For Jane Austen Fans only....

... yes, you. You know who you are. You are the ones who read this, perennially watch (and perhaps own, as I do) this, are surely tivo-ing this, and [even if you are happily married] you drool over him. (And if you didn't know who "him" was before you clicked on the link, then you, my dear, are not a true Austen fan.)

If you haven't read Shannon Hale's "Austenland" then you are in for a treat. I just finished reading it (in practically one sitting, I might add, which isn't such a tremendous feat considering it's less than 200 pages long, and is a delightful and easy read). I absolutely giggled and grinned my way through the book. If you are a true Austen fan, you won't be disappointed.... how could you not love a book that begins with a dedication reading, "For Colin Firth: You're a really great guy, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends." Though if you are an Austen-purist, you should probably stay away.

The first time I saw the wonderful BBC (1995) version of "Pride and Prejudice," I was already engaged to my own Mr. Darcy (see photo below), so I didn't fall in love with Colin Firth... exactly. But I certainly don't mind watching him on the screen. And I know I'm not alone. It's a girl thing.
By the way, I didn't much care for the 2005 version of "P&P." It simply pales in comparison.

[On a side note, this afternoon, while downtown, Jay ran into Adam Sandler getting out of a car, surrounded by security (and people flocking to get his autograph). As Jay was talking to one of the security guards, a stranger walked up to Jay and said, "Are you Jon Cryer?" Jay tried to assure her that he wasn't, but she insisted, saying, "It's OK, I won't tell anyone." He wasn't sure what to think. I suppose there might be a SLIGHT resemblance, but I assure you Jay is MUCH taller.

P.S. "Hiding Out" was one of my favorite movies when I was in high school. ]

Cruise News

I had a good time on my trip, but I'm SO glad to be home. I missed my family tons. I just wanted to offer my appreciate to a few people.

A hearty thank you to....

-Wendy (mother-in-law) for coming up with the idea and planning the trip, and for bringing a bag of cookies to share on the airplane.

-Collin (father-in-law) for driving 6 chatty women to the airport and getting us there on time.

-Shelly (sister-in-law) for being our tour guide around Hollywood (even though we got lost).(actually, this is Renae with me in the photo)

-"The Men With Guns" (LA county sheriff deputies) for getting us back on track and making us feel safe as we waited in the Metro station at 11:30 p.m. (though later we were chased by a bum... I mean, vagrant).(Let me tell you, it's pretty intimidating to hang out with these gorgeous women!)

-Janelle (sister-in-law) for sticking with "poor-me-with-a-bum-knee-who-can't-run" when everyone else ran off when the bum... I mean, vagrant... started chasing us.

-"The Vagrant" for being too drunk (or whatever) to be able to actually hurt us.

-The cast of "Wicked" for putting on a fantastic show.-Renae & Courtney (sisters-in-law) for being excellent, tidy cabin-mates on the ship.-The ship infirmary for dispensing medi-meclizine, which allowed me to enjoy a stormy night at sea without getting seasick.

-Shelly, for not throwing up on me when she got seasick.

-Our cabin steward, for willingly providing a large number of industrial sized plastic trash bags to serve as makeshift rain ponchos, which allowed us to traipse around Ensenada without getting TOO wet.

-The chef at the breakfast buffet for making me a delicious veggie omelet for breakfast every morning.

-Our waiter, for providing extra servings of the yummy molten chocolate cake with ice cream after we all raved about it.

-The "Gunderson Girls" (Jay's aunt Phyllis and her daughters) for their contagious laughter, funny stories, and great companionship.

-The "Brown Girls" (Courtney's mom and sisters) for teaching us to play cards and for being good sports during the name-guessing game.

-The guy at the Alltel store who helped me get a new cell phone just minutes before I left for the airport so that I could stay in touch with my family while I was away.

-And especially Jay, for taking care of the kids and house and for being such a good sport about me leaving them for a few days.

Now, it's back to real life.

Leaving on a cruise

I know I'm way behind on my blogging... I haven't even done Christmas yet, let alone New Year's. But that will have to wait because tomorrow I'm leaving on a cruise with Jay's mom and sisters. It should be fun. I'm mostly excited about going to see Wicked in LA tomorrow night!

So, today I'm busy getting ready for my trip. Whew!

Wedding Dinner Skit

I was finally able (with Jay's help) to upload the video of the skit we did for my brother's wedding dinner. See it on this post. It's about half-way down the post... click on the play button.

