All The Fun Stuff

Ice Cream at Serendipity



The Gallery Theater

Savannah, Brooklyn, and I enjoyed a “Girl’s Night Out” on Friday night just to make sure we celebrated Brooklyn’s birthday sufficiently.  We went out for pizza and ice cream and then to the local Gallery Theater to see Annie.  We’ve been singing “Tomorrow” all afternoon. 

Wild Wood Cafe

On Saturday, John and I went on a little date of our own after his basketball game.  We were both starving, and since he was positive I didn’t love him as much as the girls because he had to go to Chinese class during our “Girl’s Night Out”, I made it up to him with eggs, sausage, pancakes, toast, fried potatoes, part of my omelet, and OJ at the Wild Wood Café.  He was in heaven.

Winter Formal

Savannah and I learned how to tie a bow tie through an online tutorial just in time to tie one on Jackson before he met his date for Winter Formal on Saturday night.  I think he ended up looking pretty sharp and he had a great time.

Savannah was featured playing the piccolo during her band concert last Monday night.  She also played the flute in sacrament meeting today.  Incidentally, Yuhua spoke in sacrament meeting today and did a fantastic job.

Happy Birthday James!

The kids and I spent your 45th birthday evening writing down 45 reasons we think you’re great.  Enjoy!

1. You are good at eating ice cream. – John

2. Your artwork has inspired some of my own. - Jackson

3. You make hamburgers for us. – John

4. You have a great singing voice. - Betsy

5. You are a good camper for daddy daughter campouts. - Savannah

6. You fix things around the house. - Yuhua

7. You make me laugh. - Brooklyn

8. You are good at earning money.  – John

9. You keep the food stocked up. – Yuhua

10. You are the super awesome fixit dad! – Savannah

11. You can make me laugh. - Jackson

12. You clean my car for me. - Betsy

13. You take me to the store with you. – Brooklyn

14. You take many great photos AND you date and organize them. - Betsy

15. You’re a macho man! -  Jackson

16. When you say you are going to do something, you remember and do it. – Yuhua

17. You are our cats’ favorite person. – Savannah

18. You are good at tickle fights. – Brooklyn

19. You keep our family safe. – Yuhua

20. You are good at mowing. – John

21. When you come home to visit you take time to replace burned out light bulbs and fix things around the house. - Betsy

22. I enjoy our discussions about history and politics.  They have been a motivation for me to stay well informed. – Jackson

23. You are a great photographer. – Brooklyn

24. You are prepared. – Yuhua

25. You know just what to say when I’m mad or sad. – Savannah

26. You frequently ask me where my purse and keys are and plug in my cell phone for me. – Betsy

27. You are good at hotdogs. - John

28. You are always up for a new idea. – Savannah

29. I like having good talks with you. – Jackson

30. You are good at computer stuff. – Brooklyn

31. You are intelligent. – Yuhua

32. You take the time to write thank you notes to people. – Betsy

33. You have great musical interests. – Savannah

34. You make the best lunch. – John

35. You give me good advice about girls, being a man, and stuff like that. – Jackson

36. You are good at imitations. – Brooklyn

37. You teach me how to work things like our DVR. – Savannah

38. You are always on time. Yuhua

39. You tell corny jokes and make us laugh. – Betsy

40. I love hearing your stories. – Jackson

41. If you were a medieval knight, you’d be the hero of the fairytale. -  Savannah

42. You notice special requests the kids make and then remember and wrap up these items as birthday and Christmas gifts.  I love that some of these items have been deemed appropriate for certain birthdays and that the kids look forward to receiving these gifts at the appropriate age. – Betsy

43. You are the kind of dad that I am proud to introduce my friends to. - Jackson

44. You want to fix things when you make mistakes. - Yuhua
45. You help me. – John

Happy Birthday Brooklyn!

Today Brooklyn turned 12.  She graduated from Primary and was welcomed into Young Womens.  She attended tithing settlement with the family and told the Bishop that she paid her tithing this year.  She waited patiently downstairs while Savannah and I decorated for her birthday and made her requested birthday dinner-- crepes with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, whip cream, and syrup (no low blood sugar around here tonight).  She snuggled on the couch with me wrapped in the zebra blanket with arms (Snuggie) she received for her birthday and watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.   She blew out 12 candles on her favorite kind of cake, angel food cake with strawberries (aka angel fruit cake).  She talked to her dad on the phone, told him all about her birthday, and thanked him for the Leatherman (a gift she has been waiting to be deemed old enough for) that he wrapped up when he was home last and left on a shelf in his closet for her to open on her birthday.  When she was ready for bed, she asked me to tuck her in like she has every night, that I am home, since I can remember. 

  12th Birthday

  Brooklyn and Savannah went to Young Women's together for the first time today

The birthday decor

Crepes for dinner

Wearing her zebra snuggie and holding up the Leatherman from dad

Happy Birthday Brooklyn!

