Merry Christmas

outdated Christmas card...

...but for a good reason!

Baby arrived early, making our just-sent-out Christmas cards now out of date! But, we're so glad he is here, safe and sound (and tiny tiny).

More info and photos to come...watch your e-mail box!

Gifts for the King

Chad: What were the gifts the wise men brought to the baby Jesus?
K: Ummm. Gold!
Chad: Yup! What else?
K: Jewels? and.... CANDY!


and on another occasion....

D: I know what the wise men gave to baby Jesus.
Me: What was that?
D: Gold, and Frankenstein
Me: you mean frankincense?
D: Oh, yeah, frankincense. And murmur.

It's embarassing...

...when your 5-year-old starts belting out

"Roooooxanne. You don't have to put on a red light"

at the TOP of his lungs.

thanks for teaching him that one, Daddy (and Sting)

Looking Up

As we sat in church, Dallin noticed one of the deacons passing the sacrament. He turned to me and said, “Hey, look! Ben is passing the sacrament today.” I told him that Ben recently turned 12, and had received the priesthood, so now he could pass the sacrament. Dallin asks me frequently how long it will be before he turns 12 and can be a Deacon. I know he looks up to these boys and their responsibilities. But, until now, he’s never known any of them personally. Frankly, I was surprised he knew Ben. I asked him how and Dal replied, “He told me his name when he came to help us move in.”

Four months ago a [heaven sent] troop of Elders and Young Men showed up to haul our stuff out of the moving truck. I’d managed to catch one or two names. But, somewhere in the shuffle, a thoughtful almost-turning-12 young man introduced himself to a small, shy 5-year-old. He made an impression. He was remembered. And now, each week as we sit in Sacrament Meeting, that influence continues to grow, as Ben worthily uses his priesthood and my someday-priesthood-holder looks up at him with awe.

Stage Magic

As a girl, we had season tickets to Promised Valley Playhouse. I guess it was Mom’s way of having some ‘girl time’ and giving us a little culture, too. My sis and I would get all dressed up in our fancy theater-going outfits: velour knickers and matching vests (it was the 80s…’nuf said). We would pile in the tuna boat station wagon with our Aunt and two cousins for the (seemingly) long trip to Salt Lake City.

The busy-ness and bustle of the “big” city was just the beginning of the excitement! As we walked up the steps to our balcony seats, I admired the beautiful, ornate design of the theater, the heavy draped curtains over the stage and the huge, sparkling chandelier. We always stopped in the 2nd floor lobby area to admire the display cases holding costumes from past performances. My favorite was the red dress and wig from “Annie,” and I always hoped they would put that show on again.

Over the few years we had our season tickets, we saw many plays and musicals. Some, I didn’t quite understand (like “Heaven Can Wait”), and others became life-long favorites (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). But all the performances and experiences in that theater shaped my life-long love of the stage.

The best part of the night, except for maybe the intermission snack we sometimes got to buy, was the program. I loved the slick, colorful programs. I got to have my own copy. I would devour the bios of the actors in the minutes before the curtain went up. At the end of the play, the actors would greet the audience in the lobby. If we remembered to bring a pen, we could usually get them to sign our programs. I saved that stack of programs for many years.

Last night I had the chance to introduce my own children to the fun of the theater. BYU’s Ballet Theater was in our town and dancing at a local high school. We all got dressed up in our best clothes and headed into town. The theater was just a high school auditorium, not the grand and ornate playhouse of my childhood memories. But, when the curtain came up and the music began, my two little ones were transfixed by the performance. They both watched with surprising awe and attention at the dancers' spinning and jumping on the stage.

After the performance, Kate spotted a swan-clad ballerina who had come out into the auditorium. She immediately wanted to talk with her. The question she asked: “Can I visit your house?” She was certain this beautifully dressed dancer must live in a fairy castle.

Ahhh…the magic of the stage…

It’s still two weeks until her 4th birthday. Isn’t she still a little too young to be saying things like this? Aren’t I still too young to be hearing them from my own kid?


“When I grow up and I’m a mom, I’m going to let my kids watch one HUNDRED shows a day…

(she’s only allowed two)

… because when I watch 100 shows I’m soooo happy.”


At least she knows she’s not in charge yet. I hope.