Not Looking for the Christmas Spirit, just enjoying it.

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This year I was too busy with school to pay attention to any preparation for Christmas before Dec 14th.  There is so much to be appreciated about being ready by December 1st but it could not realistically happen.  Rather than creating any “spirit” moments – I thought I would just try to enjoy the spirit around me in each moment.

I wanted to have this ready for the Tazworks white elephant exchange last year, but it took 12 weeks to have made.  I told B’s assistant Kensie about it but no one else. Continue reading →

No School, No Sugar…great memories!

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My semester is over…phew!  After history of R&R, I am absolutely sure that I loath heavy metal in all its forms (there’s A LOT of them) as well as 99% of rap and I (somewhat embarrassingly) really liked the psychedelic genre. After digital photography, I am absolutely sure that there is SO much more to learn, but I have the best camera to do it. After Justice & International Affairs, I absolutely know I will not go into political philosophy and avoid it like the plague (my instructor made it as palatable as possible thank heavens).

At the beginning of the semester, I chose to give up sugar for 90 days and told B that I needed a reward to keep me motivated.   Continue reading →

Traditions new and old renewed

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12/2/12 Lelu doesn’t look like a little girl anymore, she looks too grown up. Cherie couldn’t make it this year so my friend Cami came along. She has 4 boys but really wanted to go, so she took Cherie’s coveted spot tagging along with us. It such a fun girly tradition!

It was unseasonably warm so we headed up to City Creek to eat dinner and the girl’s had fun re-enacting the Nutcracker for the other shoppers.

While we were enjoying the dancing, Continue reading →

Why Do We Live In Utah??

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Shel has the best Thanksgiving decor for her house and our heads

Our usual Thanksgiving is spent putting the turkey in the oven, going up skiing and then coming home to a warm house and an even warmer meal.  Without having D around this year, not wanting us to feel sorry for ourselves missing him too much, I convinced B to deviate from our tradition and head south.   Continue reading →

Ari’s Fav Memory of year 11

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Once she got it..she caught most the waves

Seeing as our trip to Huntington Beach involved both of my girl’s favorite memory of the year and it was totally spontaneous with zero planning makes me think that I need to be more open to those kind of trips.

For Ari, surfing was the most awesome thing she’s ever done.  She says there is nothing cooler than having a wave push you in to shore.  Based on the few times I tried to surf or boogie boarded, I would have to agree it’s a bit of a rush.  Maybe it feels a little like flying might?

Plus, she’s been reading “Soul Surfer” and was very inspired. She wants to surf in Hawaii now…..I am sure she does!

TT’s Fav Memory of year 11

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Brothers who adore each other despite being 9 years apart.

When I asked TT what his favorite memory was, he said “oh that’s easy..laying on a hammock with D on our last night in Hawaii”.

We had walked down to a restaurant along the beach and eaten dinner our last night in Hawaii.  All along the path there were hammocks hung between the palm trees sporadically.  The rest of us had walked ahead of them and they were walking back together.  D said he wanted to hang out in one of them for awhile, so the two of them bonded for about half an hour late at night in a hammock along the beach.  I think that’s one of the coolest things he’s ever told me.

My Present State of Gratitude

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It’s no new revelation that I love Thanksgiving.  On Facebook a bunch of my friends have been writing their daily gratitude journals.  It’s a great little way of expressing to 500 or so of your closest friends positive feelings.  I recently watched a movie called “I AM”, that was seriously the best movie I have seen this year (except for the Coldplay Live! 2012 — that I don’t necessarily think would affect everyone the way “I AM” could).  It explains how we are all connected, supported by science, by an ability to physically affect all life through our thoughts and emotions. Competition, isolation, violence and negativity is ruining the world. Survival of the fittest is a lie! Continue reading →

Twin Ones – 11

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We returned from California on Monday, B had to leave for a business trip on Tuesday and the twins birthday was Wednesday.  It’s an odd year so thank heavens I didn’t have a party to worry about.  After school, they each took a friend to Airborne (a big warehouse full of trampolines) and then we went to eat at Sonny Brian’s (D’s favorite bbq joint), then on to pick out a treat at the new french bakery in town. Continue reading →

Until We See Papa John Again

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This is my favorite photo I could find of Papa John. It completely emulates the kindness, warmth and helpfulness that was the essence of John.

When Papa John became my second dad.

Papa John looking over at baby D Christmas eve 1993

John flew up just for the weekend in order to see D in his senior play. I took Lelu and the twins to Arizona and B, D and Michelle had a very special weekend together.

John Foodie

No one could describe the tastiness of a meal better than he could. He LOVED and appreciated food immensely.

The little guy out front is John’s youngest grandson Colton. This sight was very touching.

B got the call the morning of October 31, 2012.  John had fought until the very last heartbeat.  He was not a man who wanted to go and planned and hoped to beat cancer again.  His 80th birthday was the week before.   Continue reading →

The Biggest Perk of Having Twins

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I honestly don’t even really like Halloween, I barely decorate, I hate haunted houses and scary movies, so I really have no idea why I love picking out their Halloween costumes and dressing them up so much.  I told them a few years ago that they could start picking their own costumes in 6th grade. I gave the story that because they didn’t sleep through the night for two years, I earned the right to choose.  How I got away with that, I have no idea!

I can’t find a photo, nor do I remember what they were in 2004. When I find it, I will post it. So in honor of my last year, here is a little walk down memory lane… Continue reading →