WONDERFUL

Because I found my son a Wii.

The cashier said to me, "Congratulations. You are now one of the people that everyone else wants to be."

Did you know you want to be me? Wheeeeeee!

HOT

Last night was the Hale Centre Theatre's annual Thank You Party. Last night was also the official reason that I didn't go to Lake Powell with Michael. And last night I looked hot. H-O-T.
I am not generally too impressed with my outward beauty: I've probably seen myself too many days without showers for that (besides, it's inside that counts, right?). Don't get me wrong; I think I can generally qualify as cute, and sometimes, if I work hard enough, I might even make it to pretty. But last night all the stars, planets, milky ways and galaxies aligned themselves to moonbeam their cosmic magic down to me, and I blew a gasket on the HOT thermometer.
Sadly, there are no pictures. You will just have to take my word for it.
You can't even take Michael's word for it, since he wasn't there with me.
It's too bad he was gone, too, because it was a really great party. The theater does this every year to "thank" everyone who participated in a show during the last season. It's a formal event, so everyone gets all done up in their finery, and then we come for a catered dinner, prize drawings, scenes and songs from the various shows, video histories, dancing, and karaoke all night long. It's such a fun time (though probably miserable for the spouses who have to come knowing no one) to reconnect with other performers and friends. I always look forward to this event, and continue to thank those lucky stars, not only for making me so dang hot last night, but for the opportunity I have had to participate in the shows there. Hopefully there will be more to come so I can get all dressed up again, whether in costume and wig, or for next year's Thank You Party. I've got a HOT trend to continue now!

CELEBRATORY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

This is a picture of my birthday party. I (I know it's hard to recognize me with no hair) am the one holding the empty box. The other three are my children. My husband is not pictured because he is on vacation to Lake Powell.

Just kidding! Well, not entirely: Michael really is at Lake Powell, and I really do have three children. But I do have hair.

And, yep, it was my birthday. Nearly come and gone. It was a wonderful day. Michael took me to breakfast at my favorite hole in the wall (let's go get more Garbage Hash!) before he took off for the week. He and Joshua also made me an Angel Food Cake yesterday, and I got to watch 5 movies in one day! Then, as if that weren't enough, I came home this afternoon to find all the ivy cut back from the kitchen windows. That really was a great gift, honey. I was/am so excited to be able to see outside again!

Tonight Lindsay and Fam came over for dinner. Or, I should say, came over with dinner. She brought my Birthday Standard: Chicken Broccoli Casserole, with more yummy Angel Food Cake with strawberries and whip cream for dessert. She even did the dishes.

And thanks, Mom, for the darling outfit. I am so cute in it! And that was when I still had my jeans on underneath the skirt!

Really, a tremendous thank you to all for making this such a fabulous celebration of my BIRTH! I know you're happy I'm here!

PEEVED!

People who do not plan to wake up at 6:30 in the morning should NOT have their alarm set to ring at 6:30 in the morning. Additionally, people who are going out of town for the weekend should NOT have their alarm still set to ring at 6:30 on the mornings that they are NOT going to be there. It just might wake up someone who IS there, who was NOT planning to get up at 6:30 in the morning. And that just might make them a bit peeved.

P.S. Ten days later I was peeved again. Evan set his alarm wrong, and this time the alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. Serious cause for peevishness.

MOTHERLY

The “Tender Loving Care” Mother

“I want my children to feel they have an ally, someone who knows them completely. I want to be a haven for them.”

• Gentle and kind, the ISFJ mother provides her children with generous amounts of tenderness, affection, and the comfort of daily routine. Her aim is to “be there” for her children, physically and emotionally. She is sensitive to their feelings, offering closeness, understanding, and quiet support.
• Loyal and devoted, the ISFJ mother has a strong sense of duty and consistently puts her children’s needs first. She delights in taking care of the little things that matter to a child, making each one feel loved and special.
  
• To provide her family with security and warmth, the ISFJ mother tends to the practical and domestic, aiming for a smooth-running household and an attractive home. She also observes and conveys the value and importance of family traditions.

At Lindsay's suggestion I took a little "test" to find out my mothering-style. I think the test results are quite accurate, don't you, children? Don't answer that. But do watch this:


That's exactly how it sounds at my house, and I'm sure, at yours.

Yesterday Lane had to have 14 warts frozen off the bottom of his foot. 14! He's not walking too well today. I asked him why he didn't tell me about them about 12 warts ago, and he said, "Well, I told Evan." Evan? What kind of communication plan is that? Evan would forget to tell me if the house had caught fire! Lane went on to say, "There are just some things you have to tell your brother first." Well, I'm certainly glad he's got a brother to talk to, but that sort of messes up my "smoothly running household, where I endeavor to put each child's needs first..."

GIGGLY (as in LAUGHING, not the movie)

Look who I found (or who found me) while out walking this morning! It's Andy Madsen!