Christmas Books

One of my favorite Christmas books for children is "Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear." If you are familiar with the original "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear" then you will appreciate this one all the more. It is a very sweet story that will take you by surprise.

We all know the old poem "The Night Before Christmas" but I especially love this version with illustrations by Tasha Tudor. [I grew up with a fascination for her lovely book, "A Time to Keep."] She was well into her 80's when she illustrated this one, and it shows, but it's still lovely.
My sister gave us this delightful book a few years ago, and it's been a hit. It's a fun imaginary tale of the adventures of the neighborhood snowmen when no one is looking.

And of course, Christmas wouldn't be complete without "The Grinch," as it is usually referred to around our house. I hated the live-action film with Jim Carrey (who I usually like), but I thoroughly enjoy the old animated version. However, nothing can compare to reading the wonderful words from the book!

So, grab your kids and snuggle up on the couch with a few good books.

Photo Session

Here are a few photos from the photo session we had on Saturday with Jay's family.

Mary was chosen as "Student of the Month" at school. Each teacher selects one exemplary student from their class each month. She is such a good student and takes school very seriously. We are very proud of her.

Remembrance

Today is the 6th anniversary of the death of my sweet sister, Charity. My mom and some of my sisters and I got together and read letters that family and friends wrote to Jonah about the mother who he will not know in mortality. It was a nice remembrance, but also very emotional. We visited the cemetery and left some beautiful red roses from my mother's garden.

Today is the also the 6th anniversary of the birth of my niece, Isabel. Happy Birthday cute girl!

Justice

So, I had JURY DUTY today.... M--- County Superior Court. It was quite an experience. Honestly, I wouldn't mind serving on a jury.... as long as it didn't conflict with the rest of my life. So I was hoping to be excused when I proclaimed that I am the mother of 3 young children and it would be a hardship for me to serve for more than one day... today.

It was nothing like you see on TV, which makes it seem very solemn. Everyone, from the woman handing out paper work and doing the orientation, to the Bailiff and court reporter, to the Judge, was cracking jokes right and left. They all seemed to really enjoy their job.

So, 55 of us sat in the court room answering lots of questions while the attorneys took tons of notes. The defendant, an African American man accused of transporting and selling drugs, looked respectable in his suit.

By lunch time, we still had a ways to go, and I hadn't been dismissed yet, even though I had made my case. I should have just answered yes to the question, "Do you think drugs should be legal for personal recreational use." The handful who did answer yes, were dismissed right after lunch.

When we got back into the courtroom after lunch, the attorneys all took a really long time coming back into the room, so the judge entertained us with stories and answering questions. (Seriously, he loves his job. He took the mandatory retirement at 70, and came back to work the next day at $15/hr. because he loves it!)

Then the attorneys came back into the court room and asked for a side-bar. They all left the room for another 5 minutes, after which the judge came back in and said, "Well, he plead guilty. You can all go home." Whew!

So, I got my "proof of service" paperwork and got on the shuttle to go back to the parking garage, along with the other people from my group.... and the public defender, who was excited to get to go home early too.

During the short ride, he told us that after the lunch break he asked his client if he still wanted to go through with it, and he said, "No way!" The reason? There was not one African American among the prospective jurors.

The judge also told us that the defendant will be sentenced to 5-9 years. He had prior convictions.

Wedding Weekend

Jay and I spent the weekend in Seattle for my brother's wedding in the Seattle Temple.The wedding was wonderful, of course, and I couldn't be more pleased with my new sister-in-law, Leone. My brother, Stephen, did well. But then so did she.

We flew to Seattle on Friday morning... my parents, all my siblings (except my youngest brother who is in Germany/Austria on a mission), and their spouses. It was SO much fun to be all together... without any kids! (Eating at non-kid-friendly restaurants, going to late movies, sleeping in, staying up late talking and laughing with my family, no cooking or cleaning, shopping without hearing any whining... can you say "heavenly?")

We stayed at the lovely Hyatt Regency in downtown Bellevue, which was very comfortable! Stephen had arranged for a friend to take us into Seattle in his... "bus" (for lack of a better word). (See photo below)

We visited famous Pike Place Market, which was amazing. I wish we had been able to spend more time there. I'm determined to visit again... in the summer. (It was freezing!)

That evening there was a dinner for the families (and a few close friends) of the bride and groom. At my mother's request, Jay and I wrote a skit which we performed after dinner. That "we" does not include Jay, who refuses to perform, even though he is totally good at it. So, my other brothers and a brother-in-law got roped into it. They did a great job, and it turned out pretty good. It was a lot of fun. [Most of the jokes are about the bride and groom, so unless you know them, you won't get it.... but it's still pretty funny anyway, especially if you are a fan of SNL.]

