Bits and Pieces

Bits and Pieces from Last Few Days

The Cupcake

Narrated by Tiffany:
Before reading my narrative you have to understand how absolutely delicious my mom's coconut cupcakes are (especially for a coconut lover like myself). I took my first bite of the cupcake right as my cousins were leaving to go home. Being a good cousin, I put the cupcake down on the table to give them a hug goodbye. As I was putting the cupcake down on the table the thought went through my mind "If I put this cupcake down it will not be here when I turn around." (specifically thinking that Dad would eat it).
Sure enough, I turned around and saw Dad eating my cupcake!
"Hey, that's my cupcake!" I fiercely exclaimed.

Annette speaking: Let me just say that all the children
and grandchildren know better than to ever leave any of their
food unattended when Grandpa is around.


Where to Eat?



Narrated by Misty:
While we were shopping at Roberts Craft we look up and saw this.
It was very tempting to sneak into Chuck-e-cheese and enjoy some yummy, un-greasy pizza. The clean, fresh smelling dining environment is equally as enjoyable. However, since we didn't have any kids with us we decided we'd settle for Brick Oven.




Hair



We all decided we like Misty's "messed up" hair style.


Last Night with Tiffany and Lucinne

We've loved every minute of this week
but it went by way too quickly.
We're so happy we have a couple more days with Misty.

Spa Day at Bunny Hollow

Agenda for Day

Gym: Power Pump Class 6 am (believe me, I wasn't there)

Massages: 9 and 10 am

Grandma and Lucienne Time: 9 - 11



Pedicures: Noon



Lunch: 1 pm



Naps: 2 thru 4

Crafts: 4-6

Dinner: 6 pm



Crafts and Movie: (Australia -- the one that never ends)



And just as a recap:

Here are the girls last night using their technology to communicate
via phone, text, and webcam to their families back home
(or in Natalie's case, her friends)

30 Years Later

We got together with some of the Anderson Family tonight

for dinner (though we actually had breakfast food).

Our girls have had such fun times over the years with their
Grandma and Grandpa Anderson
and their Aunts and Uncles and Cousins.

After everyone left tonight I looked at some older
pictures and came across this one from 1979.
In it are Tiffany, Misty, Christa, Marci, and Angie
Here they are 30 years later with Cheryl and Natalie added in.
Between them they are the mothers of 18 children!



I also took pictures of everyone at the dinner table.
But, as usually happens when I do that,
I got unflattering photos of everyone
with their mouths full and chewing.
Since I care about my relationship my family,
I will refrain from posting those pictures on the blog.

Let's just say I love and appreciate all of them.

Can I say it is wonderful to be together?

"It's the Fam"

Some of our favorite family quotes comes from the movie,

What About Bob?

.
"It's the Fam!"

"Is this corn hand-shucked?"

"I'm sailing!"

Well, I feel like "I'm sailing"
right now with our three daughters
under our roof
(which for the next few days is also known as
Bunny Hollow Bed and Breakfast.)



Thank you sons-in-laws, Dan and Justin,
and our wonderful grandchildren for giving up your
wives and mothers for awhile.
(We would love you to be here, too!)

Lucienne wonders . . .

How Grandpa gets any computer work done
when I'm not here to help him?



If Grandma is going to taste more like
Chocolate or Strawberry?

Definitely Chocolate!!!

As they say . . .

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words!

Getting Ready!

While I was making this

with all the coordinating papers, ribbon,
chipboard, and hardware,
I kept coming across notes like this



tucked inside the packaging.

My Friend, Barbara ,gave me these beautiful paper supplies
for one of our "Twelve Day of Christmas" gift exchanges.
Every gift I opened at Christmas
had several wonderful notes tucked inside.
It was fun to pull these packages out today to use
and find even more notes hiding in there.
Thanks, Barb!

Can't wait for tomorrow when I pick up Tiffany and Lucienne

Let's See . . .

Today:

I had to make three different recipes of chocolate cupcakes.
The first recipe was was too dry and somewhat bitter.
The second recipe had a great flavor but fell in the middle.
The third recipe was just OK, but they had to do.

Does anyone have a great chocolate cupcake recipe?

Our microwave died
and we had to buy a new one.

The Furnace/Air conditioner serviceman came
and we had to spend $200 to get the air conditioner working.
(although it is still so cold that I can't imagine ever using it!)

On the positive side,
I stopped by an Activity Day Evening.
The leaders had put together a wonderful activity for the
girls and their mothers and/or grandmothers.
Painting nails, making bath salts, taking pictures with Cinderella.
An enchanting evening put together by some lovely ladies.

