt that often through my adult life. The same was more than the different.

I hope you were wrapped in the arms of the Lord yesterday who I know you struggled so much to believe in. I know He understands you and your journey you have had on Earth. I know you are His just like I am yours. I know I will see you again.

Your oldest daughter,
Erin Noelle

STIR THEM IN MY WITCH'S BREW

**I typed this on Monday morning and just got the pictures downloaded. Some sad things have happened in our extended family and this post seems way too cheery right now, but I'm just going to post it instead of keeping it in my box, so I have it. I will post more about the sad things when I can**

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I just realized that the Valley View 1st grade had a program this week and I didn't play piano for it! Weird! I played for them for 8 years! No Witch's Brew, no Fly Fly Witchie Witchie Fly....

This week was a great one! My mom was here for the beginning of it. She helped so much and it was nice to have her here with us. Here is a picture of mom trying to bribe Kate into letting her hold her by feeding her ice cream. It worked!

Here is Ali at an NBA game at the Staples Center.

Thank you Uncle Mark for getting them box seats! Also, for my friend Kimi, they had a STAR SIGHTING HO HUM!! Remember the girl in 17 Again who shows up at the high school basketball game only to tell Zac Efron that she is going to have a baby? (ok, that sounds really bad).. Well, she was in the box with them, only she has dark hair and it took them half of the game to figure out why she looked familiar. Also, another STAR SIGHTING HO HUM!! When we were at lunch with Julianne at Jersey Mike's, we sat next to the oldest son on Home Improvement. To make it an even cooler STAR SIGHTING HO HUM!!, Julianne told us she dated him a few times and then they said hi to each other. The older brother to Jonathon Taylor Thomas said hi to us. These people are normal people, readers. It's still my duty to spice up my blog and tell you about these STAR SIGHTINGS HO HUM!!, but trust me, I'm only doing it for you. You're welcome, you're welcome. (*grammar nazi* Never ever ever write 'your welcome.' )

Darcy's family came for the weekend. Yeah!

Maddie and best cousin Katie at the Americana. They got some sweet deals so their smiles are extra big.

Ali and friends went to Pasadena for a haunted house in Old Town. When I picked them up, they told me that 3 middle-aged men corned them on the street and asked them what religion they were. When they said Mormon, the men said they were following Satan and not God. For 20 minutes, they worked on these kids, "prayed" for them and basically made them cry and angry. Would you ever walk up to someone and tell them you thought they were following Satan, especially kids? When they finally got away from them, they all huddled together and said a prayer. She said that it actually strengthened her testimony.

We had a fun trunk or treat on Saturday night, including a cake walk, chili cook off, and seriously the scariest haunted house down in the basement of the church. I made it to the first room and when hands started grabbing my legs, Syd and I were out of there. Maddie said it was a good thing I didn't make it to the room where the 16-18 yr old boys were, because they just cornered her (they are all her friends) and just yelled at her. Ha ha.

Syd and Ben had so much fun together. He's young enough that he will basically follow her around and obey her, which she thinks is fabulous.

Kate of course was enamored with all visitors more than mom. What am I, chopped liver? Seriously, it's like she is starved for other human interaction just like I am, so I get it Kate. I so get it.

Last night, we hunkered down and Darcy and I made about 20 Halloween things for our "Halloween Spooky Eat if you Dare Dinner." Darcy, I would not have done that if you weren't here. We probably would have had bland same old same old...Thank you thank you!

Tell me you can tell that's a brain..

Mark and Julianne came up from the OC to share dinner with us. They make every occasion more fun. Mark has even more energy than, well, Brett. Kate followed Mark and Uncle Chris around the house with her arms up until they would hold her. I'm in trouble when she's a teenager I think..

Brett decked the porch out for trick or treaters....only to have maybe 2 groups. That's it! Well, I don't blame them. Our street is so darn dark, as in pretty much pitch black. Who would want to walk down that?! How am I supposed to start my "2 weeks until Utah must lose 5 pounds by eating no sugar" eating plan if I have leftover Snickers and Butterfingers? That's almost impossible, and if you're a woman, you know exactly what I mean.

It is 80 here every day this week. It makes me happy. I'm not even missing colored leaves right now. I wonder if I'm going to miss the snow? Probably not this year. Maybe by next year? Right now, 80 is good.