A Profound True Quote That I Thoroughly Believe

The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side... The grass is greenest where it is watered.

-Robert Fulghum

A Fun Story. You'll Really Enjoy It.

This is Maddie's 1997 Nissan, Simba.

It was Og Belnap's car, then Spencer's car, and now Maddie's. When Spencer went on his mission, we contemplated the fate of Simba. At the time, there were 3 or 4 evidences of car-to-car or car-to-cement contact. Do we pay to fix it up? We can't sell it like this with dings and dents all over the place. Should Maddie get a nicer car to drive? After all, she IS a girl and girls should get nicer cars than boys.

After much thought, we decided to put some cash into it and fix it up so it is a-drivable and b-not super embarrassing. It needs to be a bit junky, but not overly so. It's a fine line with my car philosophy.

** I think new cars are a waste of my money. I have never bought new. I also like not having car payments. If I am driving an old suburban, let's say, maybe a white one just for discussion's sake, and I have no car payments on it and it is working fine, there is no way I am going to give that up. I don't want a newer car and a car payment. It's my little gift to myself. Now when that car starts costing a lot of money or begins to be embarrassing, I know it's time to upgrade to a newer used car-hopefully paid for with cash saved up.

**I also think teens should drive old cars. It has been my experience now with two driving teenagers that they WILL get in accidents. At least Blake teenagers will. Spencer had maybe 4 fender benders (mostly involving fences) and Maddie, my sweet responsible Maddie, has already had 3. Count them. 3! Teens don't deserve nice cars. They just don't yet. They haven't done anything to earn a nice car in my opinion. Let them drive a designated car that is good enough for milk and egg errands for mom.

Part of the reason for my philosophy is that I didn't grow up driving nice cars. I remember almost every car we owned being a volkswagen and at some point during its life, smelling very strongly of gas. That was always fun to show up places smelling like gas. But my point is, it builds character.

I am now past the driving a junky teenage car phase. I am 41 and I have 5 children. I don't want to drive Simba. Ever.

A few weekends ago, Brett was out of town. That means his car..gone at the airport. Maddie was in charge of an activity at school and needed to haul our lovesac as well as speakers there. So..suburban at the high school. It was time for Sydney to go to a birthday party. No problem. I will just take Simba this one time.

LET THE STORY BEGIN----

"Oh shoot!" I think as I back out of the driveway. You see, Simba at this time has a huge brake problem. You can hear Simba coming down the road a mile away in a circular-wheel-rotating kind of squeak, not just a when-you-brake kind of squeak. I have been meaning to get it to the shop but it's 20 mins. away and Brett was gone and company was here and Maddie was busy and yada yada yada. So when I start driving down my street, I verify to myself, "OK. This MUST be fixed!"

This particular house is clear up the mountain. I am driving up twists and turns, hugging a drop off, etc. "Wow, this house is waaay up here.....Oh here is the street!" Then Sydney quietly says from the back seat, "Mom, can you maybe drop me off a little bit away from the house?" OH MY. Do I ever remember feeling that way when my mom dropped me off in the green machine, our trusty forest green volkswagen hatchback. Always just wanted to walk and stretch my muscles a block or so before any 8th grade activity. My mom usually said "nope" and pulled right on up to the front door. Because I remember this so vividly, I laughed and say, "Sure Sydney. Let me just turn this final corner."

Voila. There is the house on the right. The last. house. on. a. steep. downward. hill. Did I mention that Simba is a stick shift? With a loose clutch? Now I am facing down and I can see the house. I can also see every girl at the party and their moms congregated out front looking up at what is making that loud screeching sound...aka...us. I'm sure they are wondering why I am parking a full house away, but I just smile, grab Syd's hand, walk the distance and introduce myself to the group. Very nice women. I give Syd a hug and turn to go. Now at this time, I re-realize that Simba is facing down and I will have to drive past all of them anyway in order to turn around. I live in a very nice town. I'm pretty sure that all of these women's cars were mercedes. That's just another little funny bit. ha ha all mercedes. Oh my so funny.  So here we go. Squeak squeak squeak past all of them slowly maneuvering around the mercedes (how do I make that plural?) and into the driveway directly across the street. Everyone is watching me now and the conversation has stopped.

This driveway I happen to pull into is a virtual nose dive of a driveway. Are you kidding me?! I thought. I slam on the brakes, because I know that one more inch and my car (Excuse me. Maddie's car!) will never make it back out. So here I am, facing sharply downward, in a stick, with a loose clutch, needing to back up. I put on the parking brake and have to rev it loudly before attempting to reverse. Yep. It jerks and dies. Second time, I have to rev it even louder and explode backwards, then slam to a halt so as not to hit a mercedes.

By this time, every single person is completely silent and looking at me with deep concern. Everyone, that is, except Sydney. I think she is really busy studying signs of lawn dehydration or wondering if the thriving potted flowers are in acidic or normal soil.  She might have been looking up at the moon and wondering if there really are signs of ancient water deposits thus pointing to other life in the universe.

I know that to roll down the window and say, "Oh hi, excuse me, but this is my daughter's 1997 car. I of course have muuuch nicer cars at home. You can get back to your conversation. Thank you. Nice to meet you all," would just make it worse, so I just smile a big ol' smile and wave goodbye as I squeeeeaaak loudly back up the hill.

Finally, I'll leave you with what the side of her car looks like (after accident no. 3). This was, of course, the side facing all of the mothers and their precious mercedes. (no offense Becky, I still love you, even though you have one too.)

I don't make this up people!

Life Is Long And So Short

Annual Girls' Trip 2011: Park City Edition

~Friendship is a single soul living in two bodies.

~A good friend knows all your best stories.

A best friend has lived them all with you.

~Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer.

A really really great photo of really incredible women

and my husband, my best friend of all, was home taking care of sick girls, doing laundry, cleaning the garage, and going on walks with this little one.

--All we have in life, really, are people and moments.  The portrait captures both simultaneously, and tells a story about the characters in our lives.  It shows a person in a place and a time in which they will never be again; it stops the clock and says, "Look at this person; she matters.  This moment matters."  And whether that portrait is serious or the brief result of a cheesecake grin, we're a little closer to seeing the soul.--

It's a great beginning to a new week. Although Mondays mean a very messy weekend recoup day for me, I love the promise of a new week. I love getting the kids out the door and then just looking at my little Kate and deciding what to do.

A lot of people have Prius's here. Disneyland on Wednesday. Halloween at Disneyland is fun. Just ask Kate. Yikes. She's an addict now. I'm going to get a corn dog first thing by Tomorrowland. Going to slap a little paint on my walls today in prep for Utah's UEA visitors this week. Heard from my boy this morning. I am loving Spotify. I just made a playlist of tons of kid songs for Kate for FREE. And I don't have to buy them. I can listen to them until I'm sick of them, then get new ones. I like free.

Have to hire a tutor for a child this week. Tutors equal survival and sanity. Had a GREAT scripture class this week on the war chapters in the Book of Mormon. Yes they are a study of the wars of those people, but they are also a type and symbolic of Christ leading us. I love love love that scripture class. I think about it all week long.

