Over the past few weeks, we have watched alot of movies, and I mean alot- I love movies so much and with all kinds of actors and actresses coming in and out I thought I’d take a moment and give a shout out to my personal favorites and the movie I love them most in….
1. Jim Carrey- Bruce Almighty
2. Nicolas Cage -National Treasure
Greg Kinnear- Sabrina
4. Tea Leoni –Fun With Dick and Jane
Kate Winslet- Finding Neverland
that’s all :)
It was a lovely day full of kicks and giggles and lovely scents of Valentine flowers; A wondrous breakfast and a delightful dinner.
Having too much fun with Bennet…
Take a look part 2 of The Blizzard of 2010
It all started yesterday around 4 pm. Frozen rain began to invade our lands and crops. It was the beginning of the end. Over night it grew to be about a foot, then up until this evening it is officially 2 feet. News channels are calling it, The Blizzard of 2010! Run for you lives! Or rather…stay where you are! (as if we have a choice) I find all this “chaos” quite cozy actually; we all do here in this little home. Around noon today, we found a foot of snow up against the front screen door-we were literally trapped in! I found it all entertaining. When hearing about this snow storm that would approach I thought, can’t be more than Utah’s worst, but now I do declare I don’t recall Utah ever having this much snow. Maryland won the competition. While KC was shoveling this late afternoon, Em and I took a plunge and hastily ran outside to play for a minute or two; we even took silly pictures and videos. It was rejuvenating for our souls that’s for sure! Anyway here are some pictures of the craziness…
Yesterday we became one helper short. It seems as though the moment Janice left, everything became chaotic. For the first time since we arrived back home, Emily and I were all alone-three fussing babies and only four hands. This was it, this was how it was going to be. The sky seemed to darken and the chills from outside seemed to seep through the walls. Emily and I gazed into each others fearful eyes… Ok it wasn’t this dramatic, I just wanted to have some fun. But really, ironically the time Janice left was the time of day where the babies have their fussy time. It lasted for an hour or two until KC finally came home. They just cried for no reason-very frustrating. All was well when the evening arrived. We had time to relax and take a deep breath. But around 8 o’clock something happened that changed our entire…night. We put them in their cribs IN their room and they slept all through the night waking up only twice to eat. We even had time to watch the LOST premiere! I’ve come up with a plan to distribute shifts-from 9 to midnight, KC will be on call when one wakes up. Then, from midnight to 3, I will be on call, then from 3 to 6 Emily is on call. I think it will work perfectly because we can all sleep in our beds, and only get up for 20 minutes to feed. We’ve even come up with a S.O.S. code-three knocks means I need a helper, six knocks means I need both of you cause all three are awake. I will report back on the results of this plan later.
We got to go to the Annapolis mall on Friday, what an adventure that was! We all had the babies strapped to us, and they actually did very well!
Now, I’d like to discuss for a sentence or five, my thoughts on the premiere of abc’s LOST. I had predicted that it would steer back to the beginning where all the passengers of flight 815 are on the plane again and it doesn’t crash! Well here’s what happened, it started out with the passengers on the plain as they were on September 22, 2004 but this time, instead of Rose panicking about the turbulence, it was Jack. Significant? I think YES! It was a twist indeed. What should’ve happened had the plane not crashed happened including landing in Los Angeles safe and sound. Only question I have, is this a flashback or a flash forward with all memories of the survivors forgotten, as if all they’ve been through never happened, there is time travel so maybe it took them back to Australia when they first boarded the plane. Why is Shannon not on the plane with her brother boone? So many questions, but I look forward to the unveiling of long time questions as this season continues and will eventually end for good. Long live LOST!
Every day is baby day!
Day 5 and I still have two months exactly till I go home. I love how slow time is going here because I am just trying to soak in every minute of this experience. We watch movies all day and recently finished the Lord of the Rings series. Right now we are watching Tommy Boy which I’ve never seen before so I am having a good time! Emily and I made bean dip today and had the hardest laugh we’ve had yet. I made breakfast yesterday morning…turned out delicious thanks to Emily cooking up her homemade syrup! I am learning so many cooking skills!
