all dogs go to heaven

Or at least I hope so, so Bella can share Moosey with us in the eternities. Ever since we adopted Moosey from Jessie a little over one year ago, Bella has apparently talked about wanting to "send us a different dog." Really, can you blame her?

When Bella first arrived in Denver she couldn't wait to come to our house to be reunited with her long-lost pet. In fact, Jessie and I worried a bit that when it was time for them to return to Utah Bella might not take kindly to being parted from Moosey once again.

We were running late when it was time to go to the airport (and of course we had forgotten to take pictures of Bella and Moosey earlier in the week). We soon realized that Bella would probably not get on the plane unless she could properly say goodbye to Moosey.

Of course, trying to get everyone to cooperate for a group portrait was a little taxing, especially under the hurried conditions. Thankfully, Jessie used her dog-whisperer ways to coax Moosey into these family shots.

Bella was not as anxious to pose for a SP with her Great Aunt Denise.

Thankfully, others were more cooperative.

We miss you, Jessie! (And I'll send that CD of photos just as soon as I can find one on which to copy them . . . .)

Conference Weekend highlights

For those of you who don't know what Conference Weekend is, it's The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints semi-annual broadcast from Salt Lake City, always held on the first weekends in April and October. There are five sessions total on Saturday and Sunday, two hours each, where our church leaders speak about everything from repentance to personal finance. I look forward to these two weekends each year as a time of personal revelation and growth, as well as a time of family tradition and togetherness. I always come away feeling motivated to be better than I am today, and feel an increased love and appreciation for my Savior Jesus Christ.

I also love the feeling of connected-ness (made up word?) I feel with the other 13 million members of my church, including my loved ones watching in faraway places. I love knowing that we're all hearing the same messages at the same time, having the Holy Spirit bear witness to us of the divinity of Jesus Christ and His love for us.

I can't wait to download the talks to my iPod. I didn't take notes because I was working on Easter sewing projects for Sarah and me (to be documented later). Going from memory--which at 46 isn't what it used to be--the messages that spoke to my heart are, in no particular order:

• Start where you are right now to become a better person. Start now.
• Worshipping in the temple with greater frequency and sincerity will bless me immeasurably.
• Learn to say, "We can't afford it."
• We are so blessed to have a living Prophet of God on the earth today, Thomas S. Monson.
• Don't be afraid of changes in life. Embrace them and work through them with the Savior at your side.
• Fear is the opposite of faith.
• We needn't fear the current climate of economic uncertainty. Hold steadfast to the truth, learn to live providently, and we'll get through it.
  
• Gospel principles remain constant and unchanging in a changing world. Standing firm by them is our sure hope for safety, peace, and happiness.
• It's always fair when you get to choose.
  

We had our traditional Donut Night on Saturday night, after the men's Priesthood session. I love seeing the men I love in their white shirts and ties. John changed out of his Sunday clothes before I could get his picture, and for some reason I didn't think to have him pose with his Dad and Grandpa for this post-Priesthood session shot. I love and appreciate the honorable Priesthood holders in my family and do not take for granted having this power in my home.

Mom decided that she felt well enough to help me make donuts at her house (she's the glazer, you know, but has been sick this past week). Since she's still coughing quite a bit, we didn't invite our usual crowd of friends.

If I do say so myself, it was one of our better batches!

We watched the Sunday afternoon session with my Mom and Dad at their house and had dinner together afterwards.

This photo is for Bella. Sorry honey, but we don't want "another dog." Even Grandpa has a soft spot for Moosey!

Until October, then.

February: illustrated Cliff Notes edition

The month is passing quickly, and although I don't have much time to write--and won't have much time for two more weeks (until the musical is over)--I wanted to post a few photos for documentation purposes.

Moosey: Cutest dog created by the hand of God. We love her and can't imagine our family without her. Sarah, unbeknownst to me, snapped this photo of her and I was delighted to find it on my camera.

One tradition we enjoy during costuming season is keeping a stash of treats to share with the kids at the high school. My friend Teri and I especially like Circus Peanuts (you either love 'em or hate 'em). She found an on-line source and presented me with a 5 pound basketful! To make things even better, they're individually wrapped, which makes for better hygiene when sharing with a cast of 50.

My sewing area, which is really an extension of my family room, is a crazy mess at present. I've been just throwing larger scraps on the floor to be gathered and sorted later. Moosey has taken a liking to burrowing in the glittery scraps to chew on her Nylabone.

And speaking of messes, my house is getting so dirty I'm about to lose my mind! A few weeks ago I set the can of Pledge on the piano to remind me to take a moment to dust it. You can see how well that plan worked.

I could not let the month go by without paying tribute to this man, Jerry Hendrix (a member of my stake), who kindly spent four hours at our house replacing some sort of valve attached to our furnace/boiler that regulates the flow of hot water. Now, after a few months of hasty, tepid showers, I can finally enjoy longer, very hot showers! Thanks, Jerry. You're my hero.

Yes, it's another picture of Moosey. This time to document that, despite the hectic schedule around here, we took time to give her a much-needed brushing and bath. She doesn't like the process too well, but endures it patiently.

One of the best things happening around here is Mark's project: painting John's room. I have always been the chief painter in the family, but because we promised a room re-do for John's birthday last month and I have since been sucked into the costuming vortex, Mark has taken on the project single-handedly. I think he is secretly enjoying the project, though he did comment the other day, "You've always done the taping, haven't you. . . ." I could get used to just selecting the paint color and never having to actually paint again! I'll give a full before-during-after post next month sometime.

