Hey

Quick post about Newport with Brett's brothers, sister and spouses. It was so fun. I love the Blake family. We talked about it on the way home--how cool is it that every single sibling supports each other, is fun, is strong, is kind.. They have been such a strength to me, to us, to our kids. We missed mom and dad. Next time!

 This is the gang - without us. Seriously there are 100 pictures and Brett and I are in about 3 of them. So I will post those 3 just to prove we were there! This one below might have been taken when Brett and I were coasting to a gas station on fumes. Or on the first day when Brett had to work late and we didn't get there until 9p.m. Darcy, only sis on the left with husband Chris, Brock and Kim next, then Dave and Bobbi Jo, Mark and Julianne and finally Brady and Gina on the right. Oh and us. We're coming!! They don't look happy without us there.

 Never a get together without a golf game..Chris was obviously taking the picture.

 ..and a basketball game. They are such show offs to each other, talking smack the whole time. This particular game ended in 3 injuries??

 Darcy, shown, is always the instigator of all things good and fun.

Swap meet, temple, late night games, shopping, eating on the beach, walks, hot tubs, a Lakers game, and that was all packed into just 2 days. Thank you Blake siblings!

Random things:

Everybody here is freaking out about the snow today. That meant two minutes of heavier stuff than rain that didn't stick, but still...

The weather guy's graphics said FRIGID under today and then showed a high of 50. Huh?

I am really reeeaaaally sick of this cold/cough I've had since Christmas.

Kate is in the 3 percentile of weight. She still weighs 20 lbs--at 19 months. I swear I'm trying to feed her, but she's getting really obstinate about eating. Dang. My other kids were so good at it!

I get to teach early morning seminary this coming week. I am subbing for the best, most educated woman on the planet who all of the teenagers learn sooo much from. So intimidating. I'm a tad nervous, mostly because I have to BE AT the church at 5:30 to be ready when the kids come at 5:50. And Maddie thinks I should bring sticky buns or hot chocolate daily. I will say though, that teaching (well, just being in the same room as) teenagers for a week will be heaven for me.

I get to see Spencer on Wednesday. In Utah. I get to open his mission call with him! For some reason, I'm missing him so much more lately! I call him probably every day now as opposed to bi weekly or weekly, because I just know I want to hear his happy voice as much as I can. I also want Kate to remember him and a bi weekly call just won't cut it. And plus, we're making plans and talking about stuff. My family will be on Skype here. Yeah for Skype. I just couldn't picture me not being in the same room for a moment like that. I measure life in moments. I know we all do, but I REALLY do. If an opportunity comes up that maybe would be hard to make happen or is inconvenient, but I feel it will be one of those "moments" that make a meaningful life, I will take it every time. Here is a cute picture he took with bff Stephen the week before Stephen's mission. I love it because Stephen is way taller than Spence, but Spence must be on a stair or something. Hey-he's still 6 ft tall, way taller than Brett and
I thought we'd ever make.



I watched Horse Whisperer this week. Boy oh boy. First, the music of Thomas Newman. I recognize his film scores every time. He's my favorite movie score composer- over James Newton Howard or even Hans Zimmer. (Jane, he's the guy who wrote the song we used to listen to every day on the way to elementary.) Anyway, second, and most important, Montana ranching life. The cute cowboy kids helping their dads on the ranch, the beauty of Montana. So reminds me of my dad obviously. Finally, what knockout performances by Scarlett Johansen as a 13 yr old, Robert Redford and Kristin Scott Thomas. Seriously good movie. It makes me want to have a horse. Or go to Montana this summer.

Why did I make a chocolate bundt cake? Why? We're all trying to be good and deep down, I knew I might not take it over to that one family like I had planned to. I knew that I would slice away at it until it was gone. Mostly because it was devil's food with chocolate chips baked in and when you take a bite and you get a chocolate chip, well, there's not much better. I figure if I'm good most of the time, and then I just crave something and that craving doesn't go away for 2 weeks, then I need to just get it over with and eat it and move on. I think it's healthy actually to do that. Yeah, yeah, healthy. So I'm sorry that one family, I'll make you something else. Something I don't like as much.

Wouldn't it be cool if every doorknob were like this?

It's been nice chatting with you. e

Gotta Get Me Some Gouda

So, I got the following voice mail about an hour ago from a woman in Wisconsin. Her accent was sooo strong.

Hi Erin, uh This is uh Sylvia Weston from Wisconsin's Finest Cheese. uh I'm calling from Utah. Uh you seem to uh have given us the wrong address. uh. There's another family living in your uh house and we've got a truckload of our uh finest gouda. So uh they said you moved to uh L.A. or something? So I don't know where you're planning on putting all of this gouda but uh we really appreciate your business ya know. Ya know we have some tough competition out there but uh we're so glad that you uh decided to uh pick us. Anyway, so if you could give me a call back cause uh we just don't know where to put all this gouda ya know ...There's just gouda all over the place (light laughter). Just give me a call back and let me know what to do with all of this gouda. uh Anyway uh nice uh talking to ya uh ok bye bye!

I thought, "What the???" Truckload of gouda? Could she have the wrong Erin Blake? But she's at my old house! This has to be a joke, but she sounds SOOOO real, the accent PERFECT and really who would think of a truckload of gouda??!!

Well, Whitney Kofford would. That's who. I couldn't believe it when she then said, "Hi Erin! This is Whitney. Can I bring 3 friends out for Utah State's Spring Break? I just thought I'd try out my accent. I'm pretty proud of it!" I laughed soooooo hard. Seriously, I haven't laughed that hard for a long time. I've now listened to this message at least 5 times. Above is an exact dictation.  She is so random and so dang funny. She reminds me of my old college roommate Amy. But even Amy would have started laughing halfway through. Yeah! I get Whitney and friends out here staying for a few days! I'm excited!

