Mom's advice...

Last night I did something I never do. I went to bed early. Yep. I was in bed at 9:00! I took my mom's counsel and just went to bed. :) I think my crazy schedule is starting to catch up with me. I keep pretty busy. Take this week as an example; I taught about 20 students this week, rehearsed and performed with Triple Trio, took Trevor to his doctor appointment, attended a meeting for the interfaith choir which I am directing, attended book club, spent all day at super Saturday, stayed up late preparing all four (two of them big) projects that I was in charge of for super Saturday, passed out candy at the trunk or treat, attended a Halloween party, ran tons of errands, watched friends' kids, did my visiting teaching, phone calls for volunteering for Mitt's campaign, plus all those house things that never seem to get done. I think I was tired in every way that I could be tired -- physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.

I did take some time yesterday to listen again to Elder Oaks conference talk about good, better, and best. I am trying to figure out how I can apply it to me. I truly love most of what I do, but I am a little overwhelmed. Good thing I followed mom's advice yesterday. Things don't feel quite so daunting with a good night's sleep under my belt.

Ken's turn...

I am so glad that Ken took a little time and had a guys weekend. He totally deserved it; he spends so much of his time working or doing church stuff. The weekend included eating lots of meat (Rodizio Grill), hanging with friends, watching movies, more eating, shopping, and going to the BYU football game. At the game, my brother Cyle who is part of the "cannon crew," arranged for them to fire off the cannon at the 4th touchdown. It was a highlight of the game and and even got them their .8 seconds of fame. It was so fun seeing them on TV -- thank goodness for slow motion! :) The game ended with a blizzard of excitement, literally, with a huge cougar win (42-7). He was even a nice guy and drove home my friend's van from Utah (remember the car trouble we had a few weeks ago on our trip...). I was so glad he got a mini vacation with some great friends. No one could deserve it more!

Jog-a-thon...

Last Friday Morgan participated in the jog-a-thon at school. (Sorry, we realized the wrong date was initially written on our calendar.) She was very excited about it and practiced running everywhere we went. She did a great job and ran 11 laps! She had a fun time and felt really proud of herself. Here are some pictures from the event.

On our toes...

"As I sit and watch the snow fallin' down..."

Thinking of this song this morning (Duke Ellington, also recorded by Norah Jones) as the snow is flying outside. This is just one of the reasons that I love Colorado. Yesterday it was sunny and 80 degrees today it is in the 30s and it is snowing. Colorado weather sure keeps you on your toes. :)

One of my favorite days of the year...

I love this time of year! I especially love the day when it is finally cool enough to put my cuddly flannel sheets on the bed. They are a wonderful, brick red and they always make me feel like snuggling in for a long winter's nap. I love being toasty while I sleep. Happy flannel sheet day! (I don't think that is an official day of celebration, but it should be.)

I am a volunteer!

For those that have been reading my blog you will probably not be surprised to learn that I am a volunteer for the Mitt Romney for President campaign here in Colorado. I have never done anything like this before, but I am inspired and believe that Mitt can really make a difference. I am a community group leader for the tri-town area, Mead, Brighton, and Ft. Lupton.

In the community groups we will...
- help keep each other up to date on what is happening in the campaign
- encourage regular donations (however small or large)
- give handouts, flyers, bumper stickers, etc.
- organize members to attend public events (like parades or fairs)
- become more informed and educated about the political process

Is there anyone in our area that would like to join my group or become a group leader yourself? I am hoping in the next 2 or 3 weeks to have John, who is over the volunteers in Colorado, come and make a presentation to our group. The meeting will be at my house and yes, we will be having refreshments. :) If you would like for me to add you to my group list, please let me know in the comments section or just give me a call. I am hoping that we will have lots of support for Mitt here in Colorado and especially in our area.

