It's Nannie Annie Day!

Thanks Zeb, Leisy, and Kent. See you in a few hours! Merry Christmas everyone and remember the reason for the season.

The illumination!!!!!

So this is part of our annual Halloween tradition. Carve jack-o-lanterns on the Monday night before Halloween and then take them out on the porch to show them off. These are all pumpkins from my garden this year! I am proud of myself. Next year I'm going to work on giant pumpkins--Daysa tells me I'm a geek but wait until she sees the size of pumpkins I'm going to grow.

We love Halloween! And we really get into it. Sunday I did the Sunday before Halloween dinner--stew in a pumpkin and everything else Halloween and Harvest related. I really outdid myself this year. I tried a new stew recipe and Phil says it was the best ever "BY A LONG WAYS!"Just what exactly does that mean? I'll post the recipe later but it was stew cooked in apple cider.

The rest of the menu included orange colored lemonade, eyeballs, chunks of giant's earwax, cornbread baked with baby toes, and curdled apple pudding cake--yum yum. Laney, Taylor, Ashley Christly, and Hailey Oswald all joined us.

gotta go answer the door--TRICK OR TREATERS ARE HERE

I can't help myself

He's just so darn cute!

Sounds Familiar

I do belive that I have said all this before...and continue to say it over and over again.

So, my daughter and Dick Cheney....

I finally found the time to sit down and blog! Hooray. Last friday was the big day with Vice President Cheney, and it was an incredible experience. I learned that when people think you work for the whitehouse and you have the secret service pin, and the radio in your ear, with that little thing you hold in your hand and talk into, people will do almost anything you want. We got the event ready, i did everything from setting up the flags behind the stage, and making sure the hotel staff set up the chairs and stage correctly to buying the vice president his sprite zero (he only drinks sprite zero and decaff coffee). So Ibought the vice president's soda, i promised leisy i would post a picture of it, so here it is, in my car!






After buying the soda, we got ready for the Vice President's arrival,we worked a lot with the secret service, and my job was to get all the people ready who were greeting the vice president, and they were some heavy hitters, one of them was the reverend Billy Graham's Daughter, another woman was the mother of the ceo of Blackwater security (the company all over the news right now) and some other fancy schmancy people. Anyway, I lined them all up and gave them instructions, then the vice president came in with his motorcade and I took the Lt. Governor and his wife to their alotted seats. I worked on their campaign, so needless to say they were surprised to see me working for the vice president. Anyway, after that the meeting started and i worked with the people hosting the conference in the question and answer session of the Vice President's speech and afterewards I met the President of the Czech Republic and his entourage, my job was to escort them around the event and to meet the VP. It was incredible, there i was chatting with the president of the Czech Republic, and in Russian. He wasn't quite as friendly as his assistants, but i guess the president of a small former soviet nation, can't be all that friendly. Anyway after it was all over i had to take the Vice President's advisor on International Affairs to the airport, he had been in the private meeting with the vp and the czech president and he talked to me about it and answered my questions. I guess it was a friendly diplomatic meeting and they just chatted about the missile defense system the US is putting in Poland and the Czech Republic. Anyway, overall it was a really fantastic experience. And it was really quite fun.

I scored 100%--How about you?

http://www.blogthings.com/theitsitstheretheirtheyrequiz/

I NEVER thought I would say this but isn't this the MOST adorable baby you've ever seen? This is Baby Z bundled up to go out running with his mummy.

Have I mentioned how glad I am that they live far away?

Presidential Poll

Today, who would you vote for president?
	Mitt Romney
	Rudy Guilliani
	Fred Thompson
	John McCain
	Hilary Clinton
	John Edwards
	Barak Obama
	Ron Paul
	Your own spouse
	George Bush
pollcode.com free polls

We are a happy family!

First Christmas in our new house--December 2006
Metta giving baby sister Daysa a kiss.
Laney kissing Taylor on the cheek.
Kent kissing Leisy on the cheek (with Zeb in utero).
Mom and Dad in the chair.
Merry Christmas!


So here we are--the happy family on February 17, 2007. Phil and I in front; my sweet baboos, Metta and Daysa on the rock; Laney and Taylor, stunning bride and exceptionally handsome groom; and doctor-to-be son-in-law Kent and glowing Leisy (with Zeb in utero).


