Miriam's Madlibs Birthday

Madlib’s version:  Today is Justin Beibers’s  birthday.  She very very happy to be zero eons old.   And we are very very wretched as her parents to have swimmed till her four million and third birthday.  Miriam is now in pink school at Pickle Hill where she is taking basket weaving, ditzery, horticulture, Swahili, and PE among other things.  She is currently getting very good waffles.  This year Miriam has been able to go to Disneyland where she visited Walt Disney and Adolph Hitler, Vienna Illinios where she was giddy to find out that they didn’t have a mall.  She also went to EFY in Washington DC, Dune buggy camp, street car conference at Pencil college, and to Iraq twice, once in Leap Year to see her rich great aunt come back from Denmark  and once on Perry the Platypus Day for a Muslim reunion.  Miriam worked for Nose in the summer and again for Moose during the first semester of the funny farm.  She is in a Widget’s Choir and is preparing to go on a space oddessy  with them in June.

Last night we gave her little grouts from the family and ate turkey and sea urchin eggs.  Tonight we are running up the celebration with more training wheels and lightbulbs.  George Washington was here to celebrate last night and caramel cheetos will be here to help us incessantly laugh today.  We love Casper the Friendly Ghost very much.  She is slothful, messy, and intrepid and we hope she has a very Dreadful Birthday.

Miriam's Real Birthday

Today is Miriam’s  birthday.  She very very happy to be sixteen years old.   And we are very very happy as her parents to have survived till her sixteenth birthday.  Miriam is now in high school where she is taking seminary, choir, biology, Spanish, and PE among other things.  She is currently getting very good grades.  This year Miriam has been able to visit Cassandra and Emerson.  She also went to Nauvoo Illinios where she was disappointed to find out that they didn’t have a mall, Especially for Youth, girl’s camp, youth conference, and to Arizona twice, once in October to see her grand parents come back from the Dominican Republic  and once in December for a family reunion.  Miriam worked in the summer and again during the first semester of school.  She is in a Children’s Choir and is preparing to go on tour with them in June.

Last night we gave her little presents from the family and ate pizza and ice cream.  Tonight we are finishing up the celebration with cake, more ice cream, and games.  Jonathan was here to celebrate last night and Preston will be here to help us celebrate today.  We love Miriam very much.  She is helpful, fun, and kind and we hope she has a very Happy Birthday.

A Dark and Stormy Night

Monday Jon had a dentist appointment so I drove an hour and 15 minutes to pick him up from college.   Boy was the drive long and boring.  I struggled the whole way to keep from closing my eyes and telling myself to wake me up when it was over.  The hour and 15 minutes back was totally different—it was so fun to visit with Jon and catch up on all the news of his life—I told Jon that it took ¼ the time.   Wow is time relative.   After Jon's appointment, at 5:00pm, we loaded everyone up to take him back to the dorm.  It was Monday, after all, and on Mondays, everything that we do, we do together.  Except that we left Matt behind because he had a last-minute choir thingy that couldn’t wait.   It was a weird drive.  In front of us the sky was blue and gold with gorgeous, billow-y clouds.  Behind us was grey and stormy.  It was quite disconcerting to think that we’d have to drive back home in that.   The drive seemed quick because of all the enjoyable conversation.  The drive back home was very stormy and very long—nothing relative about it.  In fact, at one point, we couldn’t even see the white line on the side of the road and had to turn back and go home another way.  The other way was better and we would still have gotten home in okay time if we hadn’t stopped  for dinner.  After we got back on the road , the storm really picked up.  We didn’t get home till 8:30.  Brian was exhausted from the stressful driving.  

Super Bowl

Wow, I wonder if Sunday’s Super Bowl is the first one I’ve ever watched.  If I watched it before this, I blocked it out of my mind—it must have been a foul memory.  Just kidding.  Any way, Saturday night, Brian and Matt wanted to buy food for the Super Bowl, so I sent them to the grocery store.  Alone.  With no guidance.   Fifty dollars, 4 steaks, 7 layers of dip, two bags of corn chips, 20 taquitos, 1 bag of Cheetos,  4-2liter bottles of pop, and  ½ gallon of ice cream later they returned.  Let’s just say that the five of us ate very well Sunday night.  The Super Bowl itself was fine.  Some of the commercials were funny; some we turned off.  I ended up feeling antsy—too much testosterone, I guess.   Finally I broke out the crochet and worked on a pink baby dolly.  So, with junk food and pink yarn, I made it through my first Super Bowl.