I should tell you why I am supporting Mitt for president. First off, he has incredible executive experience in business, the Olympics, and in politics. He has shown a record of stepping into a problematic situation and turning it around. He has help saved companies like Staples, Dominoes, and sports Authority. He took the 2002 Winter Olympics that was scandal ridden and in debt and turned it a successful event that had showed a profit. He got elected as a Republican in Massachusetts and was able to work with the democrats to lower taxes and bring jobs to the state. I love how he approaches problems with a level head looking at it from all sides. I believe that he has common sense solutions to our country's problems. His vast experience as a business leader will be helpful as we deal with all the emerging markets in Asia. If there is anyone who could help streamline our bloated government, it is Mitt. He is a wonderful family man and stands for traditional, conservative values. I think that he would be a wonderful president and a very effective leader. Vote Mitt in '08!!!

Birthday Boy...

My little boy is growing up. He is now an official four year old. He asked me as I was putting him to bed if a four year old is a "big kid?" He was thrilled when I told that I thought being four certainly did qualify. :)

Many little things remind me he is getting bigger. A very obvious clue was when he put on some jeans this morning (which he hadn't worn for a couple of months) and he came in and told me they were too small. Sure enough, they were not even close to being buttoned and the hem had "shrunk" a couple of inches. It is also the little things though. For the past two years, no matter how much we worked with him, he has always called Morgan, "Norgan." Then on Saturday, out of the blue it seemed, he started pronouncing it correctly. I was excited for him, but kind of sad too. It seems the end of an era.

We had a very fun (but we kept it quite low key) party on Saturday (what he kept calling his "pretend birthday"). He wanted a Scooby Doo party. He invited about eight guests plus "the cousins." (It is so fantastic having them close now.) We played, got Scooby Doo tattoos, decorated scooby snacks, and ate a yummy chocolate cake. Everyone had a great time.

A perfect day...

A perfect day for the zoo! Morgan didn't have school today and it was Trevor's birthday (as opposed to his "pretend birthday," Saturday, which was the day of his birthday party) so we decided to have a fun day. It was simply one of those perfect Colorado days. The zoo was pretty empty despite the beautiful day. The leaves had changed colors and some had begun to fall -- just enough to make that wonderful crunching sound beneath your feet. The air was crisp with that subtle hint of fall. The sky was a stunning electric blue. Everything seemed to be in technicolor. The sunlight was warm and soft. Our pace was slow enough to really SEE everything, including that preying mantis that crossed our path. A delicious day for the senses!

The animals seemed to want to be out on a day like this. We got some great pictures. We saw the baby zebra and baby giraffe. So cute. The kids loved running around and riding on the train.

At the end of the day we met Ken at Cinzetti's for dinner. Trevor got to choose what/where he wanted to go for dinner. Everyone loved the pasta and the crepes. I'm not sure if Peyton could have gotten any messier while eating -- must have been good!

All in all, a perfect day.

Side note: If I believed in reincarnation, I would totally want to be a bear in the zoo. Someone else would be preparing my meals and cleaning my home. My biggest responsibility for the day would be hanging out and taking a nap in the sun while gaining weight for the winter. That would be sweet! (I guess deep down I am totally lazy, or at least I would like to be.)

Kinda a nerd...

For The Office fans out there...

Which Office Character Are You?
	You are Pam. You are sweet and likable, but your shyness makes it hard for you to express yourself sometimes. Regardless, you are always there for your friends and will usually come out of your shell to help anyone.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Me and Mitt!!!

Yesterday I got to go hear Governor Mitt Romney at a Town Hall event down at Denver University. He gave an energetic speech then he took questions from the audience. there were some great questions asked; Iraq, line item veto, gay discrimination, health care, and a few others. Not exactly softball questions. I wish I had been brave enough to ask the question I had, but I was sure I would word it badly.

In any case, I was such a treat to hear him speak live and to shake his hand. Now more than ever I want to get involved and start putting my money (and effort) where my mouth is.

Scrapaway 2007...

