I've Got Soul or are we Dancers

The Killers

Last night I was lucky enough to go to THE KILLERS
Many moons ago,  my sister in law Verity invited me to go and I was so stoked.
It was pretty amazing.
There music is so upbeat and fun.
The entire concert I could not get out of my mind
"That some people are just born to rock and roll"
The did have a slight technical difficulty
so they had to pause for about 5 min.
But it did not distract from the experience.
Brandon Flowers was amazing, jumping around the stage
You could tell he just loved what he was doing.
Dave Kuening the guitarist, the one with the curly mop
I apparently get rock and roll crushes easily
and Dave has amazing arms and Brandon is really hot on stage.
I loved the songs,  Human, Spaceman, You've Got Soul and Bones
It was pretty incredible and I am really glad I got to go

Piggie tails

Today I was able to put Sofia's hair in actual real Piggie tails.  I think she looks so grown up and beautiful.  I can't believe her hair has gotten so  long.

Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King

I am a bit obsessed with this album lately, it is Dave Matthews Band newest Cd called

"Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King".

I can honestly say that I love each and every one of the songs on this cd. I have very strong feelings about this CD. As evidence of how long this post turned out. Kersten originally downloaded the album and later bought it for me so I could listen in the car. For the last 2-3 months this is what I listen to while in the car. The kids I think are getting a bit tired of it but I still am not. This is their first album since the death of their saxophonist last year, Leroi Moore. It is a tribute to him and his music and genius. They did have a lot of it recorded before his death. So he is still on this cd. I really think this is their best cd. I just absolutely adore it. I love music that makes me dance and I can sing along with the lyrics. I love uplifting music and also music that makes me think about other things than just the song.

My favorite song on the Cd is #2 called "Shake Me Like a Monkey"

Oh, the joy that this song is. It is dance music wrapped up in a cupcake. It is delicious.

Both my kids start bobbing when the music start and they hear the yell.

It is a bit disconcerting when you hear your son singing to himself

"love me baby, love me baby. Shake me like a monkey baby,

Forever I am yours, yours yours, yours."

or another one he likes

"I like my coffee with toast and jelly but I'd rather be licking from your back to your belly

I, I, I think that I'm going too."

Maybe not the most appropriate lyrics for a 5 yr old to be singing.

I know for a fact that he really does not know what he is singing and it just sounds so cute

with his mixed up mouth and his sweet voice.

#5 called "Why I Am." is a song about death and I read that they wrote it for Leroi, who they called "Groogrux" before his death. Which is a bit eerie and a tiny bit creepy and also very sweet.

I love this song. The first time I heard it all the way through my mind turned to the time when I would return back to my brother, the Lord Jesus Christ. They sing about some of his miracles, although it is a bit irreverent and then talk about how now that the Groogrux king is there that he is going to dance and sing and hang out with him for awhile. Just because he wants to. I believe that this is how it will be. That our brother will want to be with us and talk and dance and sing if we want to when we return to him. He loves us and of course he would want to spend some quality time with us. As a little girl I imagined that Jesus would play Jump rope with me when I needed him. He is my brother after all. He loves us.

And that is why I love song number 5.

Other great songs that I won't elaborate on so this post does not turn into a huge novel are

#9 which is Alligator Pie which has a bit of a New Orleans southern style to it.

I imagine him singing it in the Bayou.

My favorite line which is through the whole song

"Then my Stella smiled, she said
Stella said daddy when you gonna put me in a song?"

# "Spaceman" is awesome and here one of my favorite lines

"Probably get it wrong much as I get it right
But I got it right woman when I caught your eye
I remember most about that night
Is I love the way you move baby
Yes I love the way you move baby"

#13 '"You and Me" favorite lines

"'Oh, and when the kids are old enough
We're gonna teach them to fly

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yes, yes"

Okay I have concluded that this is enough. I keep finding lines that I love from each song. This album is that good. I just love it and had to share.

Mark and Ginny are Engaged

Kersten's sister Virginia is engaged.

To Mark

She got engaged on the First day of Autumn

right next to the temple.

There could not be a better place.

She is super excited.

Their engagement is going to be a long one.

They have some obstacles to overcome.

He lives 3 1/2 hours plane ride away for one.