I'm grateful to be right here right where I am. Enjoying my senior girl Miss Maddie. I can't believe it's her senior year. I can't believe she'll also be gone to BYU next year. 2 kids out the door!! Super big hole when Miss Maddie goes that's for sure.

Recent conversation between Ali and Kate when Ali was trying to get Kate to bed. These are daily conversations that keep us all laughing...

Kate: Ali, heres the deal. I'm really scared and I need you to hold me
Ali: ok kate lay down
Kate: Ali, Pirates are so nice. I  promise they are NOT scary. and i need to go to disneyland RIGHT NOW to see the pirates.
Ali: ok kate now go to bed right now
Kate: OKAYY....mr. bossy.
Ali: I am NOT a mr. bossy.
Kate: ok. but you're a witch
Ali: what? no i'm a princess
Kate: no i'm a princess. I'm cinderella.
Ali: are you going to be cinderella for Halloween?
Kate: no i'm going to be a pirate. but halloween has SO many spiders. but they're really nice.

Interesting Week:

On Thursday, I went to my local YMCA to exercise. I took Ali. We decided to try the "Cardio Funky Dance" class at 7 p.m. This lady below was my teacher.

You can't see this through the computer, but I am heartily laughing right now. So yeah. This was the lead SOLID GOLD DANCER. If you were born before 1974 ish and you are female, and especially if you were a Farley Sister, you will remember this show. Note to mom: Why did you let us watch this? Every picture I google of Solid Gold Dancers remind me that they were very very scantily dressed and I can only imagine what kind of moves they did after my cardio funky dance class. Mom, don't feel guilty. You did the best you could. You were probably in your white uniform helping deliver babies and caring for post partum mommies while your little ones were watching these lovely ladies perform.

Side Note: I was the oldest girl. That meant, when these guys came on, I got to pick which one I was first. Every time. Misty, being the cheery sweetheart that she was would always say ok and then pick hers.. Kelly, probably still with her thumb in her mouth, would waddle over to the TV and point to hers. Or maybe we told her which one she was. Same went for the Pointer Sisters.

Back to the class. Ali and I see this woman, this teacher, who is now about 60 I would think. That beautiful long hair is still beautiful and long only now it's WHITE and in corn rows down the back. She's also in yoga pants and a one shouldered T shirt falling over a purple bra. But wow wow wow did she give us a "cardio funky dance" class! Wohoo!  Her hips were moving everywhere! She expected us to be as good as she was! She kept yelling, Pow Pow Pow Pow! and then she'd shimmy her shoulders to the driving Latin/funk beat. I kept looking at Ali and laughing. Ali and Maddie are now my Misty and Kelly if you will. I love having children who are now old enough to experience things with.

I will say that for the first 30 minutes I thought, "Hey...my hips are NOT moving! What happened to me? And why does she look a million times better than any of us and she's in her 60s? How can I get some of what she's got?" By 1/2 hour into it, my body loosened up a bit and started remembering how to move. "Oh yeah" it said. "I kind of remember how to do this. My hips started goin with the beat." Now the only way this was possible was that there were no men anywhere present so I felt safe. Also, every other person in the "cardio funky dance" class were tiny Asian women who decided to wear flamenco-type skirts. They were very very into it. Like weirdly eating up everything she did.  Their little hips were not moving one bit. So I felt like a perfect medium of the skinny flamenco-skirted Asian women and busty-groovin 60 corn-rowed teacher.

Ali did great. She's a dancer after all. However, and I was very pleased abou this.. Ali needed some help on the hip action. A little bit stiff on the rotating pelvis. Thank heavens. VERY VERY INTERESTING CLASS INDEED. I will leave you with this last disturbing image...

THIS is why I like watching Sesame Street with Kate. :)

Today I unexpectedly came across this picture. Wham to the heart. Those were such great times.

 So I decided to look up a few more.

That's all. Just thinking about what the weather is in Siberia today. And if he bought his coat. And if he'll get an investigator who he gets to share the gospel with. Life passes so quickly. I'm excited for these boys and the growth they are experiencing. Nothing like it. And maybe I'm missing him a little today. e

BIG GIFT COMING YOUR WAY

OK fellow bloggers. My brother just gave me a gift today. A HUGE gift. I couldn't believe it. I'm going to turn around and give it to you. It's called Spotify.

Go to spotify.com and download spotify. You can listen to any whole album, any song, all the way through at any time. Right now, I'm listening to Neil Finn's new album Pajama Club. Quinn found Trombone Shorty this way. He just finished Tony Bennett's new Duets 2 album and said listen to it! So now, instead of listening to 30 seconds of it on itunes, or buying the whole thing, after Pajama Club I'll give the entire album a listen. Who doesn't love Tony Bennett? He's a fav of mine and I loved his first Duets album. I'll see what Gavin DeGraw's new album sounds like. All for free.  Brett's going to love this! No more itunes charges and me shrugging my shoulders with "I had to get it!" While you're at it, listen to the Puppini sister's version of I Will Survive.

Thanks Quinn. And you're welcome.

 I'm really happy lately. Everything is really really good. I'm busy. I'm working on preparedness, budgets. I'm seeing a lot of new things which keeps my mind interested and creatively satisfied. I have a playgroup for Kate.  I am playing music a lot. (ward choir, youth choir, broadway brunch, various gigs) My mom is here visiting helping me cook, running errands, chatting. Brett is on a 21 day cleanse as part of another trial group at work. Daaaang Brett! Why do you do this to yourself? No meat and all of this special stuff for 21 days. Free food again dropped at our doorstep. It kind makes my dinner prep easier, but I know he's going to get grumpy by probably tomorrow. We'll see, he's excited.

 Every month, my friend has a lunch called Broadway Brunch. About 25 people usually show up and she has different talented theatre types/singers perform showtunes for everyone else. It's crazy, fun, great. I have never been able to go. Last month, the theme was divas and not only did I go, but played for a woman who was on Broadway for 7 years..5 with Jersey Boys and 2 as Cosette in Les Mis. She just moved into our stake after just getting married. So she sang for us. She was amazing and my piano abilities were majorly stretched having to play tricky broadway tunes one after the other. Once a month I get to do this now. Happy day!

Syd is now taking violin from a great great teacher and I have picked up a few piano students again.  I am missing my boy. My friend said it perfectly, I just want one hug! Then I'd be fine. Just let me get my little arms around him just once. arrrr.

I'll leave you with this. If you are my kids' dentist, and you're super awkward anyway, don't watch me reading "The Lennon Interview" in a magazine while I'm waiting and then start talking to me about Lennon and about how you are in a band. Then please please don't give me a CD of you and your band. Finally, please don't write a song called Hay is for Horses on that CD and sing these words..."Hay is for horses, Also for cows. Not for pigs, they don't know how. You gotta do what you do do do do do" set to a 50's style beat and chord progression. PLEASE don't do that. I don't want to hear you sing! Now how am I supposed to NOT bring it up when I come in for Ali's cavities? I can't lie and tell you it was great. I'm going to have to switch dentists now.

GOSPEL MUSIC ROCKS

This following clip makes me so happy. I've watched it many times.  I especially love the director and when, in the middle of the clip, he and the other boy singers start walking. Oh man, it's a good day when I find something like this.