What a wonderful weekend! I have looked forward to scrapaway all year. On Thursday we caravaned to Utah and made it there safe and sound (despite a little car trouble -- Lyman is so beautiful!). Enjoyed a yummy pork salad at Cafe Rio and visited Temple Square. I had the opportunity to stay with my dear friend Libby on Thursday night and we talked 'til we dropped. On Friday we hit a great scrapbook store and then I got to meet my family that was in town at one of my favorite restaurants, The Brick Oven. I got to do a little shopping at the BYU bookstore -- BYU t-shirts for the kids :) -- before we headed up the canyon to Heber.

The farmhouse we stayed in was perfect! A huge loft work area, comfortable beds (not that I spent much time there), and Marci provided us with incredible meals. It was so great to have hours at a time to focus on my projects. It was also fantastic to get in some much needed "therapy" with friends. I was so blessed to be joined by such incredible friends that are so fun to be with and to talk to. We also got to listen to conference and have our spiritual cups filled as well.

I got a big chunk of Peyton's baby book done and I also started a 8x8 album of all our family portraits. I thought that would be a fun way to catch a glimpse of how our family has and is changing over the years. As usual, I never get as much done as I would like. Pesky things like eating and sleeping (and being super sick one night, but that is another story) took up some time too. :) I already am counting down the days until next year. I am so grateful for my loving husband who encouraged me to go while he took care of our kids. Thank you Ken!!!

Hope you like some of the pages/layouts I did...

The Debate...

I thought the debate on Tuesday went rather well, but not anything that was really new. I was completely unimpressed by Fred's debut, especially when compared to Mitt and Rudy. There were some great answers and I loved the side debate with Mitt and Rudy. I think it is time for some of the others to go. It is so difficult to get into specifics when you only have a minute to answer.

I am a little frustrated about the reports out there that are mocking Mitt's answer about talking to his lawyers. I think he answered the question just fine. He was asked about what involving congress and of course that is a legal matter. That has very little to do with acting under an immediate threat. I do think that under such a situation that he would be able to make a pragmatic, well thought out, and cool headed decision. I really admire someone that can keep their wits about them.

So little time...

I have lots of wonderful things that are going on, but no time to post them. I will soon, so be ready for an onslaught! :)

the great communicator?!?

I am losing count how many times Fred Thompson has said "uh."

Links...

Recently, I have found out so many people that I know are blogging. I love tuning into my friends blogs and reading about what they are up to -- even though I may just have talked to them on the phone. :) Helps me get to know them in a new way. I love it!!!

(If anyone does not want me to link to them, just let me know and I will remove you.)

Mitt stuff...

I am so excited to start volunteering for Governor Romney's campaign! (More on that later...) For those in the Denver area, there will be an Ask Mitt Anything event on this Wednesday, October 10th at 3:40. I will be driving down, for anyone that would like to go with me. The event is free (except for paying for parking). This will be a fantastic opportunity to hear him speak and answer questions from the audience (especially a day following the GOP debate.)

DEBATE REMINDER: Economics debate on Tuesday. 4:00 EDT (or 2:00 in my neck of the woods) on CNBC (directv channel 355). Should be very enlightening to see Fred Thompson in his first presidential debate.

Great song...

It's true. I can be a romantic sap. Listening to a little Natalie Cole and was reminded of one of my favorite songs from college. I love the lyrics! I mean, who hasn't felt like this at some point? The combination of music and great lyrics always say things better than I could ever express...

"I'm gonna laugh you right out of my life,
Laugh, and forget this affair
Guess I was foolish
To care.

So I'm gonna dance you right out of my dreams,
Try to be carefree and gay
I guess I'll learn to play
The part.

'cause when our friends begin that
Heartless rumor,
I know I'll really need my
Sense of humor.

I'm gonna laugh you right out of my life,
Make it a beautiful joke.
No one will know you broke
My heart.

But if I find you and I
Really meant that last goodbye,
Then I'm gonna laugh so hard,
I'll cry."