Down at the WAP

This is the Wild Animal Park's last Christmas for "Festival of Lights." We didn't want to miss it (since we have missed it for who knows how many years, but we used to go every year)! So we met Jocelyn there for an afternoon and evening of park delights. I love the lion camp. Currently they have 8 lion cubs (at age 13 months) lounging, leaping, licking, frolicking, boxing all over their open enclosure. The cheetahs appear at dusk so we enjoyed them as well. After our safari tour around the back enclosures, we enjoyed wandering around looking at the lights. A good time with family.

Dilemma

Here is my dilemma. Jocelyn set up my blog listing the 5 siblings under the heading of "My Little Ducklings" in reference to the finger play and the great Mother's day card the siblings put together last May! But, where do I put Jack? I don't want him to feel like he's a "little duckling" but I don't like separating him out into "Family blogs." Whadjagonnadue? I'm taking suggestions. By the way, I think this is great - this is the biggest dilemma going on in my life right now!

Spoken

Today I spoke in Sacrament Meeting. I chose two of my favorite general conference talks: Elder David A. Bednar's April 2005 talk on The Tender Mercies of the Lord and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's October 2008 talk on The Ministering of Angels. What gratitude I have for these two talks that spoke on things that have encouraged and uplifted me during trials and challenges. And how thankful I am for experiences of the Lord's tender mercies and the presence and attendance of angels both heavenly and earthly at times needed in my life. I started a list of these experiences but realized some were too personal to share or the list would get too long. But I think it would be a good thing to journal and read when I'm in need of a tender mercy! However, I don't know why I don't choose a topic for speaking in church that is not quite so dear to my heart so I could just give a talk for once in my life without tearing up! Next talk will be on the importance of giving service cleaning the ward building!

"Robertson, Party of Four"

Our Halloween celebration was very different than usual! No one came over (because we were sick) and no one went trick or treating (we're just too old) and no one carved a pumpkin (dad would have if I could have found a pumpkin)! But I really wanted us to have the fun of Halloween so I tried to make it a party. I couldn't find any pumpkins to carve on Halloween day (the only day I had time and any energy from being sick to look for a pumpkin) but ended up buying a "Cinderella" pumpkin to use as fall decoration and then the fake plug in and light up Wal-mart pumpkin (which I put outside - soooo nice to have electrical outlets outside). I bought doughnuts, favorite snack foods and some Halloween candy (not much good stuff left) and put some fall mums on the table. Brent set up the fog machine outside the front door. Chelsea dressed up in her Halloween costume she wore to school (and to the Renaissance fair the next day - borrowed from Lyn) and she and Brent answered the door for the trick-or-treaters. Between door knocks, we all played Mancala (two boards). It's great to play this game with mom and dad when they are too sick to think! So, even though it was just a party of four, we celebrated Halloween!

From blog to book

I was reading my Creating Keepsakes magazine on the plane and came across a great idea that I thought I'd share (or know where to find again). You can turn your blog into a bound book at http://www.blurb.com/. Here are some blog template sites they suggested as well: http://www.bloggerboutique.com/; http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/; and http://www.simplyfabulousbloggertemplates.com/.

Orlando, Florida Temple

On Sunday, October 12, we headed on out to church for 1 PM Sacrament Meeting. I had printed up the address at home and a map with directions. It wasn't very far away, however, when we tried to find the address all we found was a shopping center. Looking more closely at my printout I realized that this address was for a YA ward! But, also was listed another ward further down the road (miles). So hurrying down the road not to be late, we looked up to see the white temple looming ahead! We were surprised. We had forgotten there was a temple in Orlando. The church was across the street so afterwards we went over to enjoy the Orlando temple grounds. It was a very warm, humid day and hundreds of little lizards were scurrying all around. I should have taken a video of Brent trying to quietly sneak up on one and catch it - they were way too fast. I have never seen so many lizards! The temple grounds are beautiful and peaceful.

I took dozens of pictures. Wish I could format them better on this blog. And fortunately, I won't put all the pictures here! It makes me want to start a new family temple book - remember the one we made when Tamara and Jocelyn were little? We kept adding pictures of our family at temples we visited. Unfortunately it was in a magnetic album, so it is time to start over!

The Sound of Music

Last night, Brent introduced me to his imeem playlist. I enjoyed listening to the music he enjoys but wanted to set up my own playlist with music I especially enjoy. So, this morning, after Chelsea left for Seminary, Brent helped me with my own playlist set up. He got me going searching and saving different songs to my playlist . He really wanted me to put on some of his favorite songs as well. So, after he and Dad left for work, it was my turn to search and set up songs I like. It was so much fun! Just the songs I like!!! I have about 40 minutes of songs and I just sat down for the first time in YEARS and just listened to music--music I like!!!! I felt like a new me just discovering the joy of music. Wow, technology is so great to allow us to do this! I must go finish preparing my RS lesson for Sunday and today is the day to finish up my scrapbooking mess (find some place to store it all in an organized fashion - yes, in labeled photo boxes as well as giving up and storing American Technology packing boxes). But if I hurry and get everything done, maybe I can add more to my playlist. Ready, set, go!

