"Sisters, sisters...there were never such devoted sisters."

Sisters. Built in best friends. No matter where you live, what you do and how you change as you grow up...they will always be there and they always have your back. No matter what. 

I have four younger sisters. We are incredibly close, relationship-wise..mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Physically however, two of us live out of state. So unfortunately it is rare that all five of us are able to spend time together.

But every now and again Rachel is able to swing a trip this way from her home in Atlanta. And when she does, we drop everything so we can spend the day together. Because usually a day is all we get. Mary makes arrangements to drive in from Idaho and the five of us do some serious playing. Nothing is more important that day than sisterly bonding.

I am so incredibly fortunate to have four best friends. 

Rachel, Melissa, Mary and Katie....I can't even express how much I love them.  

40-year olds don't bounce...

I have full memory of the fall. And I did not lose consciousness. I took great comfort from those two facts while trying to determine how severe my concussion was, and during the debate with myself as to whether or not I should go to the doctor.

It was my last time around the rink. I had told Lilian that we needed to be done skating by 8:05 so we would have time to return our skates, and make it to the gym to pick up Brandon and Porter by 8:15. I was feeling fairly confident after an hour of skating. And though the ice at the South Davis Rec Center was much more smooth and well cared for than the small outdoor rink at Station Park and therefore more slippery, I felt good about my skating abilities. So it was with surprise that suddenly I found myself flailing. I'm sure I looked a comical sight as I tried frantically to right myself and hold onto my balance...arms windmilling, feet backpedaling. It was with resignation that I told myself, "You're going down" and started planning for a hard landing on my backside. If only it was my backside that got the brunt of it...

I wish I could watch video of my fall. It would help me understand better my injuries. Nevertheless, one thing became obviously clear...I hit the back of my head extremely hard. Scant seconds passed between me hitting the ice and sitting back up again. But when I did, I realized I would've been better staying down. My world was spinning, my head was throbbing and stinging simultaneously, and waves of nausea were rolling over me. I bent over and put my hands on the ice and lowered my head down to combat the dizziness. I lifted my hand to the back of my head where the stinging pain was taking place and found an enormous lump that filled the whole palm of my hand. The fact that it hadn't split and left me bleeding everywhere was something that I'm thankful for.

Immediately I had people circling me, kneeling down beside me, asking if I needed help. For some reason my pride kicked in and I was embarrassed but at least had enough sense to realize I was in no shape to be standing quite yet. A rink employee came over and checked my eyes, asked if I wanted to fill out an accident report. No, I told him. I would be fine. I just needed to find my daughter. I was equal parts annoyed and secretly relieved that she had continued skating after my fall. It gave me more time down on the floor scanning the rink for her and calling her over before having to attempt standing. But the time to stand quickly came and I was a little humiliated when two guys took my arms, lifted me to my feet and started escorting me off the ice. The humiliation quickly evaporated into a sense of thanks when I realized that I wouldn't have been able to do it on my own, my balance precarious as it was due to the dizziness and my traumatized and trembling body. They led me to the benches near the skate rental desk where I assured them that I was fine (ha!) and they went their separate ways. At this point Lilian was chewing off my ear with her protests. She wanted a few more rounds of the rink. And it was with barely controlled emotion that I explained that "Mommy was hurt really bad and we needed to leave." I guided her hand to the lump on my head and that seemed to kick in her compassionate side. She stopped complaining and let me quickly, but with shaking fingers, untie her laces, return her skates and put on her real shoes. She took my hand and willingly guided me through the parking lot to our truck.

I called Bryan immediately. And at the sound of his voice, any sort of control I had on my emotions fled and I cried and cried as I explained the situation to him and asked about concussion symptoms. Foremost in his mind was ascertaining if I was safe to be driving. I assured him that my dizziness had abated and that I seemed to be okay in that regard. All I wanted to do was to get home and get some ice on my head...detouring to the gym to pick up Brandon and Porter was not ideal, certainly. But what else could we do? It was my day to drive carpool and I was only a few blocks away. Bryan told me to get some ice at the gym.

