Christmas Letter

Has it been a year already? So much has been going on at the Mecham house that we don't know if we can fit it all in one letter.

Dallin turned 5 and started kindergarten in August and is doing really well. While his classmates are busy learning the alphabet, he is reading! He amazes us every day by what he can comprehend. Forget Dr. Seuss. He likes reading the more challenging stuff, like cereal boxes, billboards, and warning labels. Dallin loves Batman (he was Batman for Halloween). He also has been showing more of an interest in music. We love it! He asked Cheryl to teach him the "Monsters vs. Aliens president song" (Axel F). He learned it in one day and plays it over and over now. He has also been singing more as well.

Alyssa will turn 4 in February and is still our little girly girl. She was Belle for Halloween and made a point to twirl for anyone that would look her way. She constantly asks if she can wear makeup and she's only truly happy when she is wearing a dress. She started preschool in September and has loved it. She is also really smart. She has been writing her name with ease for some time now and has better handwriting than Dallin. She is very artistic and loves to color and draw all the time. She's really into Barbies and Polly Pockets and princess movies.

Brian has had an interesting year. He lost his job in July but ended up getting it back in September with the condition that he be willing to take on the assignment to oversee a job in Fillmore (2 ½ hours away). He is now out of town weekly from Monday to Thursday until next August. Working in Fillmore is better than no job at all and it's guaranteed employment until August, so we can't complain too much. But needless to say, it's very hard on him and we miss him terribly. At church, he was called earlier this year as the executive secretary to the Bishop. It's been really hard for him to keep it up from Fillmore, but he's determined to make it work.

Cheryl started a job in August as an editorial assistant for the Deseret News and Church News downtown. This is the first job she has had in 5 years and it's a huge adjustment from her stay-at-home mom life. We thought it would take a while for Brian to get a job in his field, so we thought Cheryl better get a job to cover things until he did. His work called him to come back one week after Cheryl started her job. Talk about terrible timing. Cheryl promised 6 months to her new employers so they would feel they weren't wasting their time on her, so she's stuck for a while. She is still the pianist in Relief Society and the unofficial advertising specialist for the enrichment committee.

So, what's happening with the kids while we are both working, you ask? Cheryl's sister Julie and her family moved in with us in August. They sold their house in Tooele and were planning on staying with us for a few weeks while they found a new house. As luck would have it, they couldn't find anything they liked right away, so they have stuck around and Julie has become the most wonderful second mother to the kids. It's still really difficult for everyone involved, but we are trying to make the most of it. And it's only temporary. We feel so blessed that Cheryl can quit around February and doesn't have to continue to work, especially since she is pregnant with our third child. Surprise! We are so excited. We have waited a long time for this newest member of our family to join us and we can hardly wait to meet HER in May. (We had the ultrasound this morning and we are having a girl!)

If you made it through this whole novel, you are a real trooper. We wanted to let everyone know that through all our trials this past year, we truly feel blessed. We have been protected and cared for in ways that can only be attributed to Heavenly Father's hand in our lives. This season, we hope we can all focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!

Love, Brian, Cheryl, Dallin, Alyssa, and Baby Mecham

Be smart this holiday season

It makes me really sad to see so much greed and overspending going on all around me. It seems as if everyone around me has all the money in the world to spend on their children at Christmas. At Walmart (in West Valley, I might add), I see parents with carts overflowing with expensive toys. I don't know of many neighborhoods in West Valley that are filled with people rich enough to be spending so extravagantly. These are people that have probably lost their jobs in the past year or survived a layoff. At the very least they have probably had someone close to them affected by the economy. Doesn't it make them a little nervous to be spending all their money, or more likely, racking up their credit cards, when their future is unsure? Doesn't it make them feel guilty that they are surrounded by people that are less fortunate? Doesn't it make them worried that their kids, with such an abundant choice of toys, will choose to play with the discarded wrapping paper instead? Or forget about these toys in a month and start demanding more from their indulgent parents?

