Gratitude

"gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

it turns what we have into enough, and more.

it turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.

it can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.

gratitude makes sense of our past,

brings peace for today,

and creates a vision for tomorrow."

-melody beattie

New Moon

I saw NEW MOON today.  Yes, my dear friend bought tickets months and months ago so that we could see it together.  It was dreamy and wonderful and all that jazz.  I got to go with my brother Nik, his wife Lena,  my husband and one of my best friends Kieran and her husband Kevin.

 I had to see this movie the first time with Kieran.  I adore going to movies with her.  She has the best laugh and is so enthusiastic about Twilight and just movies that it is contagious.  It would have felt totally wrong to see it without her.  We took a self portrait last year at Twilight and did so again today.  She looked super chic.  I wore purple with my black trench coat that is shiny.  Trying to look a bit more vampirish.  I don't think I pulled it off to much. We were a bit giddy and giggly.  It was super fun.  She is a great writer and I know on her blog this adventure will sound a lot more exciting.   I just love this woman.

I loved it way more than the first Twilight movie.  It had some awesome cinematography.  This is the book that you are suppose to start falling in love with Jacob.  And in this movie, Jacob is WAY hotter than Edward.  I have always been an Edward fan but today I was totally on the Jacob page.  Some of those scenes just took my breath away. They had some standups of Edward and Jacob outside the theatre.  Of course we had to take pictures.  I had to touch Jacobs chest

and in the one of just me and Edward looks like his arm is around me and I am snuggled in.  We did get a picture of Nik licking Jacobs face.  Last year we had one of him licking Edward.  But mine turned out all fuzzy.  I hope Kieran got a better one.  So here is last years

Above is a picture with my Edward,  he actually is much more like Jacob.  A lot hot, a bit angry and oh so cuddly and warm.  I am so glad he came with me.  It was glorious holding his hand and making eyes at him.

I won't give away any spoilers about the movie or anything although most people know the story.  It was fabulous being with my love, my brother and my best friend.  And just being a girl and having fun.  I loved it.  It was a great day.  I also got to go to lunch at Five Guys with my brother and sister Amy.  Who was amazing and watched my kids and even took Noah to school.  I owe that woman big time.  Overall one very fabulous day.

Hulu Find

Have you heard of the wonderful invention of Hulu?   I was making Christmas tags last night a bit bored and not knowing what to listen to or watch.  I hit Hulu and watch one episode of Glee.  I like the music cause I am a musical type of gal but it really wasn't keeping my interest.  I hit most popular searches to get ideas and on page 3,  do you know what I found?  You will never guess

Yes I found Doogie Howser MD

My favorite show in Jr High.  I loved it so much.  That the boy that I liked at the time, gave me a poster of Doogie Howser for Christmas my seventh grade year.  It hung in my walk in closet until I moved out and got married.  I loved this show.  I sadly remember very few specifics of the show.  Except Vinnie was his best friend and Wanda his girlfriend.  So I started at the beginning of Season 1 and went through 4 episodes and was done with the tags.
Oh, I am a bit giddy.  My sweet, poor husband had to listen to me lament and go by a play by play of each episode until late into the night.  He laughed at me and teased me a lot about Neil Patrick Harris.  Who now does not hold the same appeal for me.  Oh, but the memories of watching and dreaming about this show when I was young.  I did love Neil in the smash hit comedy "Under Cover Brother."  That show makes me laugh out loud a lot.
Happy day while I dream of Doogie.
Lucky me I have 4 whole seasons to get through.  So so happy.

He really is Anakin

We were getting ready for bed when I looked at Noah in shock.  This is what I saw

It all made sense when he explained that he was just being Anakin in the original animated Clone Wars of 2003

And this art work all happened right before my eyes as I folded and put away laundry
My powers of observation are astounding.  I figure they were happily playing why worry

Noahisms

Here are a couple of fun things that Noah has been doing lately.

* Every night in his prayers he asks Heavenly Father to "help him get the bad guys,  No, Heavenly Father just the pretend bad guys, Not real".  It is a very serious business.

*One night he thanked Heavenly Father for giving him a really cool name like Noah.  That made me feel really good that he likes his name.  I think it is a really cool name too.

*Whenever I can't understand him and I repeat what he says and it is wrong he gets this indignant look on his face and says "Me not say that" and it is usually followed by some remark about using my listening ears better.