Aunt Beth's Funeral

A very fitting funeral today for Aunt Beth.

Everyone agreed that this picture fit her perfectly.
She was well loved because she loved so well.

I felt quite amazed as we sat in the chapel waiting for the immediate family to come in from the family prayer. I looked at the three rows that were filled with all of Aunt Beth's nieces and nephews, and realized that all but three of my Grandmother and Grandfather Hall's grandchildren were in attendance at the funeral. Only one first cousin has passed away and the other two were unable to come from out of state. I thought of Gran and Dad Hall and how it must feel to see almost all of your grandchildren, ages 50 to 72, gathered together to honor their daughter and our aunt.

As I sat there I mentioned to my brother-in-law that I wished I could take a picture but that it probably wouldn't be appropriate. In spite of that, both he and Natalie offered to do it, and Natalie went up front and snapped this picture. Not a great one, because she would have had to stand on a bench to really get everyone, but nevertheless one I will treasure.

Aunt Beth was buried in the Springville Evergreen cemetery
where many family members are buried.
Here are Gary, Me, Richard, and Charlene (we missed you Tom)
standing in front of our grandparent's headstone.

Can you tell it is very windy and bitterly cold?

We roped in a few of the cousins as they were walking to their cars

On our way home I had Gary drive past Aunt Beth's house
and the house my Mom grew up in.


So Many Memories

A Day filled with Memories

It's been a such a good day.

We left Stake Conference a little early to pick up my brother, Gary, who flew in from California for Aunt Beth's funeral. I love talking with Gary and hearing his memories. Gary is the oldest of my four siblings, and he mentioned tonight how he didn't even know Mom was expecting me until she was six months along. When we walked down to talk with Maisel and Kay (our cousins), Gary recounted that. Maisel's response was "Well, you were pretty naive for being 16." They were very different times for sure.

Gary and I talked about their children, Chuck and Christine, who both died of a skin disease known as epidermolysis bullosa. Gary's wife, Lynn, started the foundation EBMRF after they passed away and has devoted her life to it. http://www.ebkids.org/index.php

Words cannot describe the pain of those who have it deal with this disease daily. Tonight as we watched videos with Chuck and Christine in them, I was once again reminded of the incredible lives they lived. One of the things we watched tonight was a recording of a an April 1989 LDS General Conference session in which Elder Hugh Pinnock spoke of Chuck. The whole talk can be read at http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=cf1027cd3f37b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav
and it is well worth reading.

This is what he said of Chuck:

"Many of us have a special hero. His name is Chuck Anderson. Brother Anderson died fourteen months ago. He had an extremely rare disease, epidermalosis belosa. When he was young, whenever his skin was touched, it would hemorrhage. After a time the injury would scab over. Cotton would partially protect his hands, feet, and other areas of his body, but not well enough to avoid the pain and scabbing. His skin became a form of inflexible tissue. He could not touch his scalp, so combing his hair was very difficult. He lived to be twenty-six years old, but never during those 312 months did he have a day free of pain, scabs, and bandages, or a day that he could run and play as others.

But he decided to be positive and as productive as he could be. He had a wonderful sense of humor. His example of courage and being as self-sustaining as possible blessed everyone who knew him. Of course, his wonderful parents, friends, Church leaders, and teachers did all they could, but Chucky Anderson determined he would be as self-reliant as possible. He desperately wanted to serve a mission, but could not in the typical sense. So what did he do? He served a mission by helping all who knew him to know that he was a Mormon boy and loved the Lord. He made the decision to forget himself and do all that he could do to be courageous, helpful, and build others."

I want to write much more about Chuck and Christine and the amazing people they were. I learned so much from Chuck (I was only 8 when he was born) and later from Christine. I want to pass their legacy on, because there is much to be learned from the lives they lived.

Thanks Dear!

Forget the flowers
Forget the Candy

this is the best gift you can give me!

PS: But don't forget Chicos!

Ahhhh, Spring

It really is SPRING.
The snow has melted off the curb!

There is a SPRING in my step.
(and my step is just little sore after attending a zumba class)
Description of Zumba: "Latin workout that burns calories, promotes fun. Horns blare, drums pound, timbales keep time while 40 women shake, shimmy and swivel in unison. Whoops and hollers ring out as a petite redhead with the best abs on the planet leads the women through the salsa, cumbia, cha-cha, samba, mambo and merengue."