Having gone through Brian's job loss this past year has really opened our eyes on wasteful spending. It hasn't cured us completely, and we are far from perfect, but we also realize how important it is to save. We could have lost our house if his unemployment had continued a few more months. I feel like with Brian and I both working right now, we are better off that we ever have been, but most of the abundance is going straight into savings. In this economy we can't afford NOT to save. Unemployment could happen to us again at any time. You never know what the future holds, but we are going to be as prepared as possible. Our kids are only getting 3 or 4 presents each, none costing more than $35 each and most costing around $10 each. And I'm positive that they will both be thrilled with their presents and not notice anything lacking.

I know there's a lot of pressure from kids to get them what they want. There's also the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses, or the pressure on your kids from schoolmates to trump each other with the presents they received ("I got more than you!" or "My presents were more expensive/bigger than yours!") But what are we really teaching our children by giving them big expensive things or way too many things? Children these days could really use a lesson in responsibility and humility. They need to be aware that there are so many that can't even afford food, let alone presents.

They also need to be aware of money and what it takes to earn it. We've started giving our kids a little allowance every week, and I've been very proud of their decisions. When they ask for something at the store, I ask them if they want to buy it with their own money. Every time, Dallin has said, "No, I want to save it for something else." If he didn't have his own money, he would have whined the whole way through the store that we didn't buy it, but when it comes down to his own money, he would rather not waste it on frivolous purchases. He's trying to save up for something that is worth it, and I'm proud of him.

I hope we can all humble ourselves this season and look around us. So many people are suffering, yet so many people are indulging. I hope we aren't on either side of that spectrum, and that we are sitting happily somewhere in the middle, having a great holiday season that isn't all about material goods. Presents are not the reason for the season! Merry Christmas everyone!

Parent/teacher Conferences

I am so proud of myself for writing on here more often! I'll try to keep it up.

I have to meet with Dallin's kindergarten teacher tonight for parent-teacher conferences. I'm a little nervous because she has blocked out a whole 30 minutes to meet with me and Dallin. I know he has had some troubles at school, mostly with paying attention and not playing nice. He's a brilliant child, so I'm not worried in the least about his "report card." We will probably talk the whole time about how I'm a bad mother and what I need to do better. I know I'm being harsh on myself, but from a teacher's perspective, when a child doesn't behave well, they tend to believe it's a problem with parenting. I'm gearing myself up to cry the entire time and insist that I AM a good mother and I AM trying my very best. It's making it harder and harder to keep working because I feel like if I were there for him during the day, he would be doing better. My sister is amazing with the kids, but she's not me and therein lies the problem: they need their mom.

But it's not too much longer. At the very most, I will work until March. If I have my way, I will work until January. Someday we will look back on all this as a distant memory. Now, if we could just get through Brian working out of town until August…. good times.

What's going on?

I feel like a lot of what I write on here is very negative and complaining...sorry! But read on. I have a positive message with this one! (But you have to read through a little negative first!)

Ok, what is going on with the world? I know the economy's down and it's cold outside, but this is scary. Our ward has it BAD. No one will volunteer to help. No one will comment in class. Class attendance is way down. Visiting and home teaching aren't really happening. People aren't fulfilling their callings. They don't show up on time. They won't agree to give a talk or even say a prayer. They don't attend ward temple night. They don’t attend their meetings….I could go on and on.

I can definitely see the influences of the world pulling people away. To all those (including me sometimes … I'm far from perfect) who get down and pull away from everything, I just have some "pick-me-up" words from President Monson. It's long, but I think we all need to hear it, especially the last paragraph:

"The world seems to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace.

Anxiously we ask, “Is there a way to safety? Can someone guide us? Is there an escape from threatened destruction?”

The answer is a resounding yes! I counsel you: Look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It calls, “This way to safety; this way to home.”

I plead with you, my young brothers and sisters, to remember who you are. You are sons and daughters of Almighty God. You have a destiny to fulfill, a life to live, a contribution to make, a goal to achieve. The future of the kingdom of God upon the earth will, in part, be aided by your devotion.