He is awesome and we are so happy and excited for her.

Disneyland in my Backyard Recreated

My sister Amy has been a bit down lately and one of the reasons was that

she was going to be in Disneyland for her birthday and now she wasn't

My sister Emilee had a brilliant idea to recreate Disneyland for her here.

We threw it together in 1 1/2 days. And it was a surprise.

Her husband Jason brought her over to my house

and instead of surprise we yelled

"Welcome to Disneyland"

with the music from Fantasmic going on in the background.

We dressed up as characters from Disneyland.

Here is everyone in Toon Town

Amy taking her pictures with the characters.

Sofia as Mickey

Noah as a Pirate from Pirates of the Caribean

Spencer as Jack Sparrow

Kristin as the Princesses

and Jeanne as Nemo

Emilee was Minnie Mouse

Audrey was Goofy

and I was a Disneyland worker

She had to get her picture with Mickey.

Amy had to go on a ride if she was at Disneyland.

So she sat on our Garden cart and I pulled her and Mickey as fast as I could across the lawn

It was a big hit and a bit bumpy.

We were all laughing

Next was the parade. We all lined up and the music started

We waved and danced and laughed at all the spectators.

We had to do two parades since it was so much fun

and people kept falling off the float, The garden cart again

Em made these signs that we hung up all over.

The food was fantastic.

My mom made rolls shaped like Mickey Mouse and we had sloppy joes

We had fruit, apples and carmel and salad and chips

We ate out on the deck and it was getting a bit chilly

but it was fun and we said that we were eating

on a pirate ship.

Amy's best friend called while we were eating.

They known each other since they were born

and she told her that she was on a pirate ship eating dinner

with Jack Sparrow in Disneyland Salt Lake in Laurie's backyard.

Her response was "Sounds like an English Party"

After dinner we had Jedi Academy and

Dancing.

We danced to songs from Enchanted and other tunes from childhood

Like Footloose, the Beatles, The Beach Boys etc

Amy then got to dance with her prince "her husband Jason"

to the song from Beauty and the Beast her favorite

Em made these awesome Mickey Mouse cookies for dessert

They were super delicious and fun

I could not find my birthday candles so we used a tapered candle in an Apple

Allie told her mom not to eat it because it was a Poison Apple

We sang Happy Birthday as terrible as we could

That is how you sing it at our house

Which has caused some embarrasing times for us as parents with Noah at friends house

We played Magic Kingdom

and just talked and laughed.

It was a rousing success. So much fun and I am sure she had a great birthday.

Zoo Babies, a Table and some Chairs

We went to the Zoo with my sister Amy and fam, my mom and her friend.

It was Amy's birthday and she invited us to go see the baby elephant with her.

It is apparently very rare to have a baby elephant born at a zoo.

We have one that is a girl and her name is Zuri.

We sat for awhile just watching her run around, wave sticks around with her trunk

take snacks from her mama and just be.

the kids were entranced and the baby was adorable.

I could have sat there all morning watching this sweet baby.

I could not help thinking about my Grandpa Larry

and how much he would have loved it.

He would have spent days watching that baby.

The Zoo also has a baby giraffe that is a boy. It does not have a name yet.

So Noah decided to name it Rex. Until further notice.

There was also a baby Snow Leopard

that had huge paws and long claws and a very fluffy tail.

There were 3 boy baby tigers playing.

All the animals were so active and fun.

Here is the birthday girl Amy with daughter Allie

and my beautiful mother, Jeanne.

Here are me and my kids looking at the baby giraffe.

It was fabulous fun and we are glad we went.

It felt a bit cut short because we had to get Noah to school

We all want to go again soon to see the babies.

We had another fun adventure.

Disneyland came to our house in our own back yard.

We had a surprise party for Amy.

I will post about that later today.

In other news

I finally finished my kitchen table and chairs.

I love the way they turned out

I find the black seats a huge improvement from the rust color they were before.

Together

And by itself

It was a bit more work than I imagined and took longer than I wanted

But Hooray they are done and it feels oh' so good

The Force is strong with these. I can tell

Some Silliness

Kersten Making his Zoolander face. "Blue Steel"

Noah giving me some sass

Sofia full of pure silliness.

I love my fam. Just had to share.