Christmas time is here...

We've never had the Christmas stuff up so early. It makes me all verklempt. I'm not sure what to do next. Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl even did the majority of their Christmas shopping for each other on Black Friday. Go ahead and shudder, but at least we avoided the insanity that was Walmart. Well, except for going there at 7:00 a.m. for milk and rolling our eyes at the ten people in line for the three available T.V.s on the 8:00 a.m. sale.

The lights went up Friday and Saturday (bitter, bitter cold hands), and Game Boy graciously agreed to help with the tree Sunday evening. We watched The Muppets Christmas Carol as we carefully (yeah, right) placed each ornament. Things goes even faster when there are three of you working on it. Wah hoo!

Later, Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl continued another Christmas tree decorating tradition and listened to The Forgotten Carols while enjoying the beauty of the lights.

And no Christmas tree post from me would be complete without a crazy lights version of the tree, so here it is:

So long, Birdie!

Game Boy and Drama Queen finished up Cottonwood High School's production of Bye Bye Birdie just before the Thanksgiving break. The show was a lot of fun. Game Boy was several different characters (ensemble will do that to you) and Drama Queen once again got to show off her evil mother side by playing Mae Peterson, the overbearing mother of the main character (which, surprisingly, isn't Conrad Birdie). Here are some pictures the kids' friend posted on facebook from the show:

Giving thanks

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Eat lots of pie.

Wordless Wednesday (in video)

Game Boy and the Mysteriously Disappearing Hair

Sounds like a great title for a kid's book, doesn't it? Well, it's actually not all that mysterious. Game Boy is excited to be in his first high school musical (not that High School Musical) as Cottonwood is preparing to put on Bye Bye Birdie (oh, that high school musical favorite). With a setting in the 1950s and being called on to play multiple characters (ranging from a teenager to a fez-wearing Shriner), the glorious curls had to be sacrificed for art. So, Game Boy went from

to

Frankly, we don't mind so much. When did I get to be such an old fogey that I think the hair styles sported by most of the youth these days are a bit much to take? Am I really that old?

Okay, I just couldn't resist including this one. How cute is he?

Ah, Beethoven

The Utah Symphony has an amazing schedule this year. Thierry Fischer will be conducting all nine symphonies by the master, Ludwig von Beethoven.

Last Saturday, we went with Psycho Exercise Sis, Mr. Doctor Man, and Mr. Doctor Man's Sweet Mama to hear #7 and an amazing violinist play an amazingly difficult violin concerto. This Friday, we heard #6 (The Pastoral) and a wildly fun percussion piece. Most Happy Girl most happily enjoyed Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, which ended the program. Beethoven and Wagner in the same concert; crazy, crazy times.

Beethoven's most famous symphony, the 5th, won't be performed until February, but fortunately it's early enough in the month that we won't miss Genius Child #1's wedding to Georgia's Sweetest Peach. Unlike most people, my favorite movement from this one isn't the opening (dun dun dun DUN) but the fourth movement. Ah, so glorious.

Hold on to your hats, ladies and gents; it's going to be a wild season of classical musical!

Have you thanked a veteran today?

Today is Veteran's Day. Even though it's a national holiday, it usually passes by without my hoopla or recognition. Sure, we may notice that there's no mail today and the banks are closed, but when was the last time you thought about what the men and woman who have served and are currently serving in our Armed Forces have done and are now doing for us?

When I was in high school, the combined choirs from the Granite School District sang each year in the Veteran's Day Concert at the University of Utah. It was always a fun performing the Battle Hymn of the Republic and wonderful arrangements of America the Beautiful. The military band pieces were fun, too.

The highlight of the concert was when the band would play a medley of the various branches of the military's themes and all past and current members of that branch were asked to stand and be recognized. And a lone trumpeter would play taps for those who didn't make it home.

I hope that this is still happening with the choirs so that students today can see and feel and understand what it means to have the freedoms we enjoy.

So, I would like to express my thanks to all military personnel, past and present. I know that the service you give is more valuable than any words of thanks I can give. But thank you. May God bless you and your families.

Experimenting with pies

Tonight, the Relief Society activity is a pie exchange. Now, I love making pies. And Mr. Perfect loves eating pies I've made. His favorite is fresh peach. However, to make a fresh peach pie at this time of year would take a couple of weeks of planning (to find fresh peaches and give them time to ripen) and money (to pay for said peaches). So that left pumpkin, apple, or mincemeat to be truly seasonal.

Well, I do have fresh processed pumpkin in my fridge awaiting packaging for the freezer, but I wasn't in the mood for pumpkin (it's not my favorite). Plus, I haven never made a pumpkin pie, and I've heard it's challenging to make it with fresh pumpkin. I didn't want to show up at the party with a pie that would make the sisters in the ward pat me on the head, click their tongues, and pity my husband.

I've made several really good apple pies (according to others who have eaten them). I love apple pie, and I love making apple pie. However, this time of year, who isn't making apple pie? It just wasn't original enough for my Relief Society baking debut. (The cookies were for the Primary children, not their moms.) Is that too prideful of me? Probably. I have never claimed to be perfect.

I'm not even going to discuss mincemeat. I know my mom loves it, but really...

I didn't go hunting on the internet for a new pie recipe, but I did find one. And even though I wasn't up for experimenting with fresh pumpkin on my sweet T'ville 9th Ward sisters, I will experiment with Blueberry Sour Cream. I found this recipe on Jamie Cooks It Up. After the cutting and consuming tonight, I will post it on my cooking blog.

So, wish me luck.

Wordless Wednesday

Bathroom update

Things have slowed down a bit on the bathroom remodel front, but we have added a lot more of the details to the master bathroom such as

• A mirror - it's adjustable!
• A cupboard over the toilet
• Trim around the wall cupboard
• Towel hook by the sink
• Standing toilet paper holder

Things that still need to be done include

• Finishing the edging of the built-in shelf above the wall cupboard
• Grouting the window sill and built-in-shelf
• Sealing the crown molding and trims
• Touch-up painting
• Towel rack for large towels

I love the feel of the tile on my feet. I was worried it would be really cold in the mornings during the winter, but it's not. I highly recommend tile for bathrooms. It's so easy to clean and looks amazing!

Now, if we could only find the time to finish the main bathroom...

Wordless Wednesday

Snow is falling all around...

Snow is falling all around

On the rooftops

On the ground.

Snow is falling on my nose,

On my head and hands and toes.

Okay, so you can't really tell by the picture, but it was snowing when I took it.

Looks like we're in for another typical Utah fall. Two weeks of lovely weather followed by six months of snow. *sigh*