Singin' in the Rain

Here's a shout-out to the best theater company ever - Rodgers Memorial Theater!! It's no secret that Quentin and I LOVE plays. And after patronizing several Utah playhouses, we've decided that Rodgers Memorial Theater is the best!! Yes, we are biased. Anyway, we gave each other season tickets for Christmas, and we're so excited that the first play will be Singin' in the Rain! That's one of my favorite musicals of all-time and we were able to see it last summer at the Hale Center Theater in Orem - so awesome!!

So...in case anyone is interested in seeing an awesome musical in an awesome theater, get your tickets now! The play only goes till January 31. We've decided to exchange our tickets so Kiera and Makenna can join us. They like plays too! Anyway, for more information, check out www.rodgersmemorial.com.

(Do I sound like a commercial?)

Sledding

Quentin has been itching for a few weeks to go sledding. I'm not a big fan of winter "sports," mainly because I usually just standing there and freeze. But today we went sledding with Corbin, Nikki and their kids and it was actually fun! The kids had a lot of fun and it was good weather - fresh snow from yesterday and not too cold out. Good times!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010! That's just such a cool number - but how do you say it? Twenty-ten? Two-thousand ten? Two-thousand AND ten? Hmmm...I guess I'll have to find out!

The last few weeks have been so crazy-busy for us, we were craving some down time with our little family. So we had a quiet celebration, which was just what we were needing. We got pizza and snacks, watched movies, and hung out. Our movies ended around 10:00 which was pretty late for the girls but Kiera begged to be able to stay awake till midnight. I wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but we said yes, thinking that they would all conk out on the couch at some point before then. We got out the Lego set the girls got for Christmas and all 5 of us got to work. It was so fun building the house - just like a puzzle (sorry the pics are a bit blurry)! We worked for about 2 hours, till it was about 10 minutes before midnight. Surprised that the girls were still awake (and happy!), we dug out the sparkling cider, turned on the countdown, and greeted the new year. Then everyone quickly and quietly went to bed!

This morning we had waffles and hashbrowns and juice, and we're planning on going sledding this afternoon. We're in vacation mode - the new year (at least for me) doesn't start till Monday when everyone is back into the routine and we can go over some family goals during Family Home Evening. Till then, we're just going to play and enjoy!! Happy New Year!

Lazy Days

Okay, so I admit that when I realized the girls would be out of school for Christmas break for 16 whole days, I got a little nervous. I figured they would be bored, they would fight with each other, and they would make messes all over the house. And you know what? They haven't been bored, they've been really nice to each other, and they've actually helped a lot in keeping the house clean. I've loved having them home! The other morning they requested breakfast in bed! I was happy to oblige since their requests were easy - leftover pasta (for breakfast!) and hot chocolate for Kiera, cereal and an orange julius for Makenna, and an orange julius for Kasidee. Ahhh, simple pleasures!

Merry Christmas!

Hope this posting finds everyone happy, healthy, and with memories of a wonderful Christmas yesterday! For us, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without craziness! Quentin only got 2 hours of sleep on Christmas Eve because he was busy playing "Santa's workshop"; schedules and plans changed and our Stephens party was rescheduled from Saturday morning to Friday night - so we had only had muffins and juice to offer for dinner! But in spite of the craziness, we had a good holiday. We spent Christmas Eve at Mom's with her and Grandma Johnson (being at Mom's house just sets the mood for Christmas - we all love being there!!). The next morning, Mom and Grandma stopped by to see what Santa brought, then we went back to Mom's house for leftovers and to do gifts - and we had a nice surprise visit with Aaron, Lisa and Beau! Then we came back home for the party with the Stephens family. Lots of fun! And today has been a nice "down" day - the girls played with their cousins for a bit, and they've had lots of fun playing with their new toys. Tomorrow will be the Johnson family party, so there's lots of celebrating this weekend! And next week will be nice, relaxing and uneventful - just what I need!

MOM GAVE THE GIRLS A CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT WHICH THEY PLAYED WITH FOR HOURS! KIERA EVEN PLAYED WITH IT FOR AWHILE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING WHILE SHE WAITED FOR HER SISTERS TO WAKE UP!