Let us remember that the wisdom of God may appear as foolishness to men, but the greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right. Some foolish persons turn their backs on the wisdom of God and follow the allurement of fickle fashion, the attraction of false popularity, and the thrill of the moment. Their course of conduct so resembles the disastrous experience of Esau, who exchanged his birthright for a mess of pottage (see Gen. 25:29–34).

And what are the results of such action? I testify to you that turning away from God brings broken covenants, shattered dreams, vanished ambitions, evaporated plans, unfulfilled expectations, crushed hopes, misused drives, warped character, and wrecked lives.

Such a quagmire of quicksand I plead with you to avoid.

You are of a noble birthright. Exaltation in the celestial kingdom is your goal.
Such a goal is not achieved in one glorious attempt but rather is the result of a lifetime of righteousness, an accumulation of wise choices, even a constancy of purpose.

Our goal is to achieve, to excel, to strive for perfection. Remember, however, that our business in life is not to get ahead of others but to get ahead of ourselves. To break our own record, to outstrip our yesterdays by today, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could, to give as we never have given, to do our work with more force and a finer finish than ever—this is the true objective. And to accomplish this task, our attitude is reflected in a determination to make the most of our opportunities.

The race of life is not optional. We are on the track and running, whether we like it or not. Some see dimly the goal ahead and take costly detours which lead to disappointment and frustration. Others view clearly the prize for running well and remain steadfast in pursuit. This prize, this lofty and desirable goal, is none other than eternal life in the presence of God.

Amidst the confusion of our age, the conflicts of conscience, and the turmoil of daily living, an abiding faith becomes an anchor to our lives.

By seeking Heavenly Father in personal and family prayer, we and our loved ones will develop the fulfillment of what the great English statesman William E. Gladstone described as the world’s greatest need: “A living faith in a personal God.” Such faith will illuminate our way as the lighthouse of the Lord.

When you have an abiding faith in the living God, when your outward actions reflect your inner convictions, you have the composite strength of exposed and hidden virtues. They combine to give safe passage through whatever rough seas might arise.

Wherever we may be, our Heavenly Father can hear and answer the prayer offered in faith.

Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.

Should doubt knock at your doorway, just say to those skeptical, disturbing, rebellious thoughts: “I propose to stay with my faith, with the faith of my people. I know that happiness and contentment are there, and I forbid you, agnostic, doubting thoughts, to destroy the house of my faith. I acknowledge that I do not understand the processes of creation, but I accept the fact of it. I grant that I cannot explain the miracles of the Bible, and I do not attempt to do so, but I accept God’s word. I wasn’t with Joseph, but I believe him. My faith did not come to me through science, and I will not permit so-called science to destroy it.”

“The Lighthouse of the Lord,” New Era, Feb 2001

The longest post ever!

So, I haven't written forever. The last anyone knows from this blog is that my world is over and Brian doesn't have a job. In August, I was able to get a job and about 1 week after I started, Brian got his job back. Great timing, huh? And I promised my work that I would stay at least 6 months, so I'm stuck. Anyway, it just so happened that my sister and her family are staying with us until they find a house. They haven't had any luck, so everything is just falling into place and she is watching the kids while I'm at work. Brian's working on a project in Fillmore, so every week he is in Fillmore from Monday through Thursday. It really stinks, but I'm just glad my sister and family are with me so I don't feel so alone. They are such a support right now. Family is great!

Ok, so I don’t know what's come over me, but I read an article yesterday that I just can't get out of my head. (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705343400/Utah-group-finds-homes-for-orphans.html) It's about two orphan brothers that came to the U.S. to get adopted, but didn't succeed in finding a family and were sent back to Ukraine. The people involved said that the kids were never told that they would be adopted, so there's no harm done. It was advertised as just a really neat trip to America, but knowing that 25 of the 31 kids that came will be adopted, there's no way the 25 kids aren't going to talk about it to the 6 kids that didn't find a home.