But the gym was hopping. A birthday celebration was going on for one of the older boys so the entire team was milling around eating pizza and donuts. I tried to discreetly ask Coach Adam what he knew about concussions...my way of then enlisting his aid in tracking down some ice. But I was then horrified to find myself with overactive tear ducts once again...which then gained the attention of Coach Gabe and some of the boys and other parents. So I stood up, made some comment about hitting my head..."it doesn't even hurt that bad so I don't know why I'm crying...I must just still be in shock or something" and walked over to get some water out of the drinking fountain, deciding not to bother with the ice. Brandon found me there. "Mom," he whispered. "Are you okay?" Bless my considerate little guy who was not embarrassed about his mom losing it in front of his team but instead was concerned that something must be seriously wrong. I quickly told him about my fall and let him feel the back of my head. I told him that I was going to go out to the truck and to please grab his pizza and donut, find Porter and Lilian (who by this time was running around the gym) and come out quickly because I really, really needed to get home.

Brandon did as I asked and we got Porter and then ourselves home as quickly as we could. Bryan had an icepack ready and waiting for me when I walked in the door. He examined my head and then sat me down with the icepack and let me explain in more detail of what happened and how I was feeling....all through my never ending, frustrated tears. But Bryan was already up later than he should've been, specifically waiting to check on me. He had to be awake by 4:30 AM the next morning. So, settled on the couch with a blanket and icepack, ibuprofen starting to kick in for the pain, I sent him to bed and proceeded to wait up for Rebekah who said she would come home at 10:00 rather than her normal 11:30-ish curfew.

I was so thankful to drop into bed...but then had a truly awful night's sleep. I ached all over. My head hurt. I had a hard time finding a comfortable position because even the soft pillow hurt the back of my head. The dizziness and nausea came back full force. And when Bryan got up at 4:30 to get ready to work his 5:00-11:00 AM shift at the temple, I was awake. I asked him to please put my name on the temple prayer roll and he kissed the top of my head as he left.

The next day I had floods of messages come in through Facebook and text. Friends checking in on me, asking if there was anything I needed....and begging me to go to the doctor. There was nothing a doctor could do for a concussion, other than to order a CT scan or an MRI to rule out a subdural hematoma. From all my reading, a hematoma is rare....but if you do have one, it will likely kill you if a doctor hasn't found it first. But I didn't want to go. And by mid-morning my dizziness and nausea had mostly gone away. I hadn't lost consciousness or any memory during the initial fall. I felt like my concussion was likely minor. And so to the frustration of my friends who thought I was taking an unnecessary risk, I decided against a doctor visit.

For the next few days I ached and hurt. My neck and jaw were very sore, likely whiplash. My head pounded and though the lump had gone down, it still was painfully sore at the site. I found bruises on my derriere and the palm of my hand. I stayed on a cocktail of tylenol and ibuprofen, neither one of them being strong enough on their own. I found myself forgetting words while conversing with people. But wasn't sure if that was due to the concussion or just a brain funk. (One nice thing about a concussion...any senior moments, blonde moments or just plain stupidity you can blame on the conk on the head.) But each day got a little better. Today marks a week from my fall. My neck is a little tight when I turn it side to side but it doesn't hurt, neither does my jaw. The dizziness and nausea never did come back after that first night. I haven't had to rely on painkillers for the past couple of days. My head is still quite sore to the touch and there is still a little bump. Rebekah took a closer look yesterday afternoon and claims that there is scabbing there so maybe I did break open the skin when I fell...just not enough to bleed. Because it is so sore up there, I still have to be careful when trying to find a comfortable position while sleeping. I'm more tired and I've also put myself on a hiatus from my yoga classes. But I do seem to be on the mend. I haven't dropped dead from a hematoma yet so that's always a good sign. haha.

I think I'm in for a healthy dose of PTSD when faced with iceskating in the future. Just walking down my icy north-facing driveway makes me super nervous. But I'm lucky. It could've been a lot worse. And as a friend mentioned when she saw the picture of Lilian and me....if I had to fall, at least I looked good while doing it. So I take comfort in that...  ;)

Why it is good to have a cute snow hat...