Seriously, why am I so gullible? Major character flaw I've decided. I believe everything people tell me. Must get smarter Erin.

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

-Albert Einstein

Brilliant quote! Especially pertinent to the way we measure ourselves against others and the way we measure our kids. Find the strength, the God-given gift and magnify it. Be grateful for it. Use it for good. Then enjoy the genius of others and their gifts.

That's all.

Brett surfed this weekend. We got the RV and stayed in a State Park on the beach in Carpenteria, a suburb of Santa Barbara for a ward camp out. I love that the ward camp out lasted 3 whole days and over a Sunday. Sand, chilly nights, dutch oven meals, teenagers playing cards by night, warm fires, walks in the morning, watching sunsets, visiting the Carpenteria Ward, learning from others in every way. I'm still thinking about the good food. Memories.

The gig went well.  Really cool. (Well, I didn't comment that it was cool until after it was completely over and I was looking back on it with the pit in my stomach gone.) We had a green room and a band personal assistant and great sound guys and 8 people playing, no mistakes, even by the two guys who only played with us the hour before for the first time. We were up on a stage with blinding lights. I got to sing and dance just enough of course. I can't keep my body still. I got to play little counter melodies on some and B3 organ on others. I mostly got to learn from the musicians I played with. I felt honored to just be there to watch how they work. I don't know how I blended with the other singer who has a much stronger voice than me. I tried to blend, but I don't know. I guess the key will be whether I get asked to play/sing again or not. It was great having my family there in the front row and even better that I couldn't see them. I couldn't see anybody in the dark. Yeah. 

Back to the grind of school, work, house. Love being home though. 

FEAR

My stomach's in a knot. I am getting a headache. Fear is slowly seeping through my body quickening my heartbeat. Why did I agree to do this gig tomorrow? I always forget that I don't actually enjoy THE ACTUAL GIG. I get too nervous. Most of the time on this one I am standing with Lindsay singing back up. I've never stood and sang before..always have had the security of my keyboard and stool. How can I stop myself from dancing? You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Is that appropriate? Or else how can I force myself to look out and smile instead of look down and shake? How many more times can I listen to these songs until I feel like I know them? Why am I using a keyboard that I don't know how to use yet??!! HELP!

That's all.

I love art in unexpected places; someone making mundane things more interesting or someone who gives us something to think about and enjoy. Just because.

I'm missing the Fosters today. Stephen, one of my son's best friends leaves on his mission to Puebla, Mexico tomorrow. As I was saying goodbye to him on the phone yesterday, I broke down crying. It is the end of an era! I love that kid and that family so much. I will miss hearing his polite "thank you Sis. Blake" and his complaining that everyone else is loved more than him :)  My family thought that I was so sad because it was reminding me that Spencer is going to leave. Really, that isn't it. I will just miss and I just love Stephen. And I miss his mom. It was hard on me not being there this weekend.

On the positive, I love my little family. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father sent us here in families. As we had our Valentine's Dinner last night (at 8:30 with sick Kate and all) I was exhausted. But I loved everyone sitting at that table so much. Sometimes here in Cal, I feel like it is just us against the big world.

Also, this weekend I get to play that music gig. The other singer, Lindsay, has such a great voice. Very intimidating to me, but I try my best to blend with her. We went to a restaurant together last Saturday where Dave and Pat (another guitar player who is really great) were playing and we got to sing a few numbers with him. I have to get over my nervousness. I think I want to do it, then we get there and I am dying! Why do I want to do this?! I need to just seize the moment more. After Vegas, we are going on a ward camp out on the beach in Santa Barbara. The ward goes up there for the whole weekend, goes to church there and will come home Monday. I'm so excited! I want to rent an RV due to having no idea where Brett has stashed tents, tent parts, lanterns since we moved, but we'll see. We can't always have everything we want.

what? Kate is crying already? She's supposed to sleep for another hour. grrrrr

Quite the Kiss eh?

Seeing this statue made me happy inside. There could have been a plaque in this place (by the naval base in San Diego) thanking all of the war veterans. Instead, someone commissioned this and it says more and makes me feel more than a plaque ever would. You can see just how huge this is by looking at the woman's head at the bottom of the photo.

And how fun is this? One look at Bob Hope and these soldiers listening to him, and that's all the artist needs to show. A much better tribute to him for his years performing to the troops than a plaque. Not that I have anything against plaques..

Hooray for art. And for Bob Hope. And for kissing for that matter.

KEEPIN IT REAL

Nothing says "Good morning!" like an impromptu visit from your landlord who flew in from India unexpectedly. Nothing says, "Hey!" like a knock at the door at 8:30 a.m. You realize you are in pajamas and that your mascara is smudgy from the night before, a touch of greasy hair, but who could it be anyway, right? Probably a neighbor or someone bringing back Rudy. (Kidding! We've totally solved the running away problem!) You open the door to find someone who looks intimidating as all get out staring at you.

Nothing says, "Good to meet you!" like telling him you will just run outside and "open the girls' door for him" while he's checking every square inch of your main house only to find COMPLETE CHAOS MESS INORDINATE AMOUNTS OF CLOTHING ON THE FLOOR BOBBI PINS CURLING IRONS SHOES ETC ETC IN PLACES THEY WERE NEVER INTENDED TO BE in their rooms. Girls, if you read this before I talk to you, you are in big trouble. This was NOT FUNNY.