HERE YOU GO WATCH IT NOW AND ENJOY IT

I've been thinking about some things lately.

First of all, I just rushed to the store to make a big cookie sheet of Scotcheroos for Ali to take to Young Womens. Her leader ran into me in the store and said, "Is there any way Ali can bring that one dessert I had one time at your house and loved so much? If you can't no big deal, but I at least need the recipe." So I rushed home and made them with 1 minute to spare. As Ali ran out the door, I heard the crash. I slowly, very slowly walked to the front door, knowing already what had happened because Ali and Maddie were so deathly quiet. Sure enough, there were the scotcheroos all over my front steps. Upside down. Wow that was disappointing. I think Ali salvaged about 4 and I told her that no one else gets them but her leader. I hate when that happens.

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE are coming to The Music Box in North Hollywood in October! Oh my goodness. They are my favorite Norwegian guys ever. I even put Sondre a 3rd to them. I never thought I'd see them live. I am MAKING my friend Heidi come and see them with me and she said yes. She's the one who introduced me to them in the first place and they are soooo her. Happy day for sure.

Spencer couldn't teach his first investigator lesson in Omsk because the guy was MURDERED. Yep, he got to the apartment and the neighbor said something like, "I'm sorry. He's not here. He was murdered." Wow.

Um, oh oh this is exciting! I was finally at the movie The Help with my Maddie last night. At the end of the movie, Abeleine I think is walking up the road slowly and the credits music starts. It is beautiful. All of a sudden there is a chord progression there and the strings playing just so and I knew it was my guy, Thomas Newman who wrote it. He also wrote the score for Finding Nemo. Oh and Little Women. It's weird, but I still remember the first time seeing Little Women and how beautiful that film was, mostly because of that score. I have watched Finding Nemo a LOT and the score is so brilliant!  Seriously watch that movie and the score will blow you away. Anyway, he has written for a bunch of movies and now I can always pick him out and it makes me so happy. So I turn to Maddie, "Oh Maddie. It's Thomas. I know it. I know it. Wait. Wait for it....wait for it..." There it came up on the screen . Thomas Newman.  Yes!! I knew it! He is really brilliant and my fav bff composer friend for sure.

I want to throw away all of my furniture and stuff and start over with new colors and textures. I am loving subway tile, white yes, but also blues and greens. Glass blue and/or green tile me likey.

I feel really badly about something. We have had a good number of people come and visit us here this past year. I love it. However, this past weekend, Brett and I finally got our bikes in the suburban, headed to the beach and rode from Santa Monica beach south, through Ocean Beach, Venice beach until we had ridden about 45 minutes. Then we turned around and rode back on the road this time in the bike lane. Wow. I kick myself that we haven't done that with every single visitor. This will definitely be a must from now on. Get everyone in the car/s, drive to the beach and RIDE! So awesome!

Also, some families moved into our ward with little kids! Yes! Yes ! Yes! I am actually going to get to trade once in a while this year. Kate is older. It is doable. That will help me a ton this year.

Finally, if you are a dentist office and you go to the trouble to make or buy a wooden sign that says:

"Children left unattended will be given a new puppy and an expresso"

....just spell it right. ok? It's espresso not expresso. What is an expresso? And I don't even drink coffee! Someone painted that? And then someone else bought it? ha ha ha

Happy Birthday to my Old Man. #44

Old Town Pasadena. I look so awkward with my arm like that. Dang Erin. It's not like I'm a supermodel or anything. (Direct quote from my guy there on the left.)

We found a macaroon store just like those in Paris. I guess it was just opened by a couple from France. I don't like them that much. I didn't really even in Paris. So Brett got a few macaroons here and I went and got a chocolate brownie. That's all I really need in life is a chocolate brownie, preferably with walnuts and little chocolate chips. All I need.

Really long and meaty yellow snakes that like to be held

The kids here in L.A. tend to be very independent. They get their license and instead of driving down the hill to Keva Juice on 5th South, they drive into Hollywood or Santa Monica. That's really as far as driving to Provo to hang out. In traffic. With weird people everywhere. Anyway, this summer, the girls have done chores during the day and then gather their various friends and do bunches of other things..many of which are by a beach or in the city.

So, on Sunday, my mom wrote me a semi-frantic email asking me about why in the WORLD my girls would be holding such a big snake and do I need to maybe have a talk with them about safety. I laughed and replied quickly, "Oh mom. Ha ha ha . Whatever picture you saw was a stuffed animal snake or something. Trust me, my girls would not be holding a big snake and also if by some small chance they were, I would know!!! Ha ha." Oh moms..gotta love em. Then on the way to church, Brett says, "Maddie, grandma just called for you and she seems pretty anxious to talk to you." I laughed again. "That's because she thinks you were holding a huge snake Maddie! I don't know, she's really worried that you were! ha ha ha" That's when Maddie tells me that she and Ali paid some guy on the beach money to let them hold the 12 foot huge yellow constrictor for a photo. I couldn't believe it. Since when is something like that NOT interesting enough to tell me? If that isn't, WHAT IS?? And also, WHY WOULD YOU PAY SOME RANDOM STRANGER TO LET YOU HOLD A HUGE YELLOW SNAKE THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT!??!!

We had to have a talk about safety and about naivety and about boundaries and about judgment. Because I'm worried.

Also, why do office stores sell big wall calendars that clients with little two-year olds drive 20 minutes to get, because they realize that being organized might take their mind off of being bloated and irritable (according to their new "period tracker!" iphone app) if the calendars start in 2012?! Do you think that NOT detail-oriented people like the aformentioned client with the two-year old look closely enough to realize that it doesn't start until 2012? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we still in AUGUST? You're just going to throw 4 months away? Now I've got the cutest big calendar that I can't use until JANUARY and now Kate's asleep so it's not like I can lug her back there. Plus I already took off the wrapping. So now I just have to feel bloated and irritable? uggg.

Emotions and Junk

So yesterday was kind of an -I feel like crying- day. Probably no other woman ever has those days but ENB. But hey, I have them. Yesterday I was just sad. I felt like crying all day. Maybe part of it was that I knew school was starting today. I was afraid that this year would be as hard for me as last year has been. When I look back at our experiences, I realize it's been a great year! We've done so much, grown so much, seen so much. What a great year. I just never got over the feeling of being a visitor here and I thought I would feel like this was my home a lot sooner. That was a little tough. Then it was summer and problem solved for 3 months. Girls home, noise, food, travel. All good.

Another part of it was me being tired. Just tired. Brett had been gone for a few days and lots to do with school starting and I played a gig this weekend which was hard to do without my super great dad babysitter. ha AND someone was mean to me at church. Like mean, which seriously KILLS me when I think someone has a problem with me.

So I came home from church and just got on my bed flopped on my stomach with my head buried in my pillow. Brett came in and sat down ready to listen to me vent about ?? I  said to him, "I'm sorry, I'm just sad. I can't really explain why to you, so you don't have to feel like I need to talk something out." Then I said finally, "I don't know, maybe I'm going to start my period."

PAUSE

I'm sorry to include that piece of information, but I'm pretty sure it's needed for my story.

BACK TO STORY

Then Brett said, "Oh you're not going to." I said, "How do you know?" He said, "Because it warns me on my iphone when you're going to start."