Winter arrived in Utah. Right in time for the Christmas season. And not only did the snow put me in a festive holiday mood, but also gave me an excuse to buy a new hat.

I like winter. And I know that sounds strange but there it is. I deal with cold much better than I deal with heat. A good snow storm makes me giddy. In fact, if you asked right now I'd probably tell you that winter is my favorite season...even eclipsing fall. But then again, it's only early January. I reserve the right to change my mind if asked again in late March when I'm starting to crave spring.

That hat? It made its debut on a cold Wednesday night at Temple Square. Rebekah and her high school madrigal group were singing at The Assembly Hall. Which actually meant a really good excuse to take the family to see the Christmas lights. Except Brandon had gymnastics and Julianne had homework and Bryan...well, he claimed work but really he's not as big of a fan of Christmas lights and cold weather as I am. So I took Lilian who is always up for a good adventure. And we met up with Grandma and Grandpa who also wanted to hear Rebekah sing and also had the same idea about lights being a good adventure and therefore brought along my niece Maddy.

Then on Christmas Eve Brandon begged me to take him sledding with a few friends. I think his plan was for me to drop them off and pick them up later. Why should they have all the fun? Lilian and I decided to join them. Cue the hat...

A warm snow hat is also warranted when ice skating...especially if you ice skate outside as opposed to the rec center which had been your original plan but was closed the evening of New Years Day. Realistically, a hat in an indoor rec center is probably still a good idea regardless.

Julianne came with us. But she opted not to skate. Probably because she was wearing a skirt. And more than wanting to skate, really, she was mostly interested in hitching a ride so she could meet up with friends a little bit later to see a movie at the theater next to the rink. So she spent her time drinking hot chocolate and stepping in as photographer of our little iceskating adventure...which included once again, Lilian and me.

Lilian is a good little ice skater! I was a bit surprised at how quickly she got the hang of it. She fell. A lot. Pretty much every part of her little body made contact with the ice at some point during the evening. But only because she was skating so fast and doing daredevil stunts. Well...as daredevil as a 6-year old can get her first time on the ice. I was impressed.

Also happy to report, I did not fall down once. I expected to. My tailbone is glad I did not....

Where will the hat show up next? Probably shoveling the driveway or something equally mundane. But who knows, I'm kind of interested in learning how to snowshoe....

Christmas Odds and Ends

Somehow the stars aligned and we found an evening where we had the whole family home at the same time. It's rare. Most likely a Sunday night. And somehow I was able to convince everyone, including Bryan, to decorate gingerbread houses and men. The results of our decorating were varied.
Take a look....

Brandon decided to raid his stash of odds and end batteries, circuits and other such electronic pieces and make a cyborg out of his gingerbread man. Well, clearly this would keep anyone from snitching treats from the finished product. Bryan got out his trusty exacto knife and carved out the mouth and using non-traditional (but still edible) decorations such as almonds and coconut...made his creation more of a "gingerbeast man."






















The girls were more traditional. Rebekah and Julianne opted to work on the actual gingerbread house.

And a few more Christmas-according-to-my-iPhone type of random shots....

Lilian wrote a letter to Santa at school. I love how the items on her list start small and work up from there. The boyfriend request I think was more to get a rise out of me. Not to say that she's not interested in boys because oh my, SHE IS! She's six-years old and already sharing boy stories just like her older teenage sisters.

A gift from the Relief Society on Christmas Sunday....a simple breakfast to enjoy during the lesson, on top of a cutting board to take home and re-use. The cutting boards, though? Bryan made them. 90+ of them in three different types of wood. And though the production of the cutting boards took over my section of the garage for a couple of weeks and meant I had to park in the driveway (in the snow)....they sure turned out beautifully. And I think Bryan enjoyed having a woodworking project again.

Also on Christmas Sunday....Lilian models her Christmas dress. And though I'm sure the older girls wouldn't mind getting new clothes for Christmas Sunday, Lilian is the only one still little enough to appreciate the traditional new Christmas dress. She picked this one out. Rather than fluffy and frilly, she went with classic black velvet.