QUENTIN READING THE TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS EVE STORY (KIERA AND MAKENNA HAD TO WEAR THE HATS NANA MADE THEM, AND KASIDEE HAD TO TAKE HER CLOTHES OFF)...

SANTA BROUGHT A WOODEN KITCHEN SET FOR THE GIRLS AND A DOLLY BED FOR EACH OF THEM.

SANTA BROUGHT KASIDEE A READING CHAIR FOR HER BEDROOM...

Christmas is Coming!

After such a busy week focusing on Dallin and Crystal's wedding, it was nice to go to church and remember the season and get in the mood for Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas program, and in Primary the kids got to "Journey to Bethlehem." They each dressed up (in simple costumes) as a shepherd, wise man, etc., went to pay their taxes, talked to the inn keeper, then had goat cheese, olives and unleavened bread for a snack. The journey culminated at the nativity scene. Quentin and I were asked to dress up as Mary and Joseph, and we held a doll wrapped in "swaddling" clothes. I felt sort of silly draped in an old sheet, but when the Primary children silently came into the room and reverently sang "Silent Night," Quentin and I bot teared up. How would it have been to be there to witness and worship our Savior as a newborn baby? Something to ponder during the hustle and bustle of the season....

Congrats, Dallin & Crystal!

Quentin's younger brother Dallin got married today!! Can I just say I love his new wife Crystal and am so glad she's part of our family - I'm anxious to get to know her better! I'm so happy they both found each other, and I wish them so much happiness in their new life together! Yay!

Happy Birthday Quentin!

Happy Birthday Quentin! #34! Quentin is always so sweet and sentimental and makes sure he arranges to get the girls birthdays, my birthday and our anniversary off of work. But it stinks that he has such a horrible time getting any days off in December, so he usually has to work on his birthday. And what's even worse, he has to work nearly 12 hours today. Bummer! But we want him to know we're thinking of him today and hope he has a GREAT day! We love you Quentin / Daddy!

(P.S. Quentin's family celebrated his birthday last Saturday - here's the "cupcake cake" the girls and I made!)

First Recital

Kiera has been taking piano lessons for, oh, about 6 weeks now and last night she had her first recital! She said she was nervous, but then she'd giggle - I think she was more excited than anything. She played "Away in a Manger" and did it just perfectly. We're so proud of her!

Happy Early Birthday, Quentin!

Quentin's birthday is next week. He absolutely loves having a December birthday, but I am always nervous that his birthday will get lost in the craziness of the season. And this year is crazier than ever! Quentin's brother will be getting married the day after Quentin's birthday, so next week is full: a temple endowment session, a bridal shower, a wedding, a wedding luncheon, and a reception - as well as Kiera's piano recital, Kiera's piano lesson, the girls' play rehearsal, me teaching preschool, and a ward party. Whew! So anyway... To avoid planning ANOTHER thing next week, Quentin and I celebrated his birthday early yesterday. Mom was in on the plan - she watched the girls while I taught preschool, then she continued watching them while I "kidnapped" Quentin and took him to Pioneer Theater Company to see the play "A Christmas Story." Quentin and I both LOVE live theater and the dorky Christmas Story (you know, the one with Ralphie) is one of our favorites. He was so surprised and it was nice having a night out together!

Catch-Up

I had been feeling a little overwhelmed about all the blogging I haveN'T been doing lately when I came across my friend's blog entitled "Bullet Point Blogging." I think I'll follow Candi's idea for a quick way to catch up on what's been going on:

* We took a couple buckets of our leftover apples to our neighbor's horses just down the street. The girls loved feeding them!



* Makenna made a gingerbread house at school - she secretly picked at it all day long until nothing was left by bedtime!



* We went to the Festival of Trees with Corbin, Nikki and kids. Even though it was crowded and crazy, it's a fun tradition that helps remind us what the Season is all about.

* We went to the Stephens family Christmas party - food, games, stories, a visit from Santa (Quentin's brother Chris!), and lots of visiting and catching up. It's something we look forward to every year!