My mom and I were out on a walk this morning when Andy ran past us. Andy and I both did a double-take, and then gave each other sweaty hugs. "Andy Loomis! It's Andy Loomis!" I deliriously cried. It dawned on me about 35 seconds later that Andy Loomis was a guy I went to High School with, and Andy Madsen was this cute fellow I was so happy to see. Sorry for the goof-up of names, Andy. Blame it on heat stroke or something, just not age.
Andy and I went to BYU together, and were lucky enough to know each other through Folk Dance. He was always fabulously happy and super cute (you can see he hasn't changed much!) and he features in many a happy memory. What a fun blast from the past. I just wish I had brushed my teeth before I left the house this morning! Note to self: you never know who you are going to meet on the jogging trail: be prepared.

And speaking of fun, last night the Lovely One had us all over for family fun, since some cousins, aunts, and moms were in town for the weekend.

Laurie has the best party house in town! You can't help but be happy when you're there. The food is always amazing, and the company can't be beat! Thanks again, Laurie. You are lovely.

I aspire to be as wonderful an aunt as the Lovely One. I am having trouble, though, convincing a few of my nephews that they really do love me. Slade told me today that he is not going to be my nephew anymore. Because I am so nice, I then spent the rest of the day telling him that he has to be my nephew, he has no choice in the matter. You can see how happy he is about this:

Something that made me happy was getting to eat yummy food at Bajio Grill. I enjoyed my bean and cheese burrito, but not nearly as much as my mom enjoyed her salad with "mongo salsa." Lindsay and I told her it is mango salsa, not mongo, but mango or mongo, she was a happy wooman (that is not a typo) getting to eat her greens. How could we not be happy getting to spend the weekend together? Thanks for coming, Mom! Let's do it again soon.

Some more favorite laughing moments:

"So you think you can prance?" "So you think you're a Vance?" --Super-Rob, after seeing my interpretive dance to Colin's love song...

"I am not being funny. I don't know how to joke." --Gayla

"If we called my grandpa "Grandpa" in Swedish, then he would be "Farfar." But I'd just call him "Fart Fart." --Joshua, in an addendum to why Michael's mom is called "Farmor."

"So Lane was making out backstage, huh? He's got a showmance going on!" --David Moore

"Joshua is just like me: he's GRACEFUL. Graceful means that he trips and falls over everything." --5-year-old cousin Jenna, who really is that kind of GRACEFUL.

In church on Sunday Sister Backman was called to be a Nursery Leader. Immediately following her sustaining, Brother Backman, her husband, was called to be a Nursery Worker. That's just the way it should be.

A conversation on the wave-runner after Joshua, who was driving, jumped over a huge wave and "caught some air:" "Did you feel that--that THRILL?!" "Well, if you mean, do I feel sick to my stomach? Then, yes, I felt it." "Yeah, Mom! That's exactly the thrill I mean. It's so AWESOME!" Now I know exactly the "thrill" Michael feels at my excitement over shopping!

OBSESSED!

My mom and sister-in-law and I spent over 5 hours in Ikea yesterday. As if that weren't enough to prove my point (or support today's adjective choice), as we came out of the store my mom said, "I got to spend all morning with Lindsay who talked the whole time about photography, and the afternoon with you, who talked the whole time about paint colors and home decorating." She did go on to say that she thought that was great, and had enjoyed herself. I tremble, however, to think that I have become that horrid social-monster: the one who talks non-stop about only one thing. The one who is obsessed, possessed, preoccupied, and controlled by her pet topic. The one who really, really bugs at family dinners. Yeah, that one.

The truth is, though, I really am obsessed.

If you asked my children, they would probably tell you that I am obsessed with shoes.
If you asked my husband, he would probably tell you that I am obsessed with blogs. Or shopping for shoes.
I just asked my sister, and she said that I am obsessed with books. Or shoes.
If you asked me, though, I would probably tell you that I am obsessed with "So You Think You Can Dance." I can (and have) spend hours at a time watching dances on YouTube. I have read and reread all of the bios of all of the dancers of all of the seasons on the dance show's website. I google my favorite dancers to find out what they are doing now. I almost cancelled previously planned trips to Lagoon, just so I could be home to make sure the VCR worked on Wednesday nights. And I seriously considered going home early from Lake Powell to make sure I got to see the season finale (don't worry, I stayed, and you can watch the finale on YouTube). Yes, I am obsessed.

Just to make sure that you don't waste as much time as I have searching for dances, let me link you to a few of my favorites:

Neil and Sabra, Jazz
Pasha and Lacey, Hip Hop
Pasha and Lacey, Smooth Waltz
Hok and Jamie, Jazz
Danny and Lacey, Samba
Danny and Anya, Viennese Waltz
Danny and Anya, Jive
Neil and Lauren, Jazz
Travis and Heidi, Contemporary

Now that Season 3 is over I am not quite sure what I will do with my time. I do have the "So You Think You Can Dance" Final 6 on video tape, so I may just watch that over and over. While painting and decorating my house. While wearing another pair of new shoes.

Top 14 Group Dance
Top 20 Group Dance
and, just because
Forget About the Boy