I don’t think there’s a more perfect time to write than in the quietest of night-that’s right, the quietest. The triplets are all sound asleep in their swings…unswinging. Emily and I both went to bed at 9 30 and she got up at 3 and I stayed in bed till 4 now she’s back in bed for another hour or so. I told her to not get up if it’s quiet. I like the morning shift of 2 to six better than being up from 9 to 2. I don’t know why. In the hardest of times with these babies (which actually hasn’t been to dramatic) I am always finding myself having fun no matter what and I think it’s because I am in Maryland! We don't get outside hardly at all, but that’s ok because I’m in Maryland it’s a great feeling.
The flight seemed to pass extremely fast without any turbulence. The babies were so good and quiet only crying out maybe twice and only for a short period of time. It was so fun just carrying them around the airport and getting on and off the plane babies strapped to us-just cute. On the drive home through the beautiful freeway (I cried out once approached the onramp saying, “There they are! The infamous eastern highways!” Driving on Maryland/Virginia freeways is a nature walk in itself.) The babies cried and cried…but then we started rattling the rattler and instantly they were calm. Good thing they’re at the age where they notice those blessed gadgets! Once we entered into the Cheverly I instantly fell in love as it felt like we were driving through the cutest of towns in Logan. Every home (old and cute) was hidden in the trees. I felt like we had entered a forest. Well the second we got our luggage in the house, it was time for work: eat, sleep, play, sleep, eat, etc. First night I could not sleep one minute even in my oh so comfortable bed, an air mattress that I love so much I want to switch it out with mine at home! (my room was so clean and cozy when I arrived- I truly feel at home) So I stayed up till 6 am then slept till 9. Felt great the rest of the day after finding myself a small power nap while feeding Bennett. We celebrated KC’s birthday with a wonderful dinner of Lasagna, garlic bread and salad with a finish of raspberry cheesecake. I found it extremely delightful and decorated so cute-I praised Emily’s culinary influences. So then we sang a harmonious Happy Birthday 
A short story
When the
y handed me the stiff, crisp dark blue apron, I chuckled to myself as I reflected on my first job where I also wore an apron very similar to the one I had in my hands. I thought to myself, “Will I ever escape from the apron world?” I brushed that very small issue aside and took my apron and shirt and went home. I would start my first day of work the following morning, a Thursday which was perfect for me because I had no school that day. I put on my apron before I left my home like a good new employee, and was on my way. As I pulled into the large grocery store parking lot, I steered my eyes toward the area where I was told we as employees could park. I did so still cautious if it was the right area or not (I was nervous because when I filled out my employment papers, there was a blank provided for my license plate number, for the reason of my car being ticketed if I parked in a no employee parking-zone area). All the same I liked to think I was going to be ok. I walked into the store, feeling a bit shy due to the fact that every employee was probably looking at me because they knew I was new. I was afraid that I’d walk the wrong way or open the back door the wrong way, or that my kakis were the wrong wash or that my hair was too simple! Are all new employees that paranoid? So I went to the back room to clock in. I was feeling pretty excited to finally do it myself; the previous day during “tour” time I observed various employees bush fifteen buttons then swipe this cool card then press another seven buttons. I remember thinking I could not wait until I was not “new” anymore.