PLEASE DON'T LAUGH AS YOU PICTURE ME DOING THAT!

There is SPRING in my heart
as I think of my wonderful son-in-law, Justin,

who has a birthday today!

SPRING reminds me of the blessings
of the the Atonement,
of Rebirth,
and of the knowledge that one day we will be reunited with
all those we love who have moved on from this life.
Which I feel very poignantly right now.

My heart is very tender today, Aunt Beth

When I got home this afternoon I saw on caller ID that there was a call from my Aunt Beth's house. They had not left a message, but I knew it was probably sad news. Aunt Beth fell a few weeks ago and had been in a rehab center. I visited her there last week and she was not doing well. The family brought her home a couple of days ago because they knew the end was near and she wanted to be at home.

The last time I saw Aunt Beth at her home was about 6 weeks ago when I stopped by the house in Springville. As she walked me to the door she teared up and said how much she missed my mom. Mom was one of five sisters who were about as close as sisters can be. They talked on the phone daily. At one of our reunions we made family flags, and my family made a flag that included a phone on it with yarn connecting it to a phone on one of her sister's flag. Aunt Beth was the last sister left, and I can only image the talk going on among those 5 sisters right now. There was actually another baby, Fern, who died as an infant, so that would make it an even livelier conversation.

Gary and I went over this evening to visit the family who was gathered at her house. The house itself is full of memories. It was the home where my grandma and grandpa lived and my mom grew up there. I only knew my Grandma, and by the time I was born she had moved into a smaller home down the street and Aunt Beth and Uncle Arnold had moved into the family homestead. I spent many many days and nights in that home playing with my cousin who is just 3 months younger than I. We had most Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas parties there when I was growing up. There is a lot of history in that old house. If the walls could speak . . .

It's hard to see an entire generation gone. Fortunately there remains an amazing closeness with the "Hall Cousins." We've had reunions every three years for as long as I can remember, and this summer we had a reunion up on the Oregon Coast for all the first cousins. I'm so glad Aunt Beth and Aunt Ruth (who died in September) were able to be there.

Here is a picture of Aunt Beth last summer
as she was getting ready to go whale watching.

I will miss Aunt Beth.

We share the same Birthday,
and I've always felt a special bond with her.
She never wanted to draw attention to herself,
but always showed such interest in
the family and wanted to know
"how everyone was doing."
And I will miss her laugh.
She had the most amazing "giggle" that always
brought a smile to my face.

It's a Small World

A few years ago Gary and I got into a discussion about the theory of the "Six degrees of Separation," also known as the "Small world theory." We never did quite figure it out, but when I googled it, this was one of the explanations:

"Six degrees of Separation (also referred to as the "Human Web") refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is on average six steps away from each person on Earth." Want to get further confused, go to: File:Six degrees of separation.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I was reminded of the "small world" concept today. While I don't know how accurate the statistics are, I am often amazed at how small the world is, especially within the church community.

I was down at Kelly Services getting fingerprinted (somewhat intimidating) and talking with the employment lady. In our conversation it came out that she had only lived here for a year. When I asked where she had lived before, she mentioned California and asked if I had ever heard of Modesto. I told her I knew it well, as my brother lives there. She asked me who my brother is, and when I told her she said, "You are Tom's sister?" She couldn't believe it, and said how much she loved Tom. She said she had known him for many years, had lived in his ward at one time, and that when he was a high counselor that he gave the most wonderful talks. We talked about his children and what they were doing. Then she said, "well you obviously know Lynn P, who is Tom's cousin and who is the mother of my best friend."

All this from someone I had never met before.

What are the odds?

It made me proud to be Tom's little sister.

(Yes, Tom, I'm sucking up to you so you'll buy
me dinner or something this summer).

More Presentation

It was our Relief Society Birthday Party tonight,
and each table had a cake made by different ladies in the ward.
They were beautiful.
I confess, I partook of two of them, and they were also delicious.
If I could have gotten away with it,
I would have sampled all of them.
It's probably good I couldn't get away with it
(without embarrassing myself, anyway).

The food wasn't the only thing presented well.
Words were spoken about each of the General Relief Society Presidents.
While I found hearing about the President's lives inspiring,
I also felt very touched by
the sincerity and appreciation the ladies expressed
as they talked about them.

It's All in the Presentation

I went to lunch with my friend, Dianne today.

We had a lot to catch up on.
We didn't try to figure out life
or ourselves too much today,
because we had much more
important things to talk about.
Like her son's wedding dinner that took place on Saturday.
It was a fabulous affair held in a very, very
nice hotel in Salt Lake.
Let's just say that the ladies restroom was
far more elegant than any room I've ever been in.