Here's Zeb (out of utero). Isn't he adorable! Don't you dare say "no." This is my daughter's baby, my husband's grandchild, and I'm THE Nannie Annie.

Biggest Loser

Yippee! My favorite tv show is back! The Biggest Loser. I love this show because it is real people losing weight the real weigh (ha! pun intended). They watch what they eat and they exercise. Granted, we can't live on a ranch with a daily trainer and a dietician and doctor on site. And we do have family to feed and shop for. And we do go to work every day and we are tempted by goodies and luncheons and the perk of desserts when we travel.

But other than that, I think this show is pretty realistic. What I especially like about this show is that if I'm going to watch it, I'm going to be exercising while I watch it. I get out my 5 lb weights and my exercise mat and my exercise ball and when I'm watching, I'm exercising.

So this year, while the losers are losing I'm going to commit to you to lose too. You are my diet buddy so help me out. I'm going to commit to 10 lbs by Christmas! So, watch for a posted picture of me now (well later this week when I can get someone to help me post a current picture to my blog).

Starting today, September 6, I'll keep a Food Diary an exercise log here. I'm open to any diet and exercise tips.

Tip for the day: DON'T DRINK SODA POP

7Habits Teen Event in Sweden

Check out the pictures from my 7 Habits Teen event in Sweden. As you can see, it was a beautiful location and the people were fabulous. Pictures were taken by Nils Kampe of Finland--Thanks Nils!

Cut and paste the link below:

http://www.nilskampe.com/FCNA_Teens/

Denmark and Sweden Trip

My latest travels include a trip to Denmark and Sweden. Phil joined me and we flew into Copenhagen, Denmark. Copenhagen is absolutely lovely and the people are so friendly and helpful. A work colleague and her husband, Gitte and Torben, invited us to stay with them the first night and it was so pleasant and relaxing we stayed with them the whole time! We had a great time and learned UNO the Torben Egbert way. If you're interested in a game of Torben UNO call us and we'll teach you his rules.

The weather was perfect: upper 70s and occasional rain.

We stayed at a place called Snogeholmslott in Southern Sweden (a more recent old castle--see the pictures above). It was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest and a lake.

Several Danes told us this is not Sweden it is still Denmark that the Swedes took over. Apparently once a year several Danes get together and go to southern Sweden and take a shovel full of dirt back to Denmark.


While in Sweden I taught a 7Habits Teen class to a group of youth ages 13-20. It was a really fun experience and they were great kids. They were less than thrilled to be there--their parents work for FranklinCovey and wanted their teens to go through a 7 Habits course. But I think when it was over they really had a good time--at least that's what they told me.

The weather was wet and foggy, perfect weather for a castle setting.

The only downside to Sweden: mosquitoes and slugs.


Shopping was fun, sightseeing was fun, our hosts were incredibly generous and I am now willing to do a "house share holiday." Anybody interested?

August 17, 2007 6:13 AM
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Everyday life

Hello world! I'm kinda thinking this is fun after all. It justs takes me a bit. This week finds us doing what we do. Daysa attends Lehi Jr. High Leadership camp everyday this week, tumbling on Tues and Thurs, a stake pool party tonight, ortho appointment on Thursday, and night games with the neighborhood gang every night.

Metta is busy working two jobs and hanging out with her "friend." I look forward to school starting for her so she can get back into the school social scene and get working on her college education. She's busy and she loves making desserts.

Ulla and Alan came by and visited last night. Daysa gave a BRIEF family home evening lesson. And Phil and I are trying to work and get everything caught up and ahead since we'll be gone a week.

And so life goes. How about in your world? Is my life just like every other mother/professional?
I'll check in next week and update you on our trip. Hopefully I'll have some pix to download.

Be safe and be smart. Tip for the day: WALK!

Help!

And so here I am trying out a blog! What the heck do I say? How the heck do I get it to look good? And will anybody ever read it or care? Why do we blog? Is it because we want someone out there to hear our cries? Is it so that someone out there will validate our feelings? Or do we all feel that we have something incredibly profound to say.

I have to admit one of the things I liked most about Sex in the City was Carrie Bradshaw's ability to sit and write and get it out and it all made sense. She made it look so easy. I think "I could do that!" So why don't I? Not enough time? Am I afraid that I can't do that? I'm supposed to be a writer.

So, reader, help me! Tell me how to do this and what you want to hear from me. You validate me, I'll validate you.