PAUSE

Now first of all, anyone who knows me knows that I believe everything people tell me. Also, anyone who knows Brett knows that he is in LOVE with his iphone. He is in love with PROGRAMMING stuff, especially on his iphone. So it could be totally possible. But I was still skeptical. Heck, it's my body and I have no CLUE when I'm going to start, so how would he?

BACK TO STORY

So I said, "You do not!" He said, "Yes I do. It's called iperiod and it's for men." Then I just started laughing so hard. Only then did I know he was lying. We laughed about how needed that really is. If every guy had an iperiod app that had an alarm to warn them, they could avoid or at least understand all of the monthly misdirected anger and in my case, gear up for a weepy wife for a day. Anyway, he decided he was going to do that and it will be big (because everything with Brett ends up with him starting a company that will do it..).

CONCLUSION

I may or may not have cried. And today I started my period. And this morning when I pushed that little round button on the bottom of my iphone, up popped a screen that said, "Are you sad? Depressed? Angry?" and I was supposed to touch which emotion I felt. After I did, I learned that I was on Period Tracker! Yeah! Brett found it and left it there for me to find. ha ha Only it's for women, so it's not even funny. What's funny about tracking your period if you're a woman? Plus, if I actually tracked my period, I would be like other normal women who keep track of details like that about their health. I'm much more spontaneous and um above such trivial details. I, instead, like to feel completely messed up for a day and wonder what the heck is wrong with me or think of all of the things that are wrong with my husband which usually don't bother me so much and then realize the next day WHY. Then I like to profusely apologize.

Ok Erin, are you not blogging anymore? Do you have to be on a trip to get inspiration? I don't know what's happening.

Here are some things I've learned over this summer that might be helpful to others.

Never ever drive to Southern California on a Sunday from Utah, especially where you get to Vegas after 2 p.m. and especially if it's summer.

Never ever drive from Southern California to Vegas or through Vegas on a Friday afternoon or evening.

In both cases, you will seriously regret it.

Oh and also, if you are driving in the traffic and getting frustrated, and if you are a type A male, don't think for a minute that getting off of the freeway and driving rogue dirt paths through sagebrush will get you back to the freeway and on your way faster. It really won't. Plus your wife will be mad at you. It's not worth it.

There is no place in the world as pretty as southern Utah. Those red rocks rival anywhere in the world. And they're just sitting there, waiting to be looked at and hiked on.

Wakeboarding is messed up. There is something intrinsically wrong with having your feet facing sideways while your body is being propelled at high speeds forwards. I should have invested all of that time learning to slalom!! Next year, it's all forward.

You have to put in the time to keep a relationship strong. Relationships are either moving forward or going backwards. Time, time, time. Some relationships I've done well with. Others, not good. I realize that the time I have spent with each person directly affects how close we are.

When you eat high calorie foods and don't exercise, you WILL gain weight. When you eat high calorie foods and exercise sometimes you will probably STILL gain weight. When you eat normal food and don't exercise, you can ALSO gain weight. When you eat normal food and exercise you will probably MAINTAIN your weight. When you eat low calorie, healthy foods and exercise, you will LOSE weight. I'm learning it's just that simple. Dang!

Nobody's happy when Maddie throws up. The world is out of alignment when Maddie throws up. But when mom throws up the next day, that is actually slightly worse than Maddie throwing up. Mom being sick kind of trumps it in the "put everyone out" category. Sorry guys. I'm better now. (well, I guess that's not advice in general about summer..)

There is nothing in the WORLD as interesting as your missionary's letter. Really, nothing, not even that they almost have Gaddafi or that the U.S. is tanking. Not as interesting.

It's time for everyone to get out of debt and to get food storage. (I'm in charge of this project in my Relief Society this year and although it seems way out of my knowledge range, I'm excited.)

Things are good when your sister buys a bigger house with lots of rooms. Things are also good when your bro and sis in law have a big house with lots of rooms. Things are still good when your mom has a small house with LOTS OF FOOD. :)

Ok That's enough for now. e

I think I'm becoming more neurotic as I grow older. I've decided that really really neat people are probably not the most healthy people as say people who are ok with a little messiness. I used to really admire extremely neat people and wish I were more like that. I was just never willing to put in the time it takes to have an extremely neat house. And I was never willing to pay someone to do it. Now, I still don't have the time, but I am extremely uptight if I walk in a room and it is messy. I can't spend time in my room unless bed is made, clothes off of the floor. It drives me nuts. I tend to feel a lot of anxiety if I look around and piles of paper aren't straight or if the counters have a water spot on it. I can't go in places in my home that are messy without feeling a constriction in my chest. I clean my kitchen floor on my hands and knees. A lot. I wipe down baseboards and door frames. A lot. I wipe my microwave out daily. I wipe my fridge out bi-weekly. Now the hard thing is, my house isn't always spotless. But now, unlike before, it really bothers me. I don't go in my garage because the accumulated stuff just frustrates me.  I don't like going in my girls' rooms in the 2nd house because I can feel my anxiety level rise as I notice clothes on their floor or toothpaste spills left on the counter. Like they can't see it! Or don't care! How can you not care that there is a blue glob on the counter? Oh no, it's happening as I type about it. I need help. I don't want to get any cleaner. Seriously. It makes me really happy when I walk in a home and it is a bit messy. Especially toy rooms. It makes me feel like people LIVE there. And people are happy there. There is action there. Then why can't I enjoy it in my own home?

And another thing. Why do I feel a little feeling of homesickness every time I hear James Taylor's voice? And it's not necessarily homesickness for Utah. Just that feeling. That feeling where you have to just stop what you're doing and completely listen to the song for just a minute and then sigh before you go back to your stuff? Maybe because I've listened to him for so long? He's my old friend?  I've seen him play live so often? What if he were your dad and you just didn't feel well. You tuck yourself under your covers and ask him to sing a few songs as you fall asleep. Can you imagine? I could never fall asleep! Which brings me to another thing that has always bothered me.

Do other people concentrate on every note that is being played in a song so that it prevents them from sleeping at all when music is on? I could never ever fall asleep to music. I can't turn off that mechanism in my brain that is identifying notes. Which instrument is playing what, what his/her vocal range is. I hate it! Which reminds me..

Why does the fruit that we buy at the farmers market go bad after about 1-2 days, while the fruit we buy at the grocery store stays good for a week or more? What do they put in the fruit at the grocery stores anyway? Do I want to know?

I wonder if Spencer is flossing. And taking his vitamins. And eating vegetables. And scrubbing them. With filtered water. I wonder if he washes whites with only whites. I wonder if he's going to get sick. Or stopped by the Russian police. Which brings me back to point one. I think I'm becoming more neurotic with age. :) e

Day 7 Eze/Monaco/Italy

Today was crazy! I am 5 minutes from where this happened. The cars here are CRAZY!! This is funny money here I decided. Who are these people? What do they do? Where do they come from? I passed a couple and I knew he was either a professional soccer player? Or a prince? I don't know, it's seriously crazy money here. This article was funny because that is exactly what I'm seeing! Seeing it from a bus with a bunch of tourists, but still..