The goal was to read one of our collection of children's Christmas stories each night before family prayer and bedtime. It didn't happen anywhere near as frequently as I had hoped. In fact, maybe only a grand total of three times. But those three times were lovely...just saying.

Christmas shopping did not get done as early in the season as I'd hoped. The difference this year, though was that somehow that fact did not stress me out like it usually does. But clearly Lilian was less than thrilled about shopping at Charming Charlie with me on the 23rd of December. "I'll just sit here and pretend to be a purse." Well, at least that kept her out of trouble....

As a Madrigal this year, Christmas season for Rebekah included daily performances at elementary schools, retirement homes and ward and business parties. It was exhausting...not just the performances but also just trying to keep up with homework from the many classes she was missing. But she loved it!

Chester the Elf

The Elf on the Shelf backlash got worse this year. Everything from being a waste of time, to the elves being creepy and just another way to lie to our children and manipulate them into behaving. I was slightly embarrassed to admit that we play the Elf on the Shelf game. Except you know what? That's what it is for us. Just a silly little Christmas game. And though especially in the month of December I don't have a lot of time, there is this handy little website called Pinterest that has loads of ideas and pictures that I can copy. (Which I did. Only a very few of the Chester ideas are my own and those are the ones that are incredibly simple.) Lilian adores Chester. And for a little girl who is growing up in a household with a bunch of older teenagers who have long since passed the stage of believing in Santa, it's especially nice for her to have this little bit of Christmas magic and sparkle.

So because she still enjoys looking at the pictures we posted last year of Chester and his crazy antics, here is 24 days worth of this year's Elf on the Shelf.....

Day 1: Chester leaves an M&M message.
Day 2: Making Fruit Loop necklaces on the kitchen counter.
Day 3: Fishing for Goldfish crackers in the toilet with a candy cane fishing rod.
Day 4: Playing pool.
Day 5: Bungee jumping with Lilian's slinky from the upstairs banister into the basement.
Day 6: Modeling the new elf shirt Lilian left for him from the top of the Christmas tree.

Day 7:  Reading the Christmas stories.
Day 8:  Making snowflakes on an especially snowy day.
Day 9:  Play Blokus with Woody, Piglet and Draculaura.
Day 10: Listening to Rebekah's tunes on her iPod.
Day 11: Getting creative with Lilian's stickers.
Day 12: Crazy string mess.

Day 13: Playing Christmas carols on the baby grand.
Day 14: Kissing booth....chocolate kisses, yum!
Day 15: All tied up in the Christmas lights on the alpine trees that were getting prepped for the front porch.
Day 16: Playing hide and seek in the front hallway.
Day 17: Taking selfies with the photo booth app on the laptop.
Day 18: Roasting marshmallows in the flame of the Christmas pine scented candle.

Day 19: Making snowflakes out of Q-tips on another snowy day.
Day 20: Hide and Seek above the stockings in the basement.
Day 21: Wrapping himself up in the gift wrap and hiding with the presents under the tree.
Day 22: Reading scriptures about the birth of Christ on a Sunday morning.
Day 23: Hanging upside down in the kitchen all day.
Day 24: To say goodbye for the season, Chester printed out various pictures we had taken of him throughout the season and hung them up along with all the other Christmas cards that had arrived in the mail from friends and family.

Lilian was sad that Chester had to leave, even if she understood why. She loves that strange little elf. So to heck with the naysayers....I'm sure our elf will be back next year.

Christmas letter 2013

19 December 2013

Merry Christmas everyone!

The conditions couldn't be more perfect if I'd special ordered them myself. There is snow…actual snow falling outside my window. And though this is not the first snowstorm we have had this season, I didn't actually think it'd stick around till Christmastime. Because I don't usually tend to be that lucky. Plus, I figured I'd jinxed us good. I bought a snowblower a few months ago. And what better way to ensure that we have a perfectly brown and dry winter than by having access to a snowblower? But the forecast says it is supposed to snow all day! Let's all join in a rousing chorus of "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas," shall we?