Friday

Last night was date night!!  I took the kids to the grocery store to buy ice cream and something special for dinner.  Then I dropped Katrina off at a birthday party and we went to the library to check out movies for the kids to watch.  We checked out “Emma” for Miriam and “Robots” for Thomas.  After that, Brian and I took off.  We ate at my favorite restaurant again this week.  I love their soup and salad!!  How can a basic dinner salad with ranch and a bowl of cream of broccoli soup with garlic bread be so good??  They totally make the best soup, garlic bread, and ranch dressing on earth.  Even the lettuce tastes especially good.  Brian got the rosemary chicken tortellini.  We had fun eating and talking.  Then we visited a military museum exhibit with a lot of world war II art.  Wow, I went to museums three times this week.  Weird.  

Priesthood Service

Thursday I taught the seminary students about the priesthood and it reminds me of how grateful I am for the service and love that righteous priesthood holders show to me and those I love.  I asked the young men to tell me one way that their priesthood duties directly serve themselves and the answer is that they really don't—the priesthood is basically used to bless and serve others.  A young man can’t pass the sacrament to himself, a father cannot give himself a blessing.  A man cannot baptize himself.   All priesthood duties are performed for others.  Men, like women, have a calling centered on selfless service to others and I am so grateful for how the men in my life magnify the priesthood callings that they hold.

My church service

Thursday after school, we held Activity Days.  These activities are for young girls on our church age 8-9.   Another woman and I are their leaders and we hold activities that will build these girls' faith in God and His son, Jesus Christ.  Our activity Thursday was a trip to a museum that displayed artifacts from ancient cultures in our area.  We paid a bit of money for a special tour which the girls really enjoyed and which also included a chance for each one of them to make a piece of pottery.  I was very happy that the girls  were on their best behavior and seemed to have a wonderful time learning about how people lived thousands of years ago.  

What do l do all day??

Wednesday, after subbing for seminary, I took a nap and then bought some groceries.  When the kids got home I finished the plates I have been decorating to hang on either side of my kitchen window.  They turned out pretty good, although not perfect.  I think they’ll look good on the wall.  I decided to make my own plates because I can never find anything decorative in the stores.  What does this say about my sense of style???  Actually, I should clarify.  I can never find anything decorative that I like at Walmart, Shopko, and Target.  I like pretty much everything at Ethan Allen.  I guess it’s more that I can’t afford to satisfy my tastes in decorating.  

Dinner Time

Matt made dinner Wednesday night and after Brian got home from tutoring someone and Miriam and Katrian got home from Choir and Thomas finished all his homework, we ate dinner together as a family.  I wish I could figure out a way to keep them at the table longer.  Now I know why some people serve dessert after dinner—no one is going to leave before pie.  But my kids get way too many sweets as it is and I don’t want to add to that.  Maybe I’ll start setting a timer and not letting them leave before it goes off.  Is it too much to ask that everyone stay at the dinner table for 20 minutes??? 

New Beginnings

Wednesday night after dinner we went to Miriam and Katrina's New Beginnings for Young Women.  Miriam played the opening song and Katrina led the young women in reciting the theme.  The leaders welcomed the girls turning 12 this year into young women, and encouraged all the young women to obey the commandments and keep their baptismal covenants.   Brian and I enjoyed being there with them.

Tuesday

Tuesday was the day that I prepared both seminary lessons.  After school, Brian and I went to the temple which was wonderful.  When I got home, I felt an added amount of love for my kids and family that I know came from being in the House of the Lord.  While we were gone, the kids did their chores (somewhat) and made dinner which was Coconut Curry Chicken, brown rice, and vegetables.  It was nice to eat together as a family.  

My Monday

Monday, Brian and I went to the funeral of Brian's Uncle Jack.  It was an inspiring service and was nice to remember Uncle Jack’s wonderful life.  We enjoyed seeing so many of Brian’s extended family.  After that we stopped by the work of Brian’s friend.  They talked guns and military history.  Brian's friend said that his wife is in the process of leaving him for some other guy.  How do these things happen?  Here is a nice, fortysomething man who has given his life to his family and needs the love an companionship of his wife to see him through the rest of his life, and now that is gone.  And his wife...Why do people throw away their best chance of happiness with the husband or wife of their youth for some stranger?  I'll never understand it.  Anyway, Monday night was family night and we went to an exhibit at the local museum.  It   contained beautiful images of the life of Christ.  It was so inspiring!