And then the food was wonderful.
Gary had to take pictures of it with his camera phone
because, as he always says,
" It's all in the presentation."
(I really don't know where he picked that expression up)

Here is the "presentation" of a couple of the courses.
It was a very beautiful evening.
(And the mother of the groom, was exceptionally beautiful!)

And as for figuring out life,
I'm sure we'll be able to do that next time we get together.

Early St. Patricks day breakfast

Since we're not really into getting up any
earlier than necessary,
and
since I'll be at the RS dinner on Tuesday night,
we had our green St Patricks Day breakfast
for dinner today.

Thanks to Natalie and Gary for going green tonight
and cooking it all.

My day so far

Yesterday I called my friend, Robin, to see if she wanted to go
with me to our friend Cathy's daughter's baby shower.
Robin called back this morning and said she would like to,
so I told her I would pick her up at noon.
I googled Comanche Lane because I always get mixed up in
Indian Hills, and figured out how to get there.
Robin and I were both carrying our invitations
so we were able to find the house,
but were a little concerned that there was only a truck in front.
We made our way to the door where there was a sign that said,
"please remove your shoes."
We became even more concerned because all the

shoes on the porch seemed to belong to boys

with very large feet.
No dainty woman's shoes to be seen.
By that time we had rung the doorbell,
and a very tall young man in a basketball jersey answered the door.
Robin, in her very savvy way, had the presence of mind
to ask him if his mom was there.
He very nicely replied that she wasn't home right then.
I was still speechless, but Robin asked if he happened to know
if there was a baby shower, and if there was, where it might be.
At that point, both the nice young man and Robin and I realized
that we obviously had the right place, but the wrong day.
It's next week.
Well, all was not lost, as it was nice talking to Robin
since I haven't seen her for a while.

Once I got home I checked my email and found a response
from my sister wondering about an email I had sent out.
She had two questions:

Does it mean I am not invited if I am not on the email list???
Is it Sunday the 29th or Saturday the 28th?

I had sent a group email to the Anderson family inviting anyone
in the area to dinner when Misty and Tiffany are here.
She had gotten the email only because her

daughter had forwarded it to her.

Somehow I had not included her in the group mailing,

and I had said Sunday the 28th when

Sunday is actually the 29th

Then the phone rang, and it was Robin wondering

if she had left her phone in my car. She had.

That helped me feel a little better about myself.

Right now I'm thinking I better go take a second look at the

invitation for the wedding dinner we are going to tonight.

I did talk to the groom's mother yesterday

and we're riding up with two other couples,

However . . . I'm beginning to seriously doubt myself.

I think I'll go

take a second look.

Did you know . . .

That 75% of artists never finish their projects?

That's what I learned on one of my favorite shows,
Studio 5, that I DVR every day.
Here is the excerpt that I loved:

http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=71&sid=5833896
(Warning, only bother watching if you've always
dreamed of a an amazing craft room.
Otherwise you will be bored)

Well, I don't consider myself an artist,
but I do have those yearnings.
Who knows, Dad didn't pick up oil painting
until he was 58, so I still have time.

I felt like creating today, so I decided to make
this apron one of the 25% of my projects that I do finish.
Tiffany picked this fabric out for an
apron about 6 months ago, so it is long overdue.

It will be much cuter on you, Tiffany,
since you have a waist and the chair doesn't.

Ties criss-cross on the back so there is no

pressure on the neck

And the towel is detachable for easy washing
or if you just don't like it.


Hmm, Now I need to get Misty's Mu Mu done
before she comes out (Aren't you excited, Dan)

Then I need to make an apron for Lydia so we
can do some cooking when we have our girl's week.
What kind of fabric, Lydia?
Cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies,
pies, cherries, ladybugs?
I'll take some pictures of the fabrics and you decide.

Sometimes just thinking about creating is fun!

The snow that never melts

Last week I had high hopes that these
mounds of snow would be gone.
Then we got the snow storm that added more.

This is how it looks today.

Notice that all the way down the street,
our house is the only one with snow on the curb.
It is always that way,
and I usually complain about it.
Our snow is probably the last to melt
because the Colorado Spruce trees
and the front bushes block the sun.
I love those trees and bushes,
so I guess having snow a little longer is worth it.

Hint to someone:
Remember how much I love those trees and bushes
next time you want to cut them down.
Thank you.