This was a year for celebrating big events. Some rather momentous, some not so much and very ordinary. But I would say that our biggest event of the year would be celebrating mine and Bryan's 20th wedding anniversary. TWENTY years! In today's day and age, that seems like a significant accomplishment. So we decided that we needed to do something special to acknowledge this milestone. And though we've never had any doubts that we'd make it to twenty…or to forty or sixty or eternity, really….we booked ourselves an Alaskan cruise. What better excuse to get away and have an adventure, just the two of us, yes? And adventure we did. Helicopter rides and hiking on top of glaciers, canoeing through the Tongass National Forest, whale watching, playing with sled dog puppies, eating lots and lots of fresh salmon…..  Alaska, friends. I know it's cold. But seriously, pack yourself a coat and gloves and go see some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring scenery you've ever laid eyes on. You can thank me later. If I can get serious for a minute, though... just know that the decision to marry Bryan is the best I've ever made. I am so incredibly humbled by and thankful for our twenty years together!

If that weren't enough for one summer, I also turned the big four-oh in August. I was a little weirded out by the whole thing. Because though I don't necessarily feel 40 or think I look 40 (what does 40 feel or look like anyhow?) it's a really weird mental thing. 40 always seemed so very grown-up and well…old. I thought I was ready for it, but as the date was fast approaching I kept trying to come up with some big event to celebrate the day. Something to show that I was very obviously "forty and fabulous" or "forty and fierce." Ultimately I decided that my birthday was just one day leading into the next phase of life and maybe it was more about heading into it with confidence and grace. Besides, I have a whole year to be 40…might as well spread out the celebrating, right? 

So though I'm not sure if has to do with trying to live life to its fullest…or if it really is more of a mid-life crisis thing, I have found myself anxiously engaging in all sorts of activities that normally I might just let pass by. Dressing up for Comic Con, taking a tap dance class, participating in a 2 week raw food cleanse, going to rock concerts…well okay, I don't think you can really classify Josh Groban or Michael Buble as rock, per se…but Muse, yes! I joined up with hordes of other women to experience the ever popular Deseret Book sponsored "Time Out For Women." I became an ever more dedicated yogini and dragged my kids to run themed 5ks with me (the Color Run and the Electric Run, specifically.) And really, I didn't drag them…they went willingly. 

Realistically, I think part of this new attitude towards life may also have something to do with the fact that turning 40 happened to coincide with the first week of school which saw all four of my children in school FULL TIME! It's kind of a big year for everyone. Because not only did Lilian start all-day 1st grade, but Brandon entered Jr. High as a 7th grader, Julianne headed off to ....... High as a sophomore, and though Rebekah has been at the high school for a few years already, this year she is a mighty senior. It took seventeen years…but I actually have the house entirely to myself during the days! 

So speaking of the kids…they keep busy. Which means that I keep busy right along with them in regards to school projects, extracurriculars and carpools. Plus boy/girl talk and shopping and watching movies and other such things that crop up when suddenly your child becomes also your friend.

* Rebekah got her first job this past year. She spent our hottest-summer-on-record as a lifeguard at Lagoon-A-Beach. Boy howdy, you've never seen such a tan! And when the water park portion of the park closed for the season, she got picked up as a cast member of Lagoon's Frightmares where she made a perfect little Alice in Wonderland for the childrens' Spook-a-Boo Walk. With Halloween over, she now puts in time at the new Station Park outdoor mall in Farmington where she works mall events. 

And if a job wasn't enough to keep her away from home, she is also frequently with friends…dates and parties, etc. as is common for a 17-year old. She's a Madrigal this year, the premier show choir at the high school. She spent Spring Break with some friends in St. George (chaperoned by moi). She's a pro at formal dress shopping…and had her first experience with that very traditional high school experience: Prom. She has an internship at Lilian's elementary school working for a 3rd grade teacher there. She also goes in two more times a week to read with kids as part of the AmeriCorp reading program. Lately she has been keeping busy filling out college applications. She's looking at Utah State University and BYU-Idaho with a major in Elementary Education. And that's all I'm going to say about that for fear of crying….