We decided to go to Italy just because. Today was an bonus day. Our guides finished last night :( which basically meant no bike rides or hikes today AND we had to get everywhere we went by ourselves and pay for it ourselves. Double :(. So as much as I wanted to rest on this beautiful hilltop, we decided to go to Monaco and Italy! I'm so glad we did.

We were in Monaco for about an hour and saw the palace. The country is still celebrating Prince Albert's marriage to Charlene of South Africa. It's weird that for all the hoopla about Prince William and Kate Middleton, why was this marriage not really covered? Or was it and I just missed it? Anyway a lady on the train in the know told me that there was lots of gossip about this woman not really wanting to marry him and become princess. Everyone thought she would bolt a few times. He's a playboy. At the wedding apparently, she was stoic, showing no emotion? Don't do it Charlene! Why??? She is beautiful eh though? She's an Olympic swimmer to boot.

I think her hair looks cuter short like this. Love this cut.

Most every woman I saw today in Monaco looked like her. With serious modesty issues but I won't go into detail. 

ok enough of that. I don't ever feel the need to go there again. I guarantee those people are not happier than someone with a good husband/wife and some children and a tramp and probably a dog and a bbq grill with warm hot dogs and a car that gets them from point a to point b.

So, then we took a taxi to Italy! The contrast was evident the second we crossed over. Now to be fair, we went to some random Italian town and not Venice, but still, the people were very very different than the French people. Not as proper, not as thin, not as quiet, not as well dressed. Louder, more relaxed. We got a gelato and a pizza and shopped at a huge flea market for a few hours, then hopped the train back to France. Interesting fact: The gelato in France is a tiny little scoop. The gelato in Italy was a huge overspilling scoop. I'm glad we did it, but I'm glad to be back, if just to hear the french language again. Soooo beautiful! 

Fun Fact about Holland: So this woman was on the train with us from Holland. When I think of Holland, I think of fields of tulips and beauty. She said "Nah! It's awful! Totally flat. Flat flat flat! No hills, not interesting." Then I said, "But those tulips!" She said, "For two months only! The rest of the time it's cold, windy, rainy. It was only nice for about 2 weeks this whole summer. I'm here so I could see some sun!." She went on and on about how much she loved southern california and couldn't believe Venice Beach..."so free, so hippie, skating, biking, music. Everyone was just eating and doing things." Ha ha. I was like, "But Europe! Look at these buildings!" She said, "Pfsssh!" 

Perspective!

Time to wrap it up. Tomorrow at 6 a.m. we go home. 12 hour direct flight from Nice to SLC. I can't wait to get my hand on my babies. Not just my baby baby but all of my babies, every single one at every single age (except for my oldest one. Can't get my hands on him, but I get to get my hands on a phone and hear his voice. Excited.) Farewell. 

Day 6 Cote d'Azur/ Eze

Fact: Everyone in France smokes. I don't know when the transition comes in a French person's life to a full-time smoker, but it happens. It amazes me that they are so conscious of fresh food, fresh air, etc. and then smoke.

Fact: The French make great food. French food is different than American food. French eating times are also different. Our dinner tonight began at 8 and just ended (midnight.) Course after course and looooong periods of nothing in between. But good. Lots of talking. And yawning.

We hiked today to the top of another mountain past Roman ruins on the exact trail that Julius Caesar used as his ships parked on the coast and expanded the Roman empire. There were stone "trophees" built along that path in honor of him. It's weird how history that just usually goes over my head suddenly makes sense when I see it with my own eyes.

We are about 20 minutes from Italy. I kind of want to take a cab there, step on the ground, get a gelato, and come back. Is that dumb?

What is going on back in Washington D.C. right now?! Yikes! Fix this!

I miss my girls. It's time to come home. One day left. The company who has been planning this trip, called Butterfield and Robinson are now done. Tomorrow is a free day. Then I get to see my girls!

Brett is snoring which means at 12:26, I'm up too late. Again. Bye!

DAY 5 Provence/Cote d'Azur (French Riviera)

Today we are right in between Provence and the French Riviera. Another 22-mile bike ride up a mountain in the pouring rain! Only about 1/3 of the people went today and I was one of them! It was all uphill, seriously up a mountain and I was so drenched by the end, there was water pooling in my shoes. It was so awesome! I felt so good afterwards, a kind of good I have never experienced. Probably how one feels when they run a race or whatever. That's how I felt. This ride was through a forested mountain and medieval towns. The view and the smells were amazing. Can't describe it. I just kept going up, up, up wiping rain out of my eyes, up, up, up. The van stopped us for about 10 minutes in Selleine for pain au chocolat and chocolat chaud. Yeah I know that's a lot of chocolate. It was heaven. In this little cafe, there were 4 old pals playing cards at the bar, staying out of the rain. While we were eating, an old rough looking guy walked in and one by one went to each man and kissed and hugged them. Kissed them once on each cheek. It was sweet to see their friendship. We should kiss people on the cheeks when we see them. Definitely hug people. People need human contact more I've decided.

Tomorrow, we move to the Mediterranean coast to the town of Eze, 30 minutes from Monaco. I don't want to leave this hotel bed ever again though so that will be a tough one...Brett's skyping with Kate so I've got to go! e

Day 4 Provence

Hello everyone! Bon Soir! Yesterday was the day the "exercise" began, which is funny really, because those first two days in Paris contained more exercise than I ever expected. By day 3, my hamstrings were still in bad shape and my lower back was spasming. Great.

However, all is well! I decided on the 8 mile walk option instead of the 32 mile ride option. I loved it! There were about ten of us walking all over Arles. This region is all about olives. We ate wild blackberries and apples. Our guide Denis (pronounce Denee) is seriously the coolest guide. He walked with us, talked to locals for us, showed us things, etc. We talked to Jean Claude who was an olive tree farmer and he explained the business of making olive oil to us. We also toured an olive oil press.

We ate lunch at a place that raises the bulls who fight in Spain? They were in a field next to the restaurant. It was random, but ok, why not? The food...

So a word about the food here. I've been noticing that the French EAT. They are eating all of the time. I see young teenage girls walking around with long baguettes and just ripping off bread and eating it. Lots of patisseries everywhere. But they are all thin. I don't think I've seen an overweight French person. Here's the thing. They are eating fresh food all of the time. Fresh from farmers markets. They walk. A lot. They eat small portions. The cereal bowls are little. The gelato portions are little. I love it. The food has been a major highlight.

Final highlight yesterday was touring the hospital where Van Gogh painted most of his paintings. Since I saw his apartment in Paris as well, I am feeling a kinship with him this trip. Hard to explain since he was "crazy", but I am learning that he was just passionate which drove him to the edge many times. That hospital is still in St. Remy and is a hospital that treats depressed women. They come for a month and paint. They are required to paint and to sell their artwork to help pay for their stay. Some of it was great, some very average.

Today I decided it was time to cowboy up and RIDE!! I did it. 22 miles today. It was surreal. I was riding through sunflower and lavender fields. We rode up hills into stone villages and back down again. The smells, the wind, the sun. I just kept shaking my head. I was so appreciative in seeing the country this way. Again, Dennis rode by us and vans checked up on us, stopping us once in a while for fruit, nuts, drinks and bites of chocolate. FINALLY, I think I've gotten over this mental block I have had where I assume I can't do hard physical things. My friend Kimi understands this about me the most. She knows what I'm talking about. But I passed a hurdle today. Tomorrow I am riding 15 miles, then relaxing in the afternoon. I will continue riding when I get home to California. Not afraid anymore.