I clocked in that Thursday morning, feeling one step closer to being learned. When I was done (it only took 18 seconds) I turned around and stood still for a moment or two bewildered at what I should do next. Where was my supervisor who would come and rescue me from this dark hallway? I didn’t know if I should go out to the front or find a dark corner and wait till someone found me. I hated standing there looking “new”. Finally, surprised that I had to be the one to tell someone I was new, told some random person in an apron that I was new and was looking for a manager. I was found and put right to work behind the register. As a kid I remember taking field trips to a Museum for children and there was a pretend grocery store. I thought it was the most fun activity in all the world. I remember I always wanted to be the cashier and make the beep noise as other kids brought their plastic peppers and cereal boxes to the black conveyer belt. As I stood there with my manager standing right behind me literally breathing down my neck watching the ever move of my fingers and toes, I took the first item and as slow as I could be, (not on purpose) I ran it along the scanner. BEEP it was in the computer: WF BL BEANS. As if I wasn’t feeling dumb enough that I took five minutes to ring up two boxes of cereal and some more canned beans, my manager would slip out random side notes about everything. It wasn’t that I was doing everything wrong, she was just giving good pointers and I appreciated it. Things were going pretty good as I tried my hardest to make eye contact with the customer AND slide their grocery items, AND make conversation with them, AND continue to bare the embarrassment of my manager right behind me telling all that I am brand new. I remember when I worked at an ice cream parlor, new employees had to wear a tag that said they were new. Can a sigh of relief ring through the store? That would be excruciatingly painful to bare but I suppose having someone stand behind you telling what to do comes pretty close.
As time goes on (which passes very quickly here in the grocery store world) I notice the produce coming forth. For once in my life, I had a smart moment and knew there would not be a bar code on these thin plastic bags. I grabbed the Tomatoes, “What do I do with these?” I ask humbly. The reply come
s, “set it on the scale to be weighed then type in 9133”. I did so and it rang up TOM ROMA. The dark days have begun. A code for ever produce item, and eventually I’d come to learn that there would be a code for every kind of tomato- is there a trap door underneath my shoes I can refer to? Each check stand came with a code sheet for every item that is in stock. I don’t know why I didn’t use this right away because Instead I turned around and asked the cashier behind me or if I had to, called out to a manager which I hated doing! I hated asking people. I was so caught up in how annoying it was so type in so many codes all starting with a 4, that I didn’t realize that soon I will have most of the common ones down! 4066 4070 4011 4068 4187 4062 why don’t we just add Pi 3.145673847382947398147398?! It seems just as complicated! I was amazed that other employees could just shout out a four digit code while having already memorized sixteen other codes. Oh the day when I can punch in that code on my own!
Now Tomatoes are like beetles; they don’t taste very pleasant and they are squishy; the way they nestle in my palms as I gently take hold of them to lift them up and then set them back down on the scale. A certain kind of Tomato came through, they were called Zebra- a much more expensive breed due to their exquisitely sword shaped green leaves that embrace the rounded tomato. Why are there so many different kinds of tomatoes and what makes them more expensive than the other? The soil which nourishes and produces such crimson fruit? I was sure at one point in my life that the earth holds soil of it’s own unique kind. Unless you go to China, I’ve heard their soil is much much colder and can cause fevers when in contact with human skin. I am not exactly sure why this is nor do I ever care to be sure because Tomatoes are unpleasant unless they are chopped in flea sized pieces mixed with refried beans and guacamole that came from a fresh pillow soft Avocado on sale for 99 cents--delicious.
My hands grow pretty dirty through out the day which means my poor dark blue apron becomes filthy as well, we’re like a team my apron and I, we both grow with filth and dislike tomatoes (juicy tomato juice does not perform an artistic masterpiece on dark blue). I’d like to say it is because of those retched tomatoes, but I cannot do so because they are safely secured in those dinky thin plastic bags they provide for you at the produce section. I could tear through those bags with my eyelashes. Maybe I should try doing that some time because forty-seven out of fifty-three customers will have tomatoes in their cart. Thank goodness they are scent free in those one penny bags.