For your 12th B-day, here are 12 things we love about you:

1. Your funny sense of humor and big smile

2. Your creativity, art, and illustrations

3. The stories you write – we think you could be an author someday

4. Your desire to do your best in school - You are one smart girl

5. Your love of fruit of all kinds – I think I didn’t feed you enough veggie baby foods

6. That you are really good at accents and got into the first school play you auditioned for because of your great British accent

7. Your baking skills and the way you save an extra portion of special desserts to pack in your lunch the next day -- You have already packed a piece of angel food cake away for tomorrow

8. Your thoughtfulness and the joy you find in picking out gifts for members of your family

9. Your love of books and that almost every morning I find you reading on the couch after you wake up

10. The way you love the cats and they love you and think you are their mom

11. Your talent for good hair dos 

12. Your desire to choose the right

Joy

1999

Last summer while skiing in the sunshine across Lake Cour de alene, I had the distinct impression that my friendship with Andrea and Kelly is one of those compensating blessings in my life.  Over the weekend, I was reminded of this and felt grateful that our friendship is a shared priority.

Lughesworth is a term invented by Jackson and Eli to describe our combined families.  Over the past 10 or more years the Lughesworths have had a ton of fun vacationing together – necessary because we only ever lived in the same town for about a year.   No matter the set-backs, Lughesworth reunions press on.  Despite financial trauma, the rotavirus, head lice, broken fingers, a broken wrist, broken boats, stomach flus, strep, newly adopted children who don’t speak English, post surgery recoveries, mishaps with vacation rentals, distance, scheduling conflicts, winter storms, and challenges that can’t be spoken of here (but this would be more fun to write if they could), Lughesworth reunions do not postpone or cancel.  (The best was the year we picked up RID shampoo for everyone on the way to the coast.) Thank goodness! Because these friends always provide the rejuvenation I need to carry on. 

Our Lughesworth Thanksgiving weekend was a success.  This Thanksgiving I felt thankful for true friends who have stuck with us through thick and thin.  Thanksgiving Day was pure joy – a successful feast to share with our families made and cleaned up in the company of friends.  We cooked enough food for an army: 2 turkeys, 30 lbs of mashed potatoes, 2 pans of sweet potatoes, 3 pans of stuffing, lots and lots green beans, 108 rolls, so much raspberry fluff salad that it became required eating at every meal, and pies galore.  We may have overdone it on every dish except the rolls.   The fluff salad lasted until the bitter end and as I was locking up the beach house to head home, I noticed a trail of pink fluff salad up the front steps.  The fluff salad is a lot like our friendship – enduring.

2010

More photos and highlights of our weekend Coming soon…   



Debt of Gratitude

I’m not sure how you thank people like this. 

Jackson had planned to get his Eagle Project done over the summer after we moved to Idaho.  When we were still here at the end of July, I suggested that he pick a project that could be completed quickly and get started before we moved.  Jackson contacted a local women’s and children’s shelter to find out what they were in need of and see if he could do a drive for them.  When he found out that they were in need of beds, he decided that maybe he could build some.  We discussed this idea, and of course I was thrilled that he had finally decided on a project that he felt good about.  I think we were both naïve about the time commitment though. 

Since James was in Idaho and I had no idea how to build a bed, I suggested that Jackson contact Brother Brooking, a true craftsman, and really good friend.  Jackson found a pattern for a twin sized bed online and called Brother Brooking to see if he would be willing to give him some advice on how to go about this project.  In hindsight, I don’t know if I would have allowed Jackson to contact Brother Brooking if I'd had any idea what we were really asking of him.  Brother Brooking agreed to help and he and Jackson spent hours planning, pricing wood, buying wood, sanding, building a prototype, and then building the beds.  Jackson knew he was going to learn how to build beds the right way when Brother Brooking had him sand all the wood before he even made the first cut. 

The Brookings fed Jackson meals and put up with a big mess in their garage for several weeks while the beds were being built.  It was necessary to work at their house since they had all the tools.  All total, I am sure that Brother Brooking spent over a hundred hours helping Jackson with this project.  

Eventually the beds were brought to our house and Jackson invited friends and youth group leaders to help finish the sanding and staining.  Siblings were involved too.  Two weeks ago the beds were completed and the Brookings came over with another friend in our ward to help Jackson load them onto a trailer and deliver them.  It was pouring down (and I do mean pouring down) rain.  These friends came cheerfully and spent another couple hours with Jackson delivering the project. 

Later that evening, I asked Jackson if he realized how many hours Brother Brooking had spent helping him with this project.  He replied that he did and that he was so grateful.  I told Jackson that I hoped someday he would spend hundreds of hours helping some young boy complete his Eagle project.  He said, “I will.”  We have all learned about a lot more than building beds. 

Who's in charge?

Why is it that days like yesterday (where I go to bed feeling like a good mother because I spent quality time with one child while the other children were having a ball together luging down our stairs) are always followed by days like today where I wake-up wanting to know, "Who the heck is in charge around here?"

"Oh ya."

"Me."

The house was a disaster this morning, three out of five children left important items at home that required me to make extra trips to school, and there were complaints of no clean socks.  On days like today, I’m confident that I should be fired.  Good thing I have some job security. 

Winter Olympics

Jackson and I went to Vancouver today for an appointment and then stopped in Portland to do a little shopping on the way home.  I really enjoyed the time with Jackson, and apparently the younger kids really enjoyed the unsupervised time at home.  While Jackson and I were away, our stairs were transformed into a luge track.  Here is what we came home to…

Of course Jackson and I had to try it out too.  James, the kids insisted that I post this video for you.