Myrtle Beach Update

Due to all the craziness going on around here lately, I forgot to post any pictures from our Myrtle Beach vacation. This year we finally convinced John's entire family along with some family friends to join us. We had 17 people and it was a blast! We will be going next year (the week leading up to Father's Day) and anyone is welcome to join us!
The picture above is from a bridge at Broadway at the Beach. It is a collection of fun little shops (including Build a Dino) and some awesome restaraunts.

The next three pictures are us having fun at the waterpark located on the resort where we stay.

On the other side of the water park is the beach! We usually spent mornings at the waterpark and the afternoon at the beach.

After the beach we cleaned up and went out to dinner. Every night we went somewhere different. I think we had a few too many all-you-can-eat places on the list this year- including an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet that has chocolate chip cookie dough pizza. They all tasted soooooo good.

Of course what is a family vacation without James falling asleep in the middle of everything?!

After dinner we went to the Family Kingdom to take the kids on rides. This picture is James and John after they won the first annual Traverso go-kart rally.

Other nights we would do a little shopping. This is a picture of the whole group at Broadway at the Beach. Along with the stores they usually have street performers making balloon animals or juggling or doing magic trips. I love Myrtle Beach!

Obie's Quilt

Here are a couple of pictures of my latest project: a baby quilt for my little Obie. We still don't have a name so we have shortened Obi-Won Tissue Box Stephen Anthony Hungry down to Obie. I think it is a vast improvement but we still have a way to go.

The pictures aren't great. All those little green specks are frogs. That is what the entire back is made of. It also has little light orange ties on it. I'll have to get a better picture of it.

Anyway, I am so glad I am done. Now all we have to do is paint the boys' room and stain the bunk beds and hang the wall paper border and... sigh.

Emily

I came home from Myrtle Beach to some sad news. Emily Davis, a dear sister, surrogate mother, and friend from the Philadelphia 1st ward passed away on Saturday. Emily has struggled with health problems for many years and has always managed to stay ahead of the game. I think all of us expected her to pull through this time as well.
I met Emily when John and I moved into the ward in 2001. She was a sweet African American sister with kids about my age. She had a warmth and kindness to her that radiated from her to everyone around. She also gave the best hugs ever!
Emily passionately loved to read. She was the force of nature behind organizing our book club and keeping it going all of these years. Although mystery novels were her favorites, she was willing to read every book we sent her way and was not abashed at sharing her opinion. She shared her own favorites which were eye opening to a group of white girls from Utah. We were able to have many open and honest discussions on race and poverty with Emily. She had overcome so much in her life and was willing to share her experiences and reach out to help others with their own difficulties.
Emily was the most faithful member of the ward choir when I was ward choir director. She loved to sing! She was there and ready to sing every single week- which is saying something since we had practice at 8:30 on Sunday mornings. In fact, frequently she asked me to pick her up so she wouldn't be late. During our drives into church we talked a little about everything. She didn't know it but those little talks helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life. She talked me through parenting, being kind to myself when I was overwhelmed and she offered her support when I became a church widow (John was called into the bishopric) and had to struggle with the kids on my own. Her understanding meant the world to me!
Emily had a smile and a laugh that were contagious. You couldn't help but want to be around her. I miss her already and although I know her kids, Brandy and Jared, have got to be devastated, at least they know that their mom loved them more than life itself. She was incredibly proud of them; she would practically burst with pride when she talked about them. And she will be waiting for them- and us- on the other side with arms wide open. I for one am looking forward to that hug!

Dad's Day

Happy belated Father's Day to all you dads out there. I don't feel like the dads get as celebrated as the moms do. In the case of my husband I think he deserves to be MORE celebrated than I do. He is an incredible father!! He plays with the kids all the time- even when he is completely exhausted and all he wants to do is sleep. He reads to them, coaches them, encourages them and finds creative ways to get them to do things... usually after I have asked them 20 million times to do the same thing and have given up in frustration. =) He just exemplifies everything a father should be. We are so lucky to have him!

hmmm...