* Noah has discovered the delights of YouTube.  I am careful about what I let him watch.  On Wednesday,  we found a Space Ghost puzzle and after we finished we watched the classic song " I Love Beans"  sung by Brak.  We laughed hysterically and he started watching it again when Sofia started throwing a fit.  I went to investigate.  When I returned he was watching another Brak song called set to the song "Turn Around-Total Eclipse of the Heart".  I sat next to him and looked on in shock at him.  He was sobbing hysterically.  His shoulders were shaking,  tears streaming down his face.  His hands wiping at tears streaking his eyes.  He kept saying over and over again.  "I am just so sad Mom,  Just so sad."  I quickly clicked off the screen and said "If is is making you sad, we don't have to watch it."  He then said he had to show me so I would know what was so sad.  So we looked it up again.  We start watching the clip.  His tears keep getting stronger.  At this point I am a bit confused about what could be so sad.  It was an anthology about the life of Brak.  In it was a crudely drawn lobster that was Brak's pet.  At one point the lobster gets blown up.  After this happens Noah goes into hysterics.  "Mom,  it is just so sad,  The lobster died.  He lost his pet."  I quickly gathered him in my arms,  grabbed his stuffed dog Pal and his blanket and snuggled and talked to him on the couch.  It took a good 20 minutes to calm him down.  What a tender heart that losing his pet lobster would affect him so much

*Yesterday we celebrated all the birthdays that were in November for Kersten's family.  I had Noah make cards for his Aunt Ginny and Uncle Jason.  When he was picking colors for their cards.  He promptly picked purple for Ginny, her favorite color.  And when it came to Jason's he said "i don't know what his favorite is."  So I suggested some colors that most boys like for example blue, red or grean.  He says "How about Pink?  It is okay for boys to like pink.  That is what my teacher says."  Then promptly picks a neon bright pink for Uncle Jay's card.

Grateful Sunday-Halloween Edition 2009

Happy Halloween from these two adorable children.

A monkey and Good guy Black Spiderman.

Our weekend was fun and full of lots of Halloween parties

This week I am grateful that halloween is over and was a success.

I am the room Mother in Noah's kindergarten class.

I am grateful that the party is over and it was a rousing success.

Noah said the party was so so fun and he liked having me there.

My mom came and saw the parade which was really fun for me.

I love watching the kids march around in their costumes.

We had Halloween bowling and bingo

Tootsie pop ghosts and sparkly pumpkins to paint

Yummy snacks

and a silly story about a witch that loves cats
and gets a job delivering pizzas on her broom.

We went to the Trunk or Treat in our old ward on Friday.

I am Grateful for old friends and ward members and comfortable places.

It was fun that most of Kersten's family came to the trunk or treat.

It was good being together.

Noah loved the play on words of Trunk or Treat.

It made him laugh most of the night.

Kerst was a very manly Captain Rex.  I was a witch and then a hockey fan.

On Halloween day, we went to the annual event at

My Grandma Shep's house of homemade hot chocolate and donuts
I am so grateful for old childhood traditions
that still exist in my life.
I love the comfort, the smell, the never changing
and the same exclamation in her voice about how cute the kids are

And then we went trick or treating in our new neighborhood.

We went about 6 and we were the first trick or treaters at everyones house.

I am Grateful for such a  great neighborhood

there was even one lady who took our picture,

 gave us hot cider and invited us in for chili.

Another family gave us hot scones and
 had a movie playing in their yard on a big screen.

And of course lots and lots of candy

Afterwards we went to "Lena's Done with Chemo: Plus Costumes" Party

Oh,  I am so entirely Grateful  that Lena is done with chemo

And is cancer free as far as they can see.

She has been a pillar of strength through this

I love her and admire her a lot.

It was fun.  We played Beatles Rock Band

Ate lots of yummy food

Saw Nik dressed up like the Joker as a nurse.  A bit freaky I tell ya.

The party was packed which brought my heart joy.

And we came home tired and with a bit of a sugar high

I am grateful for our new callings,  I think

Kersten is a Sunday school teacher and

surprise I am on the Enrichment committee

This seems to be my role in the church.

as the Food specialist.  That in itself is a joke.

Kersten has been teasing and mocking me about it all day

It was a great weekend.  Tiring and fun

We all have a party hangover.

Hope yours was good also

Pumpkin Carving 2009

We finally were able to Carve our pumpkins.

We do Family Night on Tuesday nights just because that is the only night that Daddy is home.

 It was super dooper fun as Noah says.

The thought of cutting The Great Baby Pumpkin open was a bit to much for Noah

so he decided to draw a face on his pumpkin.  Complete with Hair

Not to be outdone Sofia started drawing too.  She is obsessed with drawing so this fit right in her style.  

Kersten really like pumpkin guts.  The kids were laughing hysterically

We use power tools to carve our pumpkin.   Can you handle his manly prowless?  I know, I can't.  He is hot...

All of the pumpkins are successfully beautified.

Are they not so very cute and super dooper fun?   Kersten says this might be his favorite pumpkin so far.