All About Emma

I've Told y'all about Heidi and makenzies musical abilities but I haven't mentioned Emma yet.

Here you go.

Emma has an amazing lyrical voice. She loves to sing the most out of the three girls. She is patiently waiting until she is old enough to audition for encore, the choir Makenzie is in.

In the meantime she is an active member of the 8 th grade choir at her school as well as a member of the select women's middle school choir.

I love her choir teacher, ms. Klatz. She is really dedicated to the music program and even wrote for a grant to get a much needed piano for the program. Well, she got the grant and the school was given a gorgeous grand piano.

Here is Emma as part of her women's ensemble. And also her with her best friends.

Encore Christmas fireside

Tonight as a family we had the privilege of hearing the Encore choir of which Makenzie is a part. I felt the Spirit very strongly. I believe that the spirit of our Father in Heaven can be felt through music. I've always felt the closest to God through music and nature. I am so grateful that Makenzie gets to be a part of something so incredible. She also accompanied the choir on the piano for one of their songs.


The first picture is of the 2011-12 Encore choir

The second picture is the current choir with all alumni.

The Time I Drank Rotten Milk.....The NASTY

Yesterday I made a protein drink I had drunk quite a bit before my surgery. It was a chocolate powder mixed with skim milk. It always tasted good. So yesterday I made one and was really disappointed that it tasted NASTY. But I drank it anyway. I figured my tastebuds had somehow changed. A lot of things haven't been tasting so great. I made enough for two meals so I drank the NASTY again for dinner.

Sometime around 10:00 pm Heidi goes in the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal. She pours the cereal and then the milk and then takes a bite expecting the sugary sweetness of Trix cereal. Instead she got NASTY. She brought it to my attention where we realized it was indeed expired. We even had a new one in the fridge sitting next to it.

So now I'm laying here this morning in bed with the foulest taste in my mouth. It doesn't matter that I brushed my teeth. I guess that's what happens when you drink 8 oz of rotten milk!!!!!

I hope she doesn't read this.

I found these feety pjs last year after Christmas. There were only 2 and I have 3 girls but I decided to get them anyway because they are just so awesome. Heidi assured me she was just fine not getting a pair. Well, Emma loved them as I suspected but makenzie?

Nope.

She humored me with just one picture then promptly took them off. She also made me promise not to post the picture on Facebook.

I kept my promise.

Heidi's 6th grade winter concert

It was barely eight weeks ago that we were sitting there on the bleachers for her fall concert. I was quite impressed with how well they did for only having a small window for preparation. A wide variety of holiday carols and three of the choirs were fantastic.

I love having music programs like this in the schools. The sixth grade choir is a before school program that cost only $20 for the year. The teacher instructs all three choirs and is energetic and thoughtful. I'm glad Heidi can be a part of a program like this in middle school.

Merry Christmas

Ah, it's Christmas. The best day of the year. The house is quiet because everyone is at church. I'm not with them because I'm recovering from Gastric Bypass surgery.  I've set up a new blog to keep those that are interested in my progress or just about the surgery in general, updates as to how I'm doing.  It will be candid, forthcoming and may or may not include the words "passing gas".  There may also be squeamish pictures.  Just warning you folks.  So that website is www.greatgains.blogspot.com 


I will of courses mention things here about my progress on occasion but it will maintain this site to be an ecletic mix of randomness. Yep, randomness.

Speaking of randomness, today is Christmas and I feel like crap. I haven't had enough protien.  I looked over my doctor's sample menu for me and it's clear I did not do a good job today.  I just took a protien shock of 42 grams. It tasted nasty but i'm already feeling better. whew.  And I watched the finale of survivor tonight. I was out of town when it aired so we DVRd it.  Can you believe how mean Brandon's family is?  I mean, yeah, he didn't play the smartest game but he really was trying his best to be a decent person. I can't believe his family has deserted him like that.  Anyone like to comment on that?

Merry Christmas to all. I am grateful for the birth of my Savior.  Without Him we would not be here, pure and simple as that. I love this life I live and I'm grateful for all those that get to live it with me.

So Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.....

Ready, Set, drink up

Today is day 1 of my liquid diet. One week from today I am having Gastric Bypass Surgery. Am I nervous? Yep. I couldn't say that until I received the paperwork that told me death is a possibility. That along with heart attack and renal failure. I keep telling myself that anytime you have anesthesia that is a possibility. It still freaks me out.

I've had two other surgical procedures in my life, my foot when I was 22 years old and my tonsils about 5 years ago. Never anything where they "opened me up". FREAKY.

But I figure I'm gaining years onto my life by having this done. And I'm excited about the future. A year from now I should weigh 100 pounds less. Whoa, Nellie, that's a big number.

I'll keep y'all posted on what's going on.

Zoo Lights: A Portland Tradition

We had family from out of town arrive for a visit.  We knew the perfect place to take them, Zoo Lights.  It's not so much about the animals as it is all the lights and how they do them there. You can see a caterpillar grow into a beautiful butterfly, a gingerbread cottage and a lion who roars.  Being prepared with a warm coat and a mittens is a must, especially if you ride the train.

I wouldn't say that zoo lights are a tradition of ours as much as I would say some type of holiday light show is a tradition for us.  Last year we did Peacock Lane.  Several years we have done the Portland International Raceway.  Christmas lights are beautiful.  They just are.  They are a symbol of Christmas just like a Christmas tree and gifts under the tree are.  The lights are, simply put, light.  They remind me of the stars that clear night on the eve of the Savior's birth. They remind us to reach toward all that is good and true.

A friend of mine has a family tradition I love.  They pick a neighborhood and then drive around and choose the house that has the best light display.  Then they knock on the door of that house and award them with a prize.  I love that idea.

Do you have any holiday light traditions?  I'd love to hear about them.