Thinking outside the box

Well, it is good to see so many of our belongings that we are going to keep, out of the boxes they were stored in for the last year. And it is very good to see so many of our belongings repacked into other boxes and delivered to the Deseret Industries truck to bless the lives of others (??). And it is great to see junk thrown into trashcans!! But how painful it was for me to throw out Primary files!!! I told Mike that it was the only thing really organized in my life since we've been married and now I'm throwing out my only piece of organization. Guess I'll just have to replace that project with a new piece of organization (ok, like my scrapbooking supplies - no wonder Tamara wants to go digital). My scrapbooking supplies are in boxes stacked in towers by my side of the bed, spilling over onto Mike's side and filling up all the shelves in our closet). So, I went to Michael's and bought 12 photo (crafting) boxes to organize some of the supplies (I almost called it "stuff'). I found the boxes in the back of the store and was very disappointed with their selection - but I wanted them on sale so I bought them anyway. They now have poles on the ends of their Michaels shopping carts so you can't take them out of the store. So, a nice clerk was helping me with my large bags of photo boxes, when I turned around and there by the door were lots of cute photo boxes! So, she encouraged me to exchange the ones I had and even helped me take them out, choose cute ones and rebag (after carefully counting again to 12) all of them! So, here I am - back to boxes!

Shuffle, Shuffle

A good friend from church wants to encourage Chelsea in her leadership development and has blessed all of us with great talks on CD or DVD! While still in the apartment during summer, Chelsea and I were home alone after church and decided to listen to one of the talks. She put it on Dad's computer and we got comfortable and began listening. Of course, on a Sunday afternoon, I became a little too comfortable and after listening to most of the talk, I dozed off. Chelsea and I later were talking about what a good talk it was and she went to get it out of the computer. While there, she found out that we had listened to the whole talk in shuffle mode!!! And it was still a great talk!

A neighborhood walk

Instead of rushing off to work this morning, I thought I would take a little time to cool down after my two mile walk. It feels sooooo good to get back into the habit of early morning walks. I can feel the stress and tension drain away as I hurry along. I enjoy studying how neighbors have or have not landscaped their front yards and I get some ideas on how to fix ours up. I enjoy the fresh air and this morning, a very nice cool breeze - the first of fall! Hurrah! I feel so good after two and a half weeks of walking that I feel like I could extend my walk and even go walking again in the evening (which never seems to happen). I'll keep it at two miles this week and then I'll challenge myself next week. Ahhh, maybe fall is really around the corner.

Ahhh, Family

After a long and busy past few weeks of moving back into the house and preparing final touches for Tamara and Jack's wedding reception, I took a very long afternoon nap! Almost went into hibernation (well, it is a warm August day and the AC was so wonderful I could just sleep and sleep). After sharing vanilla ice cream covered with hot chocolate pudding with the family, we watched wedding pictures by Esther and the slide show from the reception that Carl made (somehow I missed seeing those during the reception!). Such a great event! And now, I just read Tamara's, Jack's and Jocelyn's blogs. I wanted to comment on their blogs, but only sappy things would come out about how wonderful they are and how happy I am for my children. And the feelings became more intense and almost teary. So I decided not to comment on their blogs and just leave a little note on my own blog how grateful I am for each of my 5 plus 1! What terrific kids (ok grown-ups!). Thanks for sharing your pictures and stories - I love it!

What are you going to do?

Whadjagonnadue seems an appropriate title for my blogspot. Whadduhyathink? I guess I had the Andrew Lloyd Webber tune in my head and I thought, that is what I think alot when dilemmas in life arise. Maybe you have some other ideas (like Jocelyn did) for my blog - this is an open forum! And now that Chelsea has taught me how to edit my title, I can do it often (or not).

Now and Then...

Our new kitchen is coming along beautifully! So I thought I would add a before picture (actually it is right after the flood and things are pulled out, cupboards hanging open - not a normal neat and tidy kitchen like I ALWAYS have) and a now picture (realizing it still isn't done). The new Kitchen Aid appliances are great! The refrigerator has a digital reading for temps for both fridge and freezer. We're waiting for the plumber to connect the water line to the fridge as well as to install the dishwasher. The house is coming along. Our expected return date is Aug 6 -moved back one day. The final inspection will be on Tues Aug 5. It is expected to take as many days to have our belongings brought back in to the house and put away as it did to take them out. But we only have 3 days for them (not the 5 they took). I have had some friends and mother volunteer to help put things away or whatever is needed, so maybe we can speed it up as well as leave some boxes to go through later.

And now, would you like to see pictures of the front of the house with it's new makeover? A new garage door, trim around the old family room (now master bedroom) window, new entry way and new front window (chimney is gone!)?

Setting an example

Thanks to the help of my loving and talented daughter, Jocelyn, I have started blogging. Since I want all my children to share about their lives, I thought I better join in, too.