* Julianne is becoming more and more  involved in any and all things theatre…it, more than anything else, characterizes who she is. She is still hugely involved with ....... Theatre here in .......... and is not only in their advanced audition-only class, but also takes tap lessons there. She traveled to the Land of the Mouse on a performing trip with this group this past June and will be heading to Atlanta with them again next month to take part in the Junior Drama Festival there. She and Rebekah both performed in "Crazy For You" in the spring. And then while Rebekah's theatre class put on an in-concert version of "The Music Man," Julianne was Little Red Riding Hood in "Into the Woods." Most recently (and the show they are taking to Atlanta) Julianne played Scuttle in "The Little Mermaid." This girl can not only sing but also has some serious comedic timing! 

She and Rebekah just recently found their names on the cast list for ......... High's musical "Footloose"…the competition was fierce so I'm a proud mama. And in the fall Julianne was also chosen to be in the hand-picked sophomore musical productions class…also at school. She eats, sleeps and breathes theatre and music. But a close second and third would probably be reading books (a voracious bookworm she remains) and in true teenager style, spending more and more time with friends. And did I mention she is now driving? I thought what with having taught one child to drive already that this time would be easier. Sigh. 

Both girls had the opportunity to visit the majestic Grand Canyon with their grandparents and a couple of cousins during the summer. Also we had our first experience with Pioneer Trek. And I say we, not because I went too…but because I had to outfit them both and oh wow, it was a serious job! But they came back with memories that will last them for quite a while to come. Luckily for me they both like to talk and for the most part, trust me enough to share their thoughts and feelings with so I get to hear about not only their adventures but also the ups and downs with boys and friends and life in general.

* Brandon is 12 now. Which means he graduated from Primary and was ordained a deacon holding the Aaronic priesthood. It's a thrill to watch him passing the Sacrament in church on Sundays…a new experience for me not having grown up with brothers. He occasionally goes to Tuesday night activities with his sisters, but is usually at gymnastics. (Side note: Maybe this is a good thing…seeing as the one and only Scout camp-out he went on this year, he brought home as a souvenir not a pocket knife as is common, but a goat named Bartley. Yes. A goat. Needless to say, we quickly found a new home for the animal. Side note over.)

 This kid is now a level 8 gymnast which means he is at the gym every single day but Sunday for a total of 24 hours weekly. And as theatre is to Julianne, gymnastics is just as much so, if not more for Brandon. Gymnastics is a year-round kind of sport…no taking summers off or just participating in the sport's season. Meets however, do have their own season for the most part. So last January-March while Utah was experiencing the coldest-winter-on-record (yeah…we broke records for both summer AND winter this past year) we were thankful for the opportunity to skip out of town for meets in slightly warmer locales. I think Brandon's favorite was at Stanford University near San Francisco. And because this meet fell over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend we stayed an extra day and explored Fisherman's Wharf. Other out of state meets included trips to Phoenix and Albuquerque. And when the Black Jack meet in Las Vegas came around in February, we took all the kids out of school and turned it into a mini family vacation. But Brandon's biggest vacation this year actually had nothing to do with gymnastics…he was invited to spend a week on a Caribbean cruise with his grandparents and cousin, Nathan. Lucky kid. Beyond gymnastics he is still our science geek (and I say that with tremendous admiration.) He also adores his art class. But when he grows up he claims he wants to be either a gymnastics coach or a psychologist.  

* Lilian refuses to be called the "baby" of the family anymore and no amount of explanation on my part of her status as the youngest child will convince her to be anything but a "big girl." And really, I suppose she is. A big girl living in a teenager household. Which means her bedtime tends to be more around 10:30 and her manner of speaking, the shows she likes on television, the sheer amount of "crushes" on boys she lays claims to…all tend to make her seem a little older than her age. So when she gets excited about Elf on the Shelf, or playing dress-up or watching a Tinker Bell movie over and over…I smile and am a little relieved to see that she is still my "baby" after all. Lilian loves school and her teacher. And to my immense relief, she actually enjoys homework! Teaching her how to read has been light years easier than it was for her siblings before her. She ruled out gymnastics this year as her activity of choice. But after some initial hedging, decided that she does like soccer. (Go Pink Lightning!) Realistically, I think she is going to follow in her older sister's Drama Queen footsteps. Time will tell. In the meantime, Lilian has become a chicken farmer. We unexpectedly inherited 3 chickens and 2 ducks this past spring. And unlike the goat, we decided to keep these animals. Seeing as her Dad is allergic to anything with fur, our fowl friends have become beloved pets for Lilian. Truth be told, we're all rather fond of them, even if their presence does mean you have to watch your step when you venture into the backyard. They follow us around when we do yard work, give us 3-4 eggs a day and actually have little personalities. We've enjoyed them.