Saturday morning we slept in, had a leisurely (and delicious!) breakfast, and then hit the mall across the street for a while, since the wedding wasn't until 1:00. The wedding was lovely and my brother was absolutely beaming. So was his bride, of course.

It had started snowing during the wedding, so we came out to find a winter wonderland. It was quite beautiful.


It was so much fun to be with all my family. Here are all the gals in front of the Temple... except my new sister-in-law, who was busy being photographed by a professional... and trying not to freeze to death in her wedding gown.

I admit it was kind of fun to feel like it was actually winter. I got to wear a real coat, gloves, and scarf for heaven sake... borrowed, of course. I have no need for such things living in the desert.

Unfortunately, we forgot to take any pictures of the reception that evening, but trust me, it was beautiful! It was a very fun trip, and I was reluctant to leave. But as always, we were happy to get back to our kids, who were in the capable hands of Jay's mother... being spoiled. :)

Simple

Whenever I go to someone's house during December and see how cute their house is decorated with Christmas stuff, I always lament my extreme lack of Christmas decor. I'm pretty cheap about it too.

Around our house, we put up a Noble fir purchased from Home Depot, and decorate it very simply with white lights, ornaments given to us as gifts or passed down, and cheap candy canes (you know the boxes of 12 for $0.88 at Wal-Mart) that are easily broken.... and replaced.

The first Christmas we were married, my sister-in-law gave me a lovely wreath that was custom-made by her neighbor. We hang it on our door every year... though it's now missing several of it's decorations.

My sister, Charity, bought me an olivewood Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus when she spent a semester at the BYU Jerusalem Center. That goes on my entry table, and always reminds me of my dear sister who I miss so much.

We hang the same stockings that I ordered from a catalog year ago.... from our built-in bookcases because we don't even have a fireplace in our house (who needs a fire in the desert?). Some people get new ones every year... what's up with that?

Jay hangs a row of simple white lights along the roof line of our house, and that's about it. This year I did buy one new item... a snowglobe/music box from Target, for $12.

Our house feels under-dressed compared to most others.... not even worth posting pictures or even taking them. And from my description, you have probably begun to feel some pity for me. But don't! I love it!

I have always preferred simple. Number 1, I don't have to store a ton of junk; #2, I don't have to spend days putting it all up and taking it down; and #3, we keep it simple.

And though we say we are going to do so every year, this year we finally did it.... we kept the gifts simple. Now I'm excited to enjoy the season.... Christmas music, baking, taking goodies to elderly neighbors, and teaching my children the true meaning of Christmas.

Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and Cranberry Sauce... Woooooo!

I think this might be my favorite TV commercial ever. And it's very appropriate for post-Thanksgiving.

Mom Knows All

A conversation with Jack in the car yesterday:

Jack: Mom, you know everything.

Me: (smiling) I do?

Jack: Yes, you know how to cut the brown stuff off apples.

Me: (trying not to laugh) Oh, right.

Jack: And you know how to buy stuff at the store, and all kinds of things. That's hard stuff for me.

Me: (busting up) I see.

Well, he's right, you know.

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. We ate with my family on Thursday, and then that evening we drove to the cabin for the weekend. We enjoyed relaxing and visiting, and the kids had a great time playing with their cousins.

It was really cold, but the kids played outside most of the time, though they would run inside and stand by the fire for a while, and then run off to play again.

Oh, and Mary finally lost Tooth #2 at the cabin. Fortunately, the Tooth Fairy found her. She was excited to lose it, of course, but also a little disappointed that she didn't lose it at school, because (as she informed me numerous times over the last few weeks) if you do, "you get to go to the Nurse's office, and you get a little necklace with a plastic tooth on it, and it opens up and you can put your tooth inside so it won't get lost."

Oh, well. Maybe with tooth #3.....

"You gotta get some mawble cawlumns!"

I became physically ill while viewing the photos of this house ("house" hardly qualifies as an appropriate term for this monstrosity), which Emily blogged about. (Don't take the "Property Tour" on a full stomach.) It certainly can't be called a "home" because no one could actually live a normal life with a family in such a place... you would never SEE your family. Obviously, they were going for the palatial look. It's really ridiculous, and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Then I had a good laugh when I realized anyone can get this look by following the instructions from one of my favorite SNL skits.