I once knew of a a girl who could eat tomatoes like apples and grape tomatoes like grapes. I wish I could do that, they are truly healthy…but I still won’t do it, throw me an apple and I’m off both sugar and fat! We as a human race are so interesting in our differences in what we like and dislike. I love refried beans, you hate them. I hate banana peppers, you eat them for a snack. Why can’t we all like Tomatoes…uh…did I just admit that I wish I liked tomatoes? Ok I will admit it-they are so healthy and of a pretty color and they are abundant in variety. Enough of this poor allowance of tiny slivers of smashed tomatoes in my salad or bean dip. Is it possible to teach our minds to like a food of which we never have? At the end of the day, as I exit my check stand and release my till from the register to go to the back and enjoy recounting what I’ve been entering and receiving for seven hours, I untie my loosened apron bow, and hang it up on the trail of hooks, and gaze outward from the large windows overlooking the entire store. As the vegetales vegetables say, “If you like to talk to Tomatoes…” Another day of Tomatoes I say to myself. Perhaps tomorrow I will like them.
The End
Christmas came and gone like a car speeding past you. It seems almost impossible to grasp the reality of how fast years really do fly. I remember perfectly everything I did last Christmas of 2008, and now it’s almost 2010. This time last year I did not have a job so all I had to stress about was school. Having a job this year creates double stress and twice as busy of a life. I did not think life could get this busy. I love Christmas and unfortunately, this year I really had no time to grasp all the tiny details of Christmas that I love. I’ve listened to Christmas music every day as I went to school, I watched Christmas movies, but something was missing. As heart broken as I was with being so busy not even having time to soak up the fact that it is Christmas already, I topped it all off by working on Christmas Eve. It was a good day even though it was terribly busy because I was able to involve myself in a true Christmas service- an employee I worked with had his house robbed the previous night of his entire family’s Christmas presents. When I was informed, I extended a plea of giving from anyone who could donate a little something to this big gift basket. At the time he was finished with this shift (it was also his last day of work) we brought him to the back room with his parents and presented them with the gift basket, $180, and an 8 feet see through stocking filled with toys. It was very touching indeed. I was grateful that I was able to part of that experience because it brought a little more of Christmas in me. Well at closing time, I became extremely frustrated with the remaining customers as they pleasantly took their time through my line even when they noticed the lights were dimmed meaning “It’s time to go people”. This one woman took her precious time writing a check as I am anxious as anxious gets to get home to my family. Well I was able to be out of there by 6:30 pm still gathering all the while that It was Christmas Eve. I’ve never had a harder time believing in something. I got home very tired and emotional. My family was all ready to eat at the table. I changed and went to the table again, still trying to believe that I was not dreaming. The night passed very quickly. It was nice watching “It’s A Wonderful Life”. That brought my spirits up a little. I was sad most of the night though. All that was going through my mind was “Where did the year go???” Well Christmas day eventually came and it was a wonderful Christmas day filled with the joy that wasn’t quite felt on Christmas Eve. I was glad I felt it though. It is now December 30 and I say to the world, it is still Christmas. New Years is a part of the “Holidays”. How and why would you want to throw away your Christmas tree the day after Christmas? After all the work you’ve put into that and home decorations why would you want to take it down? While working through the Holidays, it grieved me to hear people say, “I can’t wait for Christmas to be over”. That phrase right there tells me they have forgotten what Christmas is all about. Yes the rushes are tiring, but it’s their own fault for putting it off so drastically. Christmas is turning very commercial and it appears to be all about presents more than it ever has before. I hope I can do as much as I can next year to enjoy every tiny beautiful thing about Christmas.
One thing I have always loved about my family traditions after Christmas, is how we go to Logan my grandparents house for New Years. It is so wonderful knowing after Christmas day is over, we still have that fun fun trip to take! It is just a relaxing time. Something about Logan is just relaxing. We play ping pong, watch movies, tour the old town and just have fun being with each other. I can’t wait! I love Logan and I am going to live there someday. Well, After new years, we will be back to the real world and that means for me another new semester of school. I enjoy school, but I will miss Christmas and the holidays terribly. There is no happier time in my life then during the cozy peaceful November and December months. But it is comforting to know that it really will be here very soon.
Oh the weather outside is delightful, but the fire is so frightful…
I love winter and I love this time of year. In the words of Bing Crosby and Danny Kay, “What is Christmas with no snow?”
I remember that It snowed last Christmas and it was glorious indeed. It seems as though once Christmas is over, snow and ice is just ugly white cold slushy dangerous stuff; perhaps. However, I still love snow storms.