As for Bryan and myself…other than our previously mentioned celebrations and trying to keep up with our children…we keep plugging away at life in general. Guru Labs is doing well and is planning a move into a new building across the street from their current one. They'll own half a floor and are excitedly watching the construction as it takes shape. This summer was busy, busy with development of a few new courses. I think the only reason we were able to convince Bryan to take time off to join us on the 4-day Croft family camping trip was because it was over the 4th of July when the office was to be mostly closed anyhow. It's good to have work. At home Bryan spends a lot of his time in his backyard Man Cave. His newest hobby...learning to re-load used gun ammo shells. It's quite the time consuming and somewhat complicated process but he enjoys escaping to his cave fairly regularly. He's also decided that we need to add hiking to our list of family activities and has been busily building our supply of hiking equipment...backpacks and such. I foresee a lot of trails in our future. And hey, it's good exercise. Bonus!

After a busy February and March, my singing group Higher Ground, went from a quintet to a trio…and then continued to stay happily engaged in numerous summer performances. These two other ladies have become like sisters to me and I can't tell you how much I have learned about myself as we've dug deep into the music and programs we've asked to perform. We even wrote a song together and had it professionally arranged and recorded. As of right now however, we are on an extended hiatus. Life happens…and first and foremost we are wives and mothers with families to love and care for. And if a year and a half with Higher Ground is all I ever get, I will cherish it and always be thankful for the experiences. I'm happy I still have The Sally Bytheway Chorale to sing with (my Dad even joined us this year!) and also my continuing voice lessons…it's like weekly therapy! And on top of all of that, I'm still the Stake Music Specialist working closely with the Music Chairman, which keeps me deep in music training meetings, stake choir rehearsals and big Easter and Christmas productions. Our Stake Christmas Fireside was this past Sunday. I had the best job of all…I got to lead the congregational hymns, accompanied by piano, organ and flute with the whole of the chapel and cultural hall full of people singing back at me. My heart was so overwhelmed during the final song "What Child Is This" that my eyes started to leak and before long I was leading the congregation, my arms waving around and tears rolling down my cheeks….only able to mouth the words because my voice was gone. 

Truly it is a wonderful time of year…whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa or your own variation of the above. Happy Holidays! 

Sending thoughts of joy your way…!

Love.....Bryan, Sarah, Rebekah, Julianne, Brandon and Lilian     

Diva Sopranos

We have many silly names for ourselves. We call ourselves "soprano sisters" or "singing sisters" or "divas" or "the ladies who lunch." The six of us...Katie, Melissa, Georgia, Sally, Linda and I...have history together that dates back to 1998. We became fast friends when singing together in Lex de Azevedo's Millennium Choir. Katie and Melissa are my actual biological sisters, of course. But over the years through countless rehearsals in the Millennium Choir and now in the Sally Bytheway Chorale (Sally being our director) and even doing a few shows with Linda and Georgia....we all have become like family. A soprano family. And though we usually see each other weekly at rehearsals, we still try to get together every few months to have lunch where we can really talk and get caught up.

We had our spate of Christmas concerts the second week of December....performing at the Libby Gardner Concert Hall up at the U of U, a benefit concert for The Road Home at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Sandy (we raised over $8,000!!!) and then a fun little concert at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square. (Normally we do a more formal concert at the Assembly Hall at Christmas but with Thanksgiving so late this year, they were unable to fit us into their schedule seeing as they give first priority to high school and college choirs.)

The very next week Linda planned an "Ugly Sweater"/White Elephant Christmas party for the six of us. I'm not sure I can remember the last time I laughed that hard! I sure do love these ladies!