Brett is a biking maniac. If there's a short ride/long ride option, he and about 4 other guys always take the long ride option. He cruises and never seems to get tired! Tomorrow is a 60 km ride for him which is about 40 miles? When I think about where he was physically 2 years ago, I can't believe it. Anyway, cool thing happened today. I was riding with my girl peeps and it was the end of the ride and we were going up a long hill. I was a little tired. Ok I was really really tired. I was going really slow. All of a sudden, I hear what I thought was my husband behind me, which I thought was odd, because he went on the long ride. Sure enough, Brett pulled up next to me, put his hand on my back and pushed us both up the hill. He was like an angel for me. I thought how many times has he done this for me in our marriage. Hopefully I've done it for him too. Cue Bette Midler singing "did you ever know that you're my heeeeerooooooo."

Well, it's past midnight and the ride starts early tomorrow.

Oh one more thing. Riding in the back of a bus when you are turning up hilly roads is NOT GOOD if you are prone to car sickness. Just an FYI. And if you are riding in a bus, don't read your Van Gogh book until it's too late and you're already sick. Also, French people like stripes and blue shutters. And soap. And tablecloths.

oh oh oh how could I forget this?! Tonight at dinner, oh I'm getting so excited to write about this, there was a BAND playing right next to my table. I kept thinking- I feel like I'm in a movie. But not sure why. And it kind of felt like a 1940's movie, but I didn't know why. Then the girl next to me said, "I feel like I'm in a movie." Finally I realized it's because this band which consisted of a drummer, two guitar players and a saxophone player were playing songs straight out of a Woody Allen movie. I was in a Woody Allen movie. I don't know how else to explain it. What music is that? Jazz, yes, but a certain kind of jazz. The Woody Allen kind. Anyway, oh man, I kept smiling at them and clapping at the end of their solos. They loved me. They were cute old men and they were so appreciative of the applause. I got a picture taken with them. I tried to tell them that I was in a band and I think they understood as I mimed playing the piano, pointed to me, to them, smiled. I don't know but they were so so so good. Really good musicians and just the kind of music I would expect to hear here. I felt like I was in Midnight in Paris with the Fitzgeralds. (and if you haven't seen that movie, DO)

SORRY SO LONG!!! Kate is loving Darcy. I don't think I'll ever get her back. Girls at EFY. Spence about to leave for Russia. I miss my Sydney. Elle est super chouette!

Day 3 Paris/Provence

After two days in Paris I've come to the conclusion that I want more! We realized that we missed the Tour de France riders going around the Arc de Triomphe by about 3 hours! OUCH!!! Seriously? Our train left at 10 and the Tour de France ends today about 2 or 3 with the bicyclists going right past the hotel we were staying in. I can't believe we were so close to seeing such a cool thing and we missed it. (Darcy, tell Chris!)

We met 3 hilarious 50 something women from LA on a girl trip coming home on the train from Versailles. They reminded me so much of Laura and Melinda and a third combo of the two. We chatted all the way back from Versailles. They were such close friends and everything through their eyes was funny. They chastised me for not making it to the Rodin museum, which I was already bummed about. I chastised them for not making it out to Marie Antoinette's hamlet on the Versailles grounds. They could NOT believe I had 5 kids as in acted as if their breath was literally let out of their bodies and they couldn't breathe. I laughed and said that what can I do? I love the little guys! One said, "Just get a puppy!" I told them I wanted to be their new friend, and because they are the way they are, they didn't even think I was weird for saying that. We promised to run into each other back home (which of course we won't). We also met Phillip who is from San Diego but has been living in Zimbabwe and South Africa for two months. He is a professor of interior design at San Diego State and was trying to build a green school in Zimbabwe. He was really cool. Longish white hair and a scarf with only one bag.

We just took the four-hour train ride from Paris to Arles in Provence. I am sitting in a cute cottage hotel room with pictures of elephants on the wall and crickets chirping loudly outside. The property is very spread out so that out of my window I can only see trees and hear crickets. Brett and I NEED another Nutella crepe, but I'm not thinking I'll find one here. Hopefully.

Note to self: WHY did you pack so much? Why are all of the Americans carting around 2 and 3 big suitcases while the Europeans have a dufflebag? Next time I travel here, I will pack completely differently. Oh well, live and learn. Biking tomorrow. I'm worried about my super sore legs being able to go again tomorrow. From what I can see, it's flat. Flat, more arid and rocky than I thought it would be, and olive trees everywhere! Must finish my Van Gogh book before I get to the mental hospital he stayed in tomorrow. I am still reading about him working in the mines trying to be a preacher to the mining town. Must read before dinner!

We are now with 10 couples from Brett's work who each earned this trip by being the best by some sales measurement. They are fun people, and I've met them before. One is a high school football coach who never got his luggage. He's been walking around in flip flops and has had to buy a new shirt every day. He said he's loved it and it has taught him that we don't need all the stuff we think we do. One has her doctorate in French Literature but is from Colombia, so she speaks fluent Spanish and French. We met up on the train here and she had a backpack full of vegetables. She ate a tomato like it was an apple and offered me some raw broccoli. I had a leaf or two, gagged it down, then secretly popped the Lindt dark chocolate ball I swiped from my mom's house into my mouth. She has been translating for us which is great! Yeah. We meet everyone else here tonight.  I've decided that people are so fascinating. I hear how some people live and I think-that is sooo opposite of me! But it's okay.

One sad thing: Today is Sunday and no church :( I hate Sundays on the road... At least we're not biking today. Au Revoir until demain. e

Day 2 Paris

Wow I am so beat. I literally have been limping around in pain the last half of today. Versailles was worth the trip for and a.maz.ing. Have one funny moment of the day.

So, we're at Versailles which is about the size of La Canada or say, Provo. By the time you are done there, you are TIRED. You have walked from one end to the other, then back to the middle and crosswise one end to the other. That's not to mention walking through every palace, and from the subway station. It is mostly open walking through the gardens. Well, today there was a horrendous amount of rain. Not nice hot rain (Sarah), but cold pounding sideways rain. Luckily, we snuck in a guard shack that no one even thought about hiding in except for a couple from Morroco, us and a big spider. Everyone else was running around getting completely soaked. Umbrellas were of no use. Umbrella after umbrella was being blown inside out while we calmly watched. It was wonderful.