THE KIDS LISTENING TO GREAT-GRANDMA'S STORY...

KIERA WITH SANTA...

MAKENNA WITH SANTA...

KASIDEE WITH SANTA...

GREAT-GRANDMA STEPHENS WITH SANTA...

THE WHOLE GANG AT THE PARTY...

QUENTIN (THE PHOTOGRAPHER) MAKING A LOVELY LEAP TO GET EVERYONE TO SMILE!


* Since Makenna has a summer birthday, she gets to celebrate her "VIP Week" this week. Monday she took a poster with a bunch of pictures of her and her family and the kids got to ask her questions about her favorite things. She got to hand out a treat, plus she gets to be the line leader this whole week - Lucky!



* My good, sweet mom usually has some sort of craft or activity up her sleeve when she watches Makenna and Kasidee while I teach preschool every week. Last week she and the girls made bird "feeders" with pinecones, peanut butter and birdseed. We all have really enjoyed watching the birds enjoy their treat!



* The other night, Quentin came home from work and suggested we all go to Gardner Village to browse and to look at the elves hiding around the village. It was bitter cold, but helped get us in the Christmas mood!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I just love Thanksgiving - I love the craziness of preparing tons of food and "entertaining" loved ones. I love mashed potatoes (with corn in it!), yams, succotash, wild rice, pumpkin bread and cranberry sauce. Yum. I'm eating some leftovers as I type! I love watching Planes, Trains and Automobiles (edited version). And I especially love this time to pause and reflect on how blessed we are and all of the things Heavenly Father has given us. President Hinckley said, "Gratitude is the very essence of worship." I'm so grateful for my family, my home, Quentin's job, this beautiful world, the opportunities we have, the gospel, and my life! I try to seek the "little blessings" in my life each day - by living with awareness and enjoying each moment! Happy Thanksgiving!

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

So...after seeing Rodgers Memorial Theater's "Stone Soup" production a couple of months ago (performed by children), Makenna has been talking about how much she wants to be able to do that - to be up on stage dancing and singing and acting in front of an audience. I know, it sure doesn't sound like Makenna does it? But she has been so excited about it that we checked into musical theater classes at RMT. For Kiera and Makenna to attend the class weekly for 7 months, it would be $550. Ouch. So we decided to wait, and I'm so glad we did. Just a few weeks later we got a flyer from the school that said they would be putting on their first annual play! The girls were so excited and "tried out" on Monday. All the kids learned 2 lines of a song, practiced it over and over, and then each person was asked to sing it solo! I was so proud of the girls - they did great! And they each got cast as a little bird in the play - Kiera as Needy Bird and Makenna as Petty Bird! It was fun to see lots of our friends and neighbors cast in it as well. It will be fun going to weekly rehearsals and finally seeing the final production in February!

Leaves

Yep, 'tis that time of year for lots of pretty, fluttery leaves that crunch beneath your feet as you enjoy walks in the crisp air. 'Tis also that time of year for raking up all those little buggers! Quentin spent nearly two hours last Saturday, mowing and sucking up all the leaves - it looked like our lawn had been vacuumed. But by today, not even a week later, it looked like we hadn't done anything! The girls and I got to work this afternoon and spent over two hours raking and bagging - oh, and throwing and jumping! They were (for once) happy to work! I guess now it can snow!

New Specs!

Kiera got her new glasses today! She was so excited she could hardly stand it. Doesn't she look cute?!

Piano Lessons!

More big changes for Kiera - she started piano lessons! Of all the things my girls can learn, I think piano (music) is at the top of the list. I think it is so important. We checked into lessons over a year ago and found a lady in our ward who is rumored to be excellent. When I asked about starting Kiera, she said she likes to wait until they are at least 7 years old. She also mentioned that she wouldn't have an opening until January 2010. But then she called us a few days ago, said she had a cancellation and could fit Kiera in starting this week! Kiera's first lesson was yesterday and, though the teacher seems pretty strict and rigid, Kiera is excited and anxious to learn!