birthdays in review

EMMA

This year Emma turned 5 --I can hardly stand it! She's totally losing her baby fat and will be starting school this fall. Emma is working really very hard on her speech and her enunciation of words, and she is so smart and actually quite talented at dance and drawing. I'm so proud of her. She absolutely *loves* High School Musical, and especially Sharpay (hopefully because she has sparkly clothes and not because she's a diva). We got her a HSM Sharpay doll & closet w/ wardrobe and a golf-cart jeep, and some other stuff and then we spent the day at Chuck E. Cheese and the K12 party.

The Saturday after her birthday we had her friends party and thankfully everybody came (I worry so much as a parent for those things--broken hearts, etc.). We played games and danced to *girly* songs like: "girls just wanna have fun" and HSM songs. Then ate chocolate cake--a perfect day!

Birthday presents and balloons greeting Emma in the morning.

reaction to the Puppy-in-my-pocket gift.

dancing with friends

Emma playing Pin the nose on the clown.

Emma's friends helping her open gifts (all these girls were in my primary class last year including Emma--they are adorable!)
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MORGAN

Exactly two weeks and one day later was little miss Morgan's birthday. This year Morgan turned 2! She is every bit the trouble maker that a two year old should be at times, but is so adorable in her shenanigans that I somehow don't mind that she draws on the walls and shoves the entire contents of baby-wipes down the toilet.

She is so smart for her age, and has such empathy toward someone hurt or sad. She loves her sisters, her daddy and helping to unload the dishwasher. For her birthday we got her a bunch of balls--in different sizes and her very own Little People Princess Castle (this way she won't have to fight over her older sisters' princess toys). Later we had an intimate family party with homemade cake & ice cream.

Morgan opening her presents with her sisters over-reacting (just a bit).

Sarah and Emma showing Morgan how to properly set up a castle.

Morgan getting the hang of it--walking the prince up the stairs.

Emma leading the prince leading his horse.

"Happy birthday to you..." What a cutie pie!!!

remnants of february

Hello blogsphere, we are alive and well! It has been far too long since I've posted on this poor neglected blog. Usually it means that we've been really, really busy but the good news is that it also means pictures will follow.

February flew by--seriously, where'd it go? We had parties and birthdays and lots and lots of schooling and stimulating the economy with shopping and spending our tax return. February was fun, cold, but fun. And for the first time in YEARS I made it through the month without laryngitis or nary a cold! Yay! So enjoy the pics of the K12 Valentine party (which also happened to be on Emma's birthday--more of that to come).

Gene took the day off and helped Sarah & Emma pass out the valentines.

The Salt Lake chapter of K12 rents out the bounce house to hold the party. Here Sarah and Emma are running across the bridge in the middle.

My three girls climbing up the Mount Everest of inflatable slides--Morgan had no fear.

Sarah & Morgan sliding down train style. Morgan wanted to go again and again and wore her sister out! They slept sooo well that night!

Little miss Morgan bouncing and giggling.

Sarah and Emma playing on the zip-line.

my take...

...on the Oscar's last night:

Kate Winslet--Yay!!!

You are classy and real and gracious.

Sean Penn--Boo!!!
You remind me of a Proboscis monkey, but the monkey would have more class than you!

Milk--Boo!

Yeah. Thanks Mr. Black for bringing up the Mormon church again and the prop 8 issue. I suppose if the Mormon church is the only reason gay marriage has failed then we should be equally credited for every successful heterosexual marriage?!

Bill Maher--Boo! Boo! Boo!!!

"Silly God's"? Really? Just how many people do you want to offend?
I guess spirituality is too multi-dimensional for your single-dimensional Hollywood mind!

daddy daughter dance '09

Last Friday Gene took Sarah & Emma to the annual Daddy Daughter Valentines dance. First, I must say, looking back at previous dance posts, that Sarah is growing up quite rapidly--like into a tween! I can hardly stand it, but she's so beautiful.

This was Emma's second year and so, being older, she was able to stay awake and enjoy it more. She loved the singer! She actually said: "Mom, the blond girl was magnificent! She should be on American Idol!" She also loved the magician and cracked up telling me all about his bunny tricks. Sarah loved playing the games & winning loot, and they both loved eating the cookies and punch. They all danced fast and slow (awww) songs and then Gene took them out to their traditional eat-spot, IHOP, afterward. He's such a good daddy!!!

With the exception of the top photo the rest are taken with Sarah's camera that she insisted on bringing (and I'm so glad she did).

Emma Rose with Daddy and Sarah Jo

(we can't teach Emma to smile for the camera for the life of us).

Sarah (in the red) dancing with her friends and playing a hoola-hoop game

Sarah trying to get her body through the hoola-hoop

Gene and Emma dancing.