This past thanksgiving was pleasant aside from me having a cold. Luckily Thursday wasn’t the height of my sickness so it was bearable…it was the next day which is decoration day. I have to rest every ten minutes because my throat was so painful every time I tried to swallow. It got that way from moving around a lot. All the same, I played the Christmas music and I got the decor up.
I’m so thankful for my family. I love my parents and siblings and the relationships I have with them. I love that we are a Disney family and that have the opportunity to vacation together so often and with Disney; it really is a dream come true. I’m thankful for my education and that I’m as far into college as I am. I love that I know where I’m going with my career and that if feels right and I enjoy it. I’m thankful for my employment. It was tricky getting a job, but I have one now and it’s a lot of fun. I’m thankful that home is a safe place for me and that I always want to be there. I’m thankful for good health and good health of my family. I’m thankful for the privilege I have to tend my nieces still. I’ve been doing it twice a week for four and a half years and it’s been very rewarding. I’m so lucky to have a way to make a bit more money on the side. My sister is so generous to me in this. And most of all, again I’m thankful for my family and the love we share with each other; the love clearly comes from Heavenly Father.
On a slight tangent, I’d like to one day come in contact with Kozy and ask them why they cut off Christmas music on December 26. Hmm…We wish you a merry Christmas we wish you a merry Christmas we wish you a merry Christmas and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! New years is part of the “Holidays” and I really wish they’d realize that. Now, I’ll still listen to the Christmas music on my ipod if they won’t play it, but it’d be nice to turn it on on the radio when my ipod is dead.
What is playing on my Ipod you ask? Well I listen to only the best and the music I grew up listening during the holidays:
Mannheim Steamroller
Pat a Pan
Joy to the World
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Deck the Halls
Stille Nacht
Good King Wenceslas
Neil Diamond
Morning Has Broken
White Christmas
The Christmas Song
War is Over
Santa Clause is Coming to Town
What I love about my family’s New Years tradition is that we go up to Logan and stay with our grandparents. Although Grandpa Scott passed away in June, It’ll be slightly different without him there. It’ll be quieter with less laughs. But of course we won’t forget him. So it’s fun to know after Christmas we still have our trip there to look forward to. We have snow ball fights and play pool and ping pong as it snows outside, we go to Smith’s Market Place to buy treasures for the men and their New Years shoe. I love that tradition and I get weird looks when I tell people about how on New Years Eve we lay out our shoes and in the morning there’s a little gift or two with candy; it’s just another fun surprise to look forward to.
What’s most hard to believe is that it’s just this time of year again. I remember more than perfectly everything I was doing a year ago. Once we get to this time of year, time freezes which makes the year until now seem like it really flew.
Well until my next post, Merry Christmas.
I finally found the time to talk about our cruise. There’s so much to say to I had to take a lot of time to do it! Enjoy!
November 7, Saturday morning we made our way to the airport. I was feeling sick all night and crossed my fingers extra tight, tighter than the parent trap twins, that I’d get better for our most magical vacation. Feeling mediocre on the way to the airport, and on the plane, I finally felt recovered Saturday night; I was very glad. We stayed at a most exquisite Marriott in Orlando near the airport. We had a pleasant night, aside from our twittered stomachs anticipating what we would see the very next day. In a hurry, that very next day came swiftly. We got ready and caught our van that would deliver us to the port of dreams. After about an hours ride, a very frightful one to most of my kin, rumors have it that the driver was going eighty, though I didn’t mind nor notice, we arrived at Port Canaveral and spotted as if it was a contest who could spy it first, the Disney Wonder. Once we got out of the van, a perfect Florida breeze hitting our faces, we made our way through an unfamiliar detour due to construction right at the site. We entered the doors under the huge sign that read DISNEY CRUISE LINE and got through security safely, except for my elder brother Ben…you’ll have to ask him yourself ;) We nearly walked impatiently up the escalators up to the enormous lobby where we would check in and board the ship. To much of our surprise, the entire building was decorated for Christmas. I was so glad because I had been hoping it would be; and seeing the lobby decorated triggered our thoughts to the possibility of the ship’s interior to be all decorated. I’ll skip ahead and give away the 
Well, Monday morning we arrived at Nassau and got off the ship at around ten a.m. All of us went straight to the scooter rental place to get our scooters, then we rode them around for a while, then us ladies were dropped off at the flee markets while the men rode away happily (All this while, little Reese was being taken care of at the adorable Oceaneers Club.) We found cute purses and jewelry and didn’t have to spend all that much! Well I don’t want to keep going into unnecessary details, so I'll be haste. Mom and dad 
Well moving on to Tuesday, November 10. We arrived early at Disney’s private Island, Castaway Cay. 