Anyway, we waited it out for about 45 minutes and then the sun came out with only spurts of rain every hour or so. Well, we decided to get a food item or refreshment if you will from a little tiny stucco building with an outside glass case. An awning covered the glass case, the worker behind the case, and about 2 feet beyond. That way, if you were ordering and it was raining, you would be covered by the awning free to purchase your gateau or pain. We were eating our crepe and a man and woman came up and stood under the awning to get in from the rain. Then he proceeded to smoke a cigarette. The woman worker, probably about 50, asked him to stop smoking because the smoke was filling up the air under the awning and going back directly at her. He said something in French I didn't understand, but it was something like, "I can smoke if I want to. And I want to." Well, the worker woman was so angry and offended. The next thing we knew, the awning was rolling back into the building by about a foot so that the man was uncovered and the rain was falling on his head. He looked up and angrily scooted in closer to the glass case, touching the glass case with his back so he could still stay covered. The worker quietly moved the awning again so that there was no way he could stand under it. He was so furious. Smoking away and furious. He turned around and started yelling at the lady something like this. "How dare you! You are an idiot. I can smoke if I want! You better cover me up again right  now!" As soon as he opened his smoky mouth, she started singing very loudly, "La la la la la !!!" Just like when my kids sing "I can't hear you la la la" to a brother or sister. She actually turned her back away from him (although she was about 2 feet away from him) and loudly sang la la la la. He huffed. Then she looked at us and said with a grin, "C'est France!" and shrugged her shoulders.

It was so so funny. She was so gutsy. I fell in love with her for sure. C'est France. There are so many things in Paris that I think..C'est France! Just FYI, the Georges Pompidou modern art museum has the best view of Paris and is free with admission. ok bye. Miss my baby. erin

Something so cool

OK so it's the end of day 1 in Paris. Really great day. Fit so much in but this is what is so cool. A while ago on my blog( actually almost 1 1/2 years ago), I posted this below.

This brownie discussion leads me to why I love modern art.

I don't know where the first one is, but the second one is in France. I am missing France.

I posted it because I found it somewhere on the internet and thought it was so original and made me think how wonderful visual things are that add to the harmonies of every day life.

Then today, Brett and I wander into the Montmartre section of the city to see the sunset on the steps of Sacre Coeur Basilica. Afterwards, we wandered around looking for Vincent Van Gogh's apartment he shared with his brother while living in Paris. It was very random and I only wanted to find it because I am reading a great book about him and had just seen his self portraits in a museum today. We are getting way away from tourists and think we are probably lost because it is just a quiet little french street with no one on it. I turn a corner and THERE IS THE STATUE COMING OUT OF A STONE WALL. (The one on the bottom of my post so long ago). He was coming out right at us. The exact one. How random is that?! I was so happy. Seriously. Now I'm just waiting to run into the first one in some chance place.

It also rained a little hot rain today. In Paris. I know! I felt pretty lucky to be seeing the city through rain for a few hours. Ok. Going to sleep now. I miss my kids but I am happy to be here with Brett reading about Van Gogh! e

TREK 2011 California style

I miss these two! The Stake YW Pres sent me this today. Made me happy.

Yesterday I went to the grocery store. They asked if I wanted plastic bags or paper. I said, "Plastic will be fine." "ok. That's 10 cents each." Yep, in California now, all bags that are plastic cost money. The intent of course is to get people like me to step up and start using cloth bags. Here's the prob. It's not like if I go green, which I KNOW I should do, that I can fit my groceries in a few cloth bags. No. I am going to have to BUY maybe 12 cloth bags! and haul them there every time! wah wah.

This law will be a pain for me. Better for the environment, but greeeaaat.

There is, however, another law here in California that I LOVE. All restaurants and fast food establishments are now required to post how many calories each dish contains on the menu. It's great! Honestly, we were at Bajio and Maddie wanted a quesadilla with chicken. We looked at the menu and it was 1,000 calories!! She decided to get a soft taco instead which was 240. It really helps when making your menu choices, because items always contain way way more calories than you think.

 This is a chef smiling that sneaky little smile prior to this new law.  She just knew that you were going to LOVE your meal and that you were going to gain 5 lbs afterwards because you had no idea it was 2500 calories. I'll bet she's not smiling anymore...(except maybe after work if she's doing something enjoyable or whatever)

 This guy is like, "Hey! You're bursting my bubble! I now KNOW how many calories each of these are!!! Oh man! What choice should I make?!" (come on buddy you can do it. Apple is better. Apple is better.)

 This guy seriously doesn't care because he's youngish and the pounds haven't caught up with him yet. But those of us in our 40s know that they WILL sir, they WILL.

On another note, I went biking today again. I need to get to the point where I actually enjoy it and I'm not there yet. Probably because every minute I'm thinking, 'Is this good enough? Why am I breathing so heavily? Will France be just like this or harder? Probably harder huh? Yeah probably. Man, how am I going to dooo this? Just pedal to the top of this hill. Keep going. Boy it's hot today. I wonder if the group will have to wait for me or if the follow up van will have to go extra slow to wait for me. Why are my thighs hurting already? Will they hurt there? Can I fake an injury?' on and on and on and on the thoughts go around in my little brain.

I've picked the 3 museums we're going to in Paris. The Pompidou, the Rodin and the Louvre. I got some shortcuts and tips for each one. Got recommendations for a good restaurant just 3 stops past the arc de triumph. Definitely walking along the Seine at sunset.

Last time we were there, couples were making out all around us, on the boat and on the side of the river. Ha ha. We're also going to Versailles. Renting bikes in Versailles. How awesome is this statue coming out of the water?!

After that, the biking portion in Provence! Bring it on! But not too much on. Bring it on a little! Yeah!! Google Images is pretty great. Here's some of Provence. It really looks like this?

I will die if it really looks like that. Do you think this was photoshopped and it's some cruel joke? When you really get there, it's all industrial? That would be pretty darn tricky.

Going to Utah in a few days again before France. This time we're prepping Kate with the fact that mom and dad are going on a plane and will then come back for her. She gets what that means now. See ya later kids! We'll trrryyyy and remember you! wohoo!

Girls are gone on Trek. It always feels extremely weird when one of my kids is gone, let alone 2. Maddie left all confident, bandana tied around her head. Ali also left sick to her stomach, nervous about everything that could happen.. Can't wait to see them tomorrow night! About to go practice a Schubert piece with a violinist for Sunday, then we are taking the little ones to a band in the park tonight with friends. I'm always up for that.

Brett is off work today and Monday due to CARMEGEDDON!!!! I don't know if anyone has heard of this, but it is going to be a traffic jam of biblical proportions this weekend in L.A. due to the closure of one of the highways. People are hunkering down in their houses. Here's a little quote from the paper...


The 53-hour freeway closure has prompted hospitals at UCLA to offer beds to employees who might have a hard time getting to work July 15-17, and public safety officials plan to have helicopters and ambulances staged in key areas.

Yikes. Brett's company pretty much cancelled work today and Monday which is sweet for us. It reminds me of the good old days when Brett worked from home.  Don't think I would sign off without one more google image of CARMEGEDDON!!

Don't get spoiled with all of these google images. They take time and may not be able to be sustained in future posts. Thank you and good day. e

I just got back from Utah. The whole time, I was thinking how great Utah is. We biked in Park City and it was just so beautiful. We got to see friends, family and have a great time! Brett's parents are home! I didn't realize just how much I missed them, especially mom, until we saw them. What a great family they have raised and I get to be a part of. Loved the trip so much.