Emma and Sarah watching the magician and balloon artist.

This is Emma's late night post smiley-face-pancake glazed look.

Very contented I must say.

things that make me go hmmm...

Let me preface this by saying that, politically speaking, I'm a moderate. A liberal conservative if you will. So what that I listen to Sean Hannity & Glenn Beck, in fact I really like them, that doesn't make me a right-winged conspiratorial wack job. And I'm sure as heck not a left-winged nut job. However, I've been noticing a lot of "subliminal" advertising these days in our new Obama-nation. I used to think it was maybe just me, but there's a lot of talk on message boards about this as well: company's logos that are created on purpose to look similar to the Obama campaign logo.

Obama


Pepsi

NFL

And even commercials such as:

the Driving America (check out the logo) and the Chrysler Jeep "Yes we can" commercial.

Maybe they feel a sense of obligation to Obama for the $TRILLIONS$ of federal dollars in the bailout?! But I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that we'll see more of this. Look. I think Obama is a very charming, articulate, motivational speaker and those are definitely good qualities for the leader of the free world to have, but therein lies the deceptiveness. However, he is NOT the Messiah--the chosen one--who will end all problems. I just wish we'd all STOP paying such allegiance to him and start paying allegiance to this country and it's Constitution (not to mention our Maker).

superbowl party

I'm starting to really like the month of February. It is becoming quite the busy month for us--first the Superbowl party kicks things off, then there's the annual daddy/daughter dance, then valentines day & two birthdays--it really is turning into a fun month!

So, this past weekend we had our traditional Superbowl party, now held at Jeff & Felicia's house. While it's sad to see the Logan tradition come to an end for whatever reason, it opens the door to continue a new tradition, here in Salt Lake. This year I couldn't decide which team I wanted to win. I'm comfortable with the Steelers (memories of '70's Steelers vs. Cowboys and all) but the Cardinals were the underdog. Eventually I cheered for the Cardinals, but alas, it wasn't meant to be this year. :( We had a lot of fun nonetheless and man, oh man, I had heartburn for the next two nights thanks to that party! Ugh!

Our festive dinner plates--Superbowl 43.

Our festive football platter & the culprit to my heartburn--buffalo wings!

My girls loooved the balloons

I made these football cupcakes myself. My hubby thought I was going overboard, but I reminded him that if I'm going to support this sport then I'm going to have fun with it my way!

One of our many games--the questionnaire. It makes watching the game so much more fun!

The quarter prizes for the lucky winner that has their name in the square ending with the same numbers as the quarter score.

Lysette won 2 of the 4 quarters this year (last year she won 3/4).

Everybody got really excited when the Cardinals ran the ball into the end zone...

...even Flea.

It was a very good play--longest touchdown run in Superbowl history.

Alyssa & Emma (two peas in a pod).

Lysette & Sarah--sweethearts.

Little miss Morgan fell asleep on the way home holding the football balloon.

let the wild rumpus start

Superbowl Sunday! Whoohoo!!!!!!!! pics to come soon...

resolutions

Once upon a time, long ago (aka: before kids), I loved to make new year's resolutions. LOVED it. I relished the time spent pondering what areas of my life could use improvement & progress and I loved to challenge myself with lofty goals. And to take it one step further than your "typical" resolution-maker I would categorize my goals, make monthly charts, check the boxes as I accomplished a goal and then calculate the percentage of success at the end of the month. A little extreme, I know. Type A, I get it. But I loved it! I wasn't entirely rigid--I was extremely satisfied with a 70% overall monthly score. I did this for years. (Side note: one of the things that attracted me to my husband-to-be was that he actually did the same thing...while we were dating.)

That was long ago. Then, when we had our kids, some of my goals became more simplified (still categorized) but more attainable, more about the kids. And then, I don't know how or when, but somehow I got down to making only one lousy goal a year: "I pledge to shower every day" or "I pledge to eat more than just Cheerios all day long" or "I pledge to read more than just Saturday's Warriors as my scripture base." You get the idea. One year I just gave up all together and didn't even make a resolution.

However, this year I'm feeling it again, but different. Maybe it's age, or the climate of the world these days, but I want my goals to be deeper, more heart felt and less about percentages. Merriam-Webster lists resolution as: a firmness of decision, and lists the synonym as courage. This struck me for some reason. I never thought of needing courage when keeping a resolution. The general authorities say that in proving courage one is faced with pressure; sometimes an outside pressure, or a social pressure or pressures of a personal appetite. Charles Dubois says: "Courage is being able to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." What can we do if our determination crumbles under the pressure? Repent. In other words, and in the context of specifically new year's resolutions, you can always start a new--not just in January. Like the orange juice commercial, "Resolutions. They're not just for January anymore." Catchy no? I digress.