Do you ever wonder if our doctors have any idea what they are talking about or if they are just guessing? No offense to doctors- especially John- but sometimes I just get this feeling that we are all undergoing a giant science experiment at their hands, OBs in particular...
Maybe I have been watching too many episodes of House!

Happy Birthday Samuel John!

Yesterday was Samuel's 6th birthday. Holy cow! I can't believe he is 6!! He is such a sweet boy and so intelligent and funny but also totally innocent. Friday is Sam's last day of Kindergarten and then it is onwards and upwards to first grade and all day at school! I don't think I am ready for that, but I know he is. Before I know it he'll be 16 and asking for the car keys so he can take some girl out on a date! Maybe John is right and we won't let the boys date until they're 21!

Anyway, Samuel had school today so James and I took in some cookies for him to share with his class at snack time. John had a softball game last night so after the game we came home and Sam opened some presents. Tonight we will celebrate his birthday as a family at Chuck E Cheese and Saturday is a party for both of the boys with their friends. Here are a few pictures from yesterday but there will be more to come on the weekend.

The birthday boy last year with Taybree. (You should see his eyes light up when he says her name!)

Opening presents on his birthday yesterday.

Sam's favorite thing to do...play with Daddy and James!

Sam's favortie present so far- a webkinz zebra... maybe he should have asked for his two front teeth.

busy busy busy

I love this time of the year. Sam is done with sports for a while and the weather is nice enough to actually enjoy being outside. Last weekend John dragged me out for an eight mile bike ride down Kelley Drive and around the art museum. Yes, he does know that I am pregnant, he just thinks it is good for me. I survived but I was ready to keel over after mile #3. Good thing I got a second wind.

This weekend we had even more adventures. Saturday morning we drove in to the Wanamaker building to hear Richard Elliot, the organist for MoTab, play the largest pipe organ in the world. It has over 28,000 pipes and is estimated at being worth $71 million dollars and it sits in the middle of a Macy's department store. It was a really amazing concert- even John and the boys loved it. The coolest part was walking into Macy's and hearing "Come, Come Ye Saints" (yes, we were late) echo throughout the building. The best part, the concert was free.

After the organ concert we took the boys to Friendly's for their free ice cream day. Yum.

Our next adventure was the Strawberry Festival at Linvilla Orchards. We went on a hay ride and picked a couple pounds of strawberries. You should have seen how happy the prospect of eating all of those strawberries made James! Grand total for this adventure? $6.75, the cost of the strawberries. We rounded out our day by a trip to a different Friendly's for another FREE ice cream cone. Double Yum!

flashback

I was wasting time on Facebook this morning and came across a link to St. George Musical Theater. Upon reading the history I was instantly transported back to my childhood. If you read the history section it talks about Mark Ogden, SGMT's originator.
I was probably 6 or 7 when my sister, Keri, introduced me to Mark. Keri (and my Mom actually) were in his first major show "It's My Life." Mark gave me my first chance to perform on stage and instigated my lifelong love/obsession with musical theater. When I was in elementary school I did a show Mark wrote and directed called "It's Up to Me." We performed the show at various elementary schools and The Cotton Mill and also travelled to SLC to perform on a real stage. My brother Jared and I drove with Mark as Mom was going to grad school and working 2 jobs at the time. On the long drive Mark and Jared and I wrote a song called "The Road Kill Restaurant," due to the huge amounts of road kill we passed on the highway. We laughed our heads off and somehow the tune has always stuck with me.
When I was in middle school Mark died of AIDS. We went to see him just before he died. I will never get the image of him out of my head. Mark, who was always so vibrantly alive and energetic lay on a bed barely able to move, his body literally wasted away to nothing but skin and bones. SGMT was never the same without him. I am glad it has found a solid footing in St. George but I can't help but wish he was here to enjoy the success.

did you ever wonder...

Did you ever wonder what it would be like if the words to a music video actually described what was happening on the video???

Check this out! I am still laughing!