Then, the first night back in California, my daughters' awesome, wonderful friends came over. I just love it here too! I really love both so much. When Porter called me Mom followed with "is that ok?" I had a moment. I never thought I would be as close to kids here as I was there. I love these kids. When I saw Brent and Scott and Jacob in Provo last week, it was like seeing family. I realized that these kids cling to each other and really do become family. The awesome thing is, I felt the same way when I saw Jeffrey Derricot and Jane and Berkley. Family. Chosen kids.  I appreciate the Lord giving me people, mostly young people, to be around and be influenced by and enjoy.

Jacob works at the MTC cafeteria. I made him look me square in the face and promise that he would find Spencer the next day he worked and give him a hug for me. He sent me this the very next day. Happy day!

Maddie's camping on the beach tonight. Ali's at dance. Porter and Rachel are picking her up right now and going to Old Town Pasadena to watch some street performers. Brett's on his way home from the temple. Kate, Syd and I just went to the park and are settling in for "So You Think You Can Dance." I just can't clean the kitchen right now. I just don't want to after 9. We're going to meet Jules and Dave and BJ at the beach tomorrow. yeah! I get to accompany Dave and Sam in sacrament this week and then play Schubert with Lois for next Sunday's sacrament meeting. I get to play for the youth choir practice after church. Erin Noelle is happy when she is playing for people. Not even because I'm playing, but because I get to socialize a bit. ha. If it weren't for that, I would be even more hermit-like here in my lil house.

The gospel is true. I love reading so many missionary letters right now. I know that America was established by God to be a free country so that His gospel could be restored in a place where it could grow. I'll end with a poem that Spencer requested in one of his letters. All he knew is that it was something about a boy and was written by a Russian convert. Thanks to google, I got it in about 2 minutes. Amazing.

Who are you boy? You journeyed to this land of ours.

This land where I have endured my days

And felt oppression kill my soul

And forced me into some tight mold

And teach me that I should not hope

Unless I care to smell the smoke

Of dreams that the Red Army tamed.

Who are you boy? From this land of plenty.

Teaching of God if there is any.

You have all, we have none.

Do you know what that feels like son?

And yet, you ask me to believe

In something that I cannot see,

Some force you say will bring me joy.

Do you know what that feels like boy?

Where you are from, faith is free.

But it has a price for me.

When I have pain, I have my bottle.

Hurt dies quick when you drown it in vodka.

That's enough to warm my soul.

I work, I sleep, the days go by -

I am waiting for the day I die.

You don't understand this place.

You say believe, obey, have faith.

Live life well, serve and give.

Here in Russia we just live.

Who are you boy? Why did you come

To save a soul who once was numb?

To teach a wretched, hateful man

Who cursed your help, refused your hand.

I thought that we were worlds apart.

So how is it you knew my heart?

A fraction my age, you calmed my rage.

Mercy paid my generous wage.

I should have been left behind

It is hard to love my kind.

Hope in your heart, power in your hands

Why did you come to this distant land

I know now, it was for me

The Red Curtain fell, but I was not free

Until a boy from nations away,

Brought me my Lord. I bless the day

He led me to weep at my Master's feet,

The American boy I met on the street.

New and naive, still in his teens

With a message to bring the world to its knees.

I thought that the truth would come from another -

I did not know this boy was my brother.

Some new pictures from Spence! I am now friends with his companion's mom so these were sent to her from her son Austin. (He's the one holding the sign.) Getting pictures is better than Christmas. :):)

This is a bit of a serious topic, but THANK YOU to this author below for writing this article.

Here in California, we have seen firsthand the effects of the new hit musical "The Book of Mormon Musical." The kids at the girls' school belt the most popular song with the words " I aaam a MORMUN!!!" and then laugh. They LOVE this musical. "Oh come on, Ali. It's funny!" Is it? I agree with this author. It's an assault on a group of people that wouldn't be tolerated by any other group of people in our "enlightened" time. Sad. 

 Director of the Torrey Honors Institute, Biola University

John Mark Reynolds

Professor of philosophy for Biola, Reynolds blogs regularly at Scriptoriumdaily.com along with other faculty from the Torrey Honors Institute, a great books program.

» All Posts by John Mark Reynolds

• Amos and Andy and The Book of Mormon

The creators of the play Book of Mormon have created the Amos and Andy for the South Park set. We may laugh, but our grandchildren will shudder as decent folk do at “wits” of the last century whose favorite dance was to “jump Jim Crow.”

The parts of the Book of Mormon I have seen are as innovative as a Newsies revival and as funny as the cruel, tasteless jokes told by an inebriated coworker at a Christmas party. The difference is that the coworker might sober up in the morning, but the mindless mockery that also gave us South Park will continue.

After all, the theater establishment toasted the two with Tony’s and the insiders would never cheapen themselves by rewarding a play for picking on a minority religion loathed in the theater community or behave like decadent Romans horrified by a growing moral minority comforting the libertines by mocking the moral.

I cannot know for sure without seeing the entire play.

If we assume the play a brilliant satire with PR unfortunate enough to release only the cruel and facile bits, then we are still left with two unfortunate truths about this play. First, the writers are cowards. They inflict pain and mockery on those already despised while going soft on the tired assumptions of their rich and powerful patrons. Second, in a pluralistic society they have targeted a group already misunderstood and discriminated against.

I am no Mormon, but I have witnessed bigotry and ignorance directed against this American community. The LDS Church is placed in the difficult position of seeing their most sacred beliefs mocked in a nation that murdered their prophet in a shameful lynching. Broadway has given aid and comfort to the mob of ignorant folk who know nothing of modern Mormonism outside of their prejudices.

No wonder Mormon politicians like Jon Huntsman, bob and weave when asked by bigots if they are part of the LDS church. Few of us have the Mitt Romney courage to stand by our people when the cost is high. For his steadfastness, Romney was linked to the play in a Newsweek parody cover that left only his profile, but a profile in religious courage.

I write this in Istanbul, a city awash in lies told about religious minorities by powerful interests. Here Christians and Jews face “amusing” pop cultural stereotypes, some quite clever, but a wicked cleverness that feeds hatreds. Against this my Turkish friends fight for a respect that goes “beyond tolerance” and voluntarily restrain themselves from inciting prejudice to score cheap gains. It is the only hope for a peaceful republican future for this land.

The same is true for the United States. Theater has an ugly record of pandering to the prejudices of ticket buyers. Minstrel shows produced catchy music and made New Yorkers laugh, but they were shameful and wrong.

The Book of Mormon is a minstrel show for our present age with Mormons as the joke.

Ugly plays did not by themselves produce the Klan or keep some Americans from voting for African-Americans. Original sin was enough for that, but minstrel shows did give racism an artistic and comedic whitewash. When Americans were hurt by the cruel stereotypes, they were told it was “just a joke” and were painted as petty for not laughing along.

Of course no group has been as cruelly treated as African-Americans, but Mormons have a history of being persecuted. They have been exiled in their own land, but have returned unfailing devotion to our Constitution.

This new play will pander to our prejudices and treat our Mormon neighbors as we would never wish to be treated. Some Americans will allow it to confirm unthinking prejudice, while cowardly Mormons will applaud it hoping for crumbs of respectability.

Meanwhile the actual Mormons in our midst will keep paying taxes, making strong families with children, and dying to protect the rights of a decayed and decadent theater “elite.”

I stand in solidarity with my Mormon neighbors.