So we spent about an hour at Serenity before we had to start making our way back to the ship. We got some shopping in and some last minute pictures of the beaches and the Flying Dutchman (the ship used in the movie Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Mans Chest is parked there) with the ship; great picture with the two together.
Wednesday November 11 was our day at sea. We swam and ate and ate and swam. In the afternoon some of us went to the showing of “UP” in the Buena Vista Theater. I loved it! It was my first time seeing it and I almost cried. Hanging out on the deck was a lot of fun. Seeing nothing but the ocean was thrilling. There’s a brand new cafe called Outlook cafe that has all glass windows above the Cove (adult pool) 
Over the UEA break, my family and I had the pleasure of going to Moab. The weather was perfect, not hitting above 70 degrees. We visited Dead Horse Point and Park Avenue in Arches. They were spectacular, especially Dead Horse Point- I had never been there before. At Park Avenue, we dropped dad, Bryce, and Brian off at the beginning (Brad was back at the Condo, he wasn’t feeling too good-very sad)and we drove to the end and walked up to meet them halfway, people passing us said, “This way’s harder! You should’ve gone down instead of up”" I wanted to explain that we know the route, we were just going this way to meet up with our kin. Very funny.
Anyway, on Saturday our last day, Grandma Julie, who we had the wonderful company of, was paining and pasting away in her thick creative scrapbooks. I sat next to her out on the deck and listened and watched her in the zone. I was very much intrigued by it all. I stood up and said, “Grandma, I’m going to write a poem about this very scene, what your doing.” She laughed and was thrilled. I took a seat on a near by anti-gravity chair (newest addition to the condo) and started writing. After only about twenty minutes or so, I presented to her my poem:
Grandma’s Paint
The sun gives
ideal source
for drying acrylic;
perfect for her pages
on which she pastes
thoughts and pleasures.
Light breeze ripples
on hardening liquid.
Cool eases heat
that hits her forhead
but even then
strokes of stained fingers
on crinkled paper
ignore unsettledness.
Birds afar conquer
allowing new ideas
to enter book;
cars hum, them also
implanting a new head title.
All now that is heard
are dogs, birds, faint bugs
and grandma's brushing,
paper crackling.
The king of creative
could not even compete.
She closes book;
cracking of new and
past entries.
Thicker than a brick,
she'll return on inspired ideas.
I felt so honored when she then cheered with glee (like Grandma does) and demanded she have a copy for each of her books. I was very excited. Later on after a few changes in the poem, very minor, I wrote it on a half sheet of lined paper and set it on the table on the deck, next to her crafts for her to see. She was very excited. If there’s anyone to be complimented on my poems by, it’s Grandma. I like to say I have adapted her style of writing to my own. I hope one day I can have a book of poetry like she does.
I can’t believe how fast you went by! Don’t be offended or anything, but I’m glad your over because that means it’s time for October, which brings red leaves and cold, and eventually Thanksgiving and Christmas! It was a fun month though. You were full of corn mazes, babysitting, bunko and decor shopping. Thanks for displaying all Halloween decor so early! Makes me so excited! Well, there’s not much else to say except, I’ll see you next year and we both know that will come by faster than we think.
Love,
Britney