Mark, once again my hero.

Last, but not least, I just couldn't resist sharing the zombie pose my mother insisted on striking in her hospital bed. It just doesn't quite convey the frail mother image I was going for, but I love that she can keep her sense of humor in the face of adversity!

In cataloging my recent photos, I realized that I haven't been taking many SPs of late. I'll try to remember to take a few this week, along with the costumes. We start dress rehearsals on Tuesday, and although it's a long, tiring haul, it's rewarding to finally see our efforts on the kids and under the lights. Wish me luck as I round the home stretch!

back in the rafters

I finally managed to dismantle my Christmas decorations and put them all in plastic bins, ready to stow in the garage rafters until next year. I'm sure glad that Storage of Christmas Boxes falls under Mark's job description, as I am not very good at standing on high ladders while hoisting large, heavy bins over my head.

The tree always seems a bit lonely after all the decorations come off, but I still think it's pretty (though I did notice a few strands of lights are not working--oh well, I'll deal with that next year).

Susan sent me a large box of beautiful assorted red ornaments to add to my tree this year. It took me way longer than in years past to sort and wrap everything. One idiosyncrasy of mine is that I like to dust the ornaments before I put them away. After all, they've been on the tree for about six weeks and no one dusted them while they were hanging there!

Moosey kept me company, cuddled up on the dirty table cloth (from John's birthday dinner) that hadn't yet made it into the laundry pile.

So now I feel a little blue and rather tired, but mostly relieved that I can now clean my house and move on with January.

happy 15th birthday John!

I always feel a little sorry for John on his birthday. It seems almost anti-climactic after the hoopla of the holidays, and some years--this one included--school has already started after the break. Happy Birthday. It's cold. It's January. Have fun at school.

Thankfully, John is easy to please and a good sport about the whole post-holiday-birthday thing. He started the day with a traditional box of Birthday Cereal, which in his case is Marshmallow Mateys. Inspired by his sisters, he decided he wants to fix up his bedroom for his main birthday gift. Before he came home from school, I made his bed with the new bedding that will inspire the palette for his room re-do. After a stop at Starbucks for a vanilla frappuccino (a treat--we never go there) he was pleasantly surprised with not only the new bedding ensemble, but also two new bed pillows from Emily. (His old ones were frightfully limp and lifeless!)

My mom came over later, homemade cake in hand, to help make dinner. Since my dad's birthday is the day before John's, and since we didn't want to make a roast with mashed potatoes and gravy two nights in a row (they both have the same favorite meal), we combined the family birthday dinners (more about my darling 89-year-old dad in an upcoming post).

My favorite gift for John was a larger-than-life framed photo of Moosey. The frame originally had a picture of Frank Sinatra in it and was on the clearance rack at Penneys. I replaced Frank with a black and white 12 x 12 photo of our adored pet cuddled up in her blanket. It will look perfect in his soon-to-be-painted room!


In addition to things for his room, he received an iTunes gift card (from Charlotte), a charger for his iPod, and a memory card to add to his cell phone. Mark selected the latter gift and John was beyond thrilled. I didn't even know you could buy memory upgrades for cell phones. It's a boy thing, I guess.

At the dinner table, when we each said something we love about John, I told him that I'm thankful and feel fortunate that I trust him. I appreciate that he wants to do what's right, even in a world where doing what's right isn't always "cool." I also love John for always telling me that he loves me--even when I drop him off at school, and even when he talks to me on the phone. I feel fortunate indeed to be his mother.

Another blessing? Look at what's waiting for us for tomorrow's breakfast:

worth her weight in gold

I went into Sarah's bedroom this morning to wake her up as usual and was greeted with a particularly surly, snarling response to my "Good morning, honey!" I wondered how I would ever get her up and going without starting World War III. She was not only non-responsive to my wake-up call, she was downright nasty.

Enter Moosey, a.k.a. Cutest Dog Created by the Hand of God.

Moosey promptly jumped onto Sarah's bed--tail wagging--and wedged her nose under Sarah's arm-blockade. Within a matter of seconds Sarah was giggling, sitting up in bed, and talking about breakfast.
Moosey the miracle worker. I love that dog.

Woman With List

After reading Michelle's post from a couple of weeks ago, I've been thinking that a portrait painted of me would undoubtedly be titled Woman With List. I live by the power of the list and find satisfaction in writing one.

Sometimes, when I find myself unable to cross many things off of my week's to-do list, I'll add on a few extra things that I've done--just so I can cross them off. Silly, I know, but it's a mind game I like to play.

One such item this week--something that wasn't originally on my list--was making a new blanket for our dog Moosey. We adopted her from Jessie last summer and have since fallen completely and entirely in love with her! (So much so that I hardly even notice the little black hairs that are often found on my bedroom quilt.)

Coming from a warmer climate, Moosey seems a little sensitive to the chillier weather here, especially as the season changes. Last week I stumbled across a crib-sized down comforter that I used for Sarah and John. I decided that, with a cute fleece cover, it would make a nice blanket for Moosey, who likes to cover herself on her doggie bed.

She can often be found sleeping like this, completely covered. Occasionally, we don't realize she's in her bed, as she is entirely covered up. I'm not sure how she breathes, but she seems to like it like that.

So, despite my busy week and the myriad of things still undone on my list, I chose to make a doggie duvet--complete with a zipper for easy removal for washing--this week. Ah--the power of choice!

You'll have to admit, she's pretty darn cute!