Top 5 Cousin Memories

*Thanks Belinda for starting the fun...I hope all participate, we don't want any party-poopers in the family....

Well, I am a young cousin so my memories are a little different than you big kids, but we definitely did learn some things from you. (pic; EVERYONE has always had a turn blowing out the candles)

1. Jamie and I were professionals at asking for sleepovers or extended play time. I would ask nicely in my cutest voice, and if that didn't work, Jamie could cry on cue. They could never say no to her tears.

2. Kick-the-can with the 'big kids', I'm sure I thought I was really playing, actually I was usually being carried around by someone bigger than me. I remember hiding with Lisa near the wood pile (ick! spiders), and Kyle running across the field with me in his arms using my feet as a bat to hit the can.

3. Backpacks - especially sitting around the campfire hearing stories, or when you all got to sit around the campfire while my mother made me take a kettle bath, in the rain, and lightning, with everyone a tarp away!!!!! (scarred for life)

4. Christmas's at Grandpa's....it was always packed with people! I remember when Libbi had my name one year and gave me a stuffed moose with big floppy legs, I loved that thing forever!

5. Getting to stay over at Penny's (after Heidi and Belinda had worked their charm and then I got to tag along because I was young and cute, and also a good crier). We got to pick jammies from Belinda's big cupboard at the end of the hall - it was the mecca of clothing.... Then we got a glass of milk (ick) and a ding dong before bed, we got to lay on the floor and watch MTV, in the morning there were SO many choices for cereal! If we were lucky our day might include walking to Millies for Donuts and the place on the corner for lunch....playing at Pennies was like a luxury vacation in my eyes.

(pic; Emily and I in our earliest years...)

...I too could go on and on...I'm glad we have ladies lunches so the memories can continue...

William Penn proudly presents...

I've finally made the decision for this years play, "Annie". Yup, a repeat. I realized that this will be my 12th full school production. 12!! Where has the time gone! And that isn't counting the plays I've written for graduation, end-of-year, and other festivities....

Anyhow, I am quite excited, and a little hesistant as it is always difficult to reproduce, but I think it will be good. I'm going to audition in a week and a half so I am beginning to spend my evenings dancing around the house coming up with choreography (Em, I do miss your skills!), and preparing for the big day where I watch 250 kids sing and dance their hearts out for a chance to be the star.

The funniest thing is the questions I get every day from kids all over the school. I'll go to my door at recess and there will be a collection of 2nd graders waiting with their big question, "Do you have to be a red head to be Annie?", or the 6th grade boys, "Are there any guys in this play?" Ahh the fun!

And the best part, I've already got "Hardknock Life" stuck in my head, where it will remain for the next 4 months!

Here we go again!........

A Fall Outing

With a rainy conference weekend drawing us into the comforts of home we were relieved and excited to see the first waves of sunlight on Sunday morning. As the sun peaked from behind the ominous clouds we packed our snacks, rounded up our leashes and loaded the car for a drive to Logan.
We had a calming drive up listening to conference, until the last few minutes which were lost in the fuzz of radio. As we cruised the canyon we were wishing we would have been there one week prior, as the leaves faded to a dusty gray. Still, we found a spot amidst the oaks to let the dogs run and enjoy a little of the fall colors. The dogs were SO happy to be out, they ran so fast and thought we should climb the whole mountain. Lulu ran, Rudy chased, Max sniffed and straggled behind. They do love the trail, and it reminds me of how much I miss my life as it used to be, when there were no responsibilities of home ownership, and Emily and I could take off at a whim to head for the hills. We spent many fall weekends driving through the colorful Henry's or squeezing in one more narrows hike. We often took off on Friday night to a place we'd never been and woke up in the light of an entirely new world. Those were the good ol' days, and we enjoyed them while we could. Now, a Sunday drive to get away is a real luxury, and a pleasant escape.
We drove into Logan to look at a few houses, drive through some neighborhoods, and enjoy a little fall in the small town. On our way back we stopped at Grandma's to catch the end of conference and ended up staying for dinner.
When we finally loaded up to drive home the dogs were pooped. (Rudy always comes home exhausted from a play with Maybelle!) And so our week ended and we begin another, and if I got one message from conference it was the idea that we have to be optimistic, despite what is going on around us. With chores, work, distractions and the like it is easy to get caught up and pulled down. I often look back at 'the good ol' days' and miss backpacking and trips, but then I look forward to watching puppies grow, and creating new adventures. We can't get hung up on things, we have to move on with a smile. We have to learn to find joy in the little things, like dogs that wrestle, husbands that want "lovies", and fall Sunday drives.