Just A Little Bit Like His Sister.

Back in the day, when a new Harry Potter hit the shelves, Michaela locked herself in her room and didn't come out until the book had been inhaled from beginning to end.

Will is a bit like that. He loves a good series. He has read his favorites two and three times over. Last week,  Michael Vey 2: Rise of the Elgen was released. Will wasted no time. 
He read it in a day and a half.
Whew. He barely came out for food and water...

Great book, great series, great kid.

Harvest Time.

Despite a rough start, my garden is producing abundantly. 

My trees are giving us apples, despite never receiving the pruning they desperately needed.

It always seems like a miracle when a plant actually produces what we hope it will. Thank you green bell peppers!

My tomatoes went crazy!

I actually have two watermelons. They are lucky to be alive since I originally thought a weed was growing rampant!

We get more cucumbers than we can possibly eat.

And the apples are absolutely delish!

Most exciting of all...fall colors are already

 appearing on the mountain!

I could not be more ready for fall.

Isn't time flying faster than usual?

Proud in All Kinds of Ways.

Utah was represented well tonight.

 

What? 

You're not watching the RNC?

:)

Love This.

Excerpt from Missionary Moment: Blacks and the Priesthood, an African Perspective

 Elder Lihle Sphelele Mngoma, an African mormon shares this experience while growing up in Durban, South Africa:

In our ward we had a little "house rule". Anybody who either passed, prepared or blessed the sacrament had to have a suit jacket on-- no exceptions. Despite the heat and humidity of Durban, South Africa, it just looked good! Uniformity was key, even in our appearance. And so it was for many years, even before I was even born. Things were always done like that in our ward.
Well, as you may have guessed this all changed. There was a young deacon who moved into the ward with his family. They were an extremely large family and had little means. They were as poor as anyone could be in the city of Durban without actually being homeless. One of the sons was 12 and wanted so very much to participate. But he did not have the attire that all the other boys did, and so he sat back the first few Sundays, while we went about our duties. I am not exactly sure who noticed this, but we were alerted to the matter, right before the Sunday service was to start. We felt ashamed for neglecting him, and we didn't know how to react. We just stood around the sacrament table, the hymn was about to be sung  and people were starting to notice that we hadn't moved. We looked at each other and without a word, we all just took off our suit coats (yes there were a few gasps. A 40 year tradition just broken!). One of the older priests invited the young deacon to come join the rest of us at the sacrament table, and he was able to come join us and assist. There we were, with our white shirts and ties, and more importantly with clean hands and a pure heart, ready to officiate for the Lord in this ordinance. It was the most spiritual sacrament meeting ever. I learned again, that this gospel is for everyone (2 Nephi 26:33), and that a quorum is only a quorum when all are involved, and no one is left behind.

My Bird Ate My Homework.

This morning, Elijah discovered this to be literally true.

 We aren't sure how this happened, but it feels right to blame Will.

Scenes From A Homecoming: Bethany Style.

Homecoming season is upon us 

and Bethany was asked last night. 

I'm having nightmares about the dress finding experience already...

Scenes From A Homecoming.

After three long months we have her back. 

For a few days. 

Then the frigid city of Rexburg,Idaho 

will claim her for 8 long months. 

But until then...

 

How quickly they learn to avoid the camera.

Grandma's incredible graduation gift. As excited as I was to see Michaela, 

I was pretty excited to see this beauty as well. Gorgeous!

The three sisters were kind of excited to be reunited...

And Dad and Michaela got started right away setting up her brand new laptop.

It feels good to be whole again.

Welcome back Michaela.

If just for a little while.

Everybody Hurts.

David Archuleta's new video,with Kurt Bestor.

What? You still don't have this CD?

Go, go, go.

Get it now.

I'm Pretty Much 50.

Today is my birthday and I am 47. Pretty much 50. 

Shoot me now. 

Just kidding- sort of.

I did the math tonight. 

When I am 50, Will will be 13. 

I will be old and he will be young.

Eeek.

 

But thanks to great friends and family, I will be in a sugar induced coma for the next few days and I just won't think about it.

Do you think the word is out that I have a sweet tooth?

Oh and remember this post?

Today we made it happen...

A new era has begun....

Thanks to all my wonderful friends and family for a great birthday despite the 47 years...

First Day of School Part Deux:

School officially started on the second day of school for these two (does that make sense to anyone but me?)

Out going students...

Out going food.

Whew!!!

First Day of School.

 Guess who is excited,
and guess who is pretending not to be?

 Alyssa was up at the crack of dawn and used her time wisely to create flawless hair!

Will's hair? Not so flawless...

 Hannah had this outfit planned for weeks. Too bad you can't see the sparkles on her shoes...

Elijah musters one more attempt at being excited.

Coming tomorrow... Beth and Zac head off for their first day. Betcha can't wait to see their outfits!

 

Changing of the Guard.

I've gone from this...

...to this.

I couldn't be more excited!
Beehives and cubs are pretty much the same, right?

Brenda and Sheila.

In college, you almost never said one of our names 

without the other attached to it. 

We were pretty tight.

After one semester of living together, 

we decided to live separately, primarily to double
 our social network. 

It worked.

We got along so well, I always thought

 I would marry someone just like Sheila. 

But I didn't. 

I actually married someone quite the opposite. Weird. 

Every summer, when the world descends upon BYU campus for Education Week, I get to spend a couple of hours with Sheila, who treks in from Kansas City.

We go to lunch and catch each other up on the year gone by.

We laugh alot and talk about old times, ex-boyfriends, Jerusalem, current struggles and what the future holds. Even though our lives have taken different paths, (I'm married, she's not) it doesn't really matter. We just pick up where we left off.

Good friends can do that.

Until next August....

A View From A Fridge...

Do you think it's strange that my "grown-up" kids 

have never lost their enthusiasm for putting 

their fabulous artwork on the refrigerator? 

Today I noticed we had gotten a little carried away. 

So, before I lovingly deposited them into the garbage, 

I documented them for posterity's sake.

You're welcome.

Can You Handle...

...another Before and After?

It's a great day.

Just In Time For School.

Look who has a new haircut!

The before...

 And after!

 View from the back...

 And again from the front!

Absolutely adorable, wouldn't you say?

Shout out to Brenna Alius, hairdresser extraordinaire!

Why I Love My Husband...

He's funny.

I found this in my cupboard...

I am not sure what makes one worthy to drink from a Raiders glass but whatever it is, I am pretty sure I don't have it...

Thank goodness love is blind.

Like A Hen Gathering Her Chicks...

The mother Cook has come home...or left home....however you want to look at it.

But nonetheless she is here. 

And they (and we) are soooo glad.

 She brought presents...

...and more presents.

 Wow, are we spoiled!

 We are loving every minute of it, knowing that the Hawaiian omiyage (gifts) will soon be no more...(sniff back tears here...)

Our Hawaiian relations will soon be Utahns and that takes some getting used to.

  But life is good and like they say in the Islands:

Live Aloha!

Okay, they might not say it, but they sure have the bumper stickers!