So, this year I made some resolutions, and even categorized them, but they are truer to my heart than in years past. Shakespeare said: “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” (Hamlet)

• I pledge to strive to live with such candid honesty that I may be able to say (when the occasion permits): "I wish I could, but I don't want to" instead of making excuses.


• I pledge to eliminate soda from my diet altogether (this one's actually easier than you might think--I hate the stuff).


• I pledge to show appreciation for my neighbors and to be more aware of their needs.


• I pledge to sell or give to charity all the crap in my house that is outdated or that I can no longer stand.


• I pledge to respect myself more by defending positions important to me & by allowing some "me time" a few times a month.


• I pledge to strive to see our marriage through my husband's eyes; improving my words & behavior as a result (I'm sure).

What's your resolutions?

say it ain't so

You know, I've just about had enough with Hollywood. What the heck happened? It used to be a place for artists to fulfill their dreams and they took their fame with some responsibility. I know, this is nothing relatively new & I'm fairly sure we all agree that Hollywood has, in the last decade or two, become nigh unto an island for moral lepers. I understand, and even tolerate to a degree, actors who use their fame to push a certain cause especially some that are very worthy. I get that. Honestly if I had that kind of spotlight I'd be shouting out about something. And I can even handle the fact that my main men and favorite actors are democrats...barely. But when Tom Hanks calls me "un-American" because of my religion, that crosses the line!

Let's clarify some of the facts:

1. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints did not give their "money to the church" to campaign for California's prop 8, and thus the church did not "make this happen".
2. If members in California decided to donate their money for prop 8 it was their choice.
3. If members of the Church, in CA, came out by the droves to VOTE for prop 8 it was their choice and frankly I can't think of anything more American!
4. Other conservative groups & religions supported prop 8, including the Catholic, Jewish, African-American & Latino communities. I don't hear Tom Hanks calling any of them "un-American".
5. Hanks says that he doesn't "like to see discrimination". Really? Hollywood is all about discrimination these days--that's what he's doing labeling Mormons un-American.
6. He also says that we "need to have faith in the California constitutional process". Faith in CA? Really? What has it produced to encourage that "faith"? People who check into rehab on nearly a daily basis, who think they're above the law, San Fransisco trans-genders & Britney Spears? No thanks, I'll stick with the American Constitution and my prophet, thank you very much!

I'm so sick and tired of the liberal Hollywood type shoving their view points down our (conservative/moral-centered) throats. They're not happy unless we lie prostrate on the ground and accept their liberal views, agenda and way of life. I've liked you for a long time, Mr. Hanks, but I'm afraid that I have to end this love affair. I need to take a stand. And you need an education, remember: Stupid is as stupid does.

Update: Tom Hanks has come out and "apologized" for his remarks. However, I'm tired of actors who use their grand stage and loud voice to ridicule people who challenge their views and then quietly, via their press agent, apologize for their behavior. The latter is only done to save their career/fan base. If they were truly sincere they'd choose their words carefully in the first place.

new

I'm sure that, by now, everyone has heard of her story. I started reading her blog a couple months before she became famous--before the accident--but I've kept tabs almost every day since and have prayed for her recovery, simply because she's a good person and the world needs more good people.

Today, she's back!

new year celebrations

Happy New Year! So far, for us, it has been hectic--there's nothing quite like starting a "new" among vomiting children and piles of laundry. Things are starting to slowly get back to normal but I'd be remiss if I didn't post about the end of year festivities. So here's some quick pics:

If Santa didn't make it to your house it's probably because he suffered a diabetic coma after eating the cookies that Sarah & Emma left out for him. My apologies.

And, per Chelsea's request, here's our gingerbread house that we made from scratch. In the past we've done those kits, but this was easy and waaay more fun! I'm tempted to make a whole village next year.

Ringing in the new at Jeff & Felicia's playing "Rock Band" (note the snarl on Morgan's upper lip--the future Pat Benatar) Gene on bass. It doesn't matter what we do, spending time with family is the best!

Sarah was a trooper and stayed up, though semi-conscious, until midnight. Emma & Morgan didn't make it past 10:30.

We also played spoons/truth or dare (the one without the spoon had to choose) and Jordan, on a dare, had to strip down to his boxers and make a snow angel, but I love the little dance he's making in this shot!

After staying up all night and dragging the morning of New Years day, we had lunch at the Outback (so glad that Cheryl could grace us with her presence for all of 5 minutes).

My nephew, Dean, in his Air Force dress blues. We took him out to Ejo (Korean) restaurant the next day, before he headed to Omaha, NE. He also took us on a tour of Hill Air Force Base while he was here. It was so good to spend quality time with him!