Working at the newspaper, I hear terrible things every day and I usually shed a few tears and then force myself not to think about it anymore. I tried that with this article and for some reason it's an impossible task. I was asking Brian what he thought it meant. Are we supposed to adopt these kids? We decided that no, that wasn't right for us right now. It doesn't make any sense. Not only because of the insane amount of money but because I am expecting. Surprise! (Sad that you have to read through my boring post before you get the good gossip, huh?).

So, what am I supposed to do? Why is the story of these boys eating away at me constantly bringing me to tears every other minute? I know, you are thinking it's pregnancy hormones, but, like I said, I always cry at sad news, but then I let it go. The very best thing I can think to do is to get the word out to as many people as possible that these boys need a home. Maybe someone I reach will be able to adopt these boys. Please help. Spread the word! Thanks.

Down in the Dumps

I’ve been down in the dumps lately and no matter what I do, I can’t get over this depressed feeling. It feels like there’s just one thing after another dragging us down. Mostly it has to do with the fact that Brian lost his job 3 weeks ago. I’ve been trying to get a job so we can collect Brian’s unemployment, but the job search is going nowhere. I haven’t worked for 5 years, so no one wants me. I still have the capability to work, but no one will give me a chance. One of the jobs I applied for had received over 400 applications. There’s so much competition, I’m afraid nothing will ever come along. Brian is an architect, and there are no open architect positions in the state, so I’m not holding out much hope for us. We are living off food storage and not spending hardly any money, but money will run out in a month or two. Maybe this is to teach us how to live more frugally. The amount we used to spend every two weeks, in hindsight, seems like a fortune. Maybe we needed this wake-up call to stop being wasteful, get our food storage in order, and save, save, save. Even if Brian finds something, it’s likely that this could happen again someday. I hope we are all taking the prophets council to stock up and save money to prepare ourselves for hard times.

YES or NO

Here are the rules:
1. You can ONLY answer Yes or No.
2. You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages or comments you and asks. --and believe me, the temptation to explain some of these will be overwhelming nothing is exactly as it seems.
3. Tag some friends.

Been arrested? No
Kissed someone you didn't like? Yes
Slept in until 5 PM? no
Fallen asleep at work/school? no
Held a snake? yes
Ran a red light? no
Been suspended from school? No
Experienced love at first sight? yes
Totaled your car in an accident? No
Been fired from a job? no
Fired somebody? no
Sang karaoke? Yes
Pointed a gun at someone? No
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? no
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes
Kissed in the rain? Yes
Had a close brush with death (your own)? yes
Seen someone die? yes
Played spin-the-bottle? Yes
Sang in the shower? Yes
Smoked a cigar? No
Sat on a rooftop? yes
Smuggled something into another country? No
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? no
Broken a bone? no
Skipped school? Yes
Eaten a bug? Yes
Sleepwalked? No
Walked a moonlit beach? Yes
Rode a motorcycle? no
Dumped someone? Yes
Forgotten your anniversary? No
Lied to avoid a ticket? No
Ridden on a helicopter? No
Shaved your head? No
Played a prank on someone? Yes
Hit a home run? no
Felt like killing someone? Yes
Cross-dressed? no
Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? no
Eaten snake? NO
Marched/Protested? no
Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? No
Puked on amusement ride? No
Seriously & intentionally boycotted something? no
Been in a band? yes
Knitted? yes
Been on TV? Yes
Shot a gun? Yes
Skinny-dipped? yes
Caused someone to have stitches? no
Eaten a whole habenero pepper? no
Ridden a surfboard? no
Had surgery? Yes
Streaked? No
Taken by ambulance to hospital? yes
Passed out when not drinking? Yes
Peed on a bush? no
Donated Blood? Yes
Grabbed electric fence? no
Eaten alligator meat? No
Eaten cheesecake? YES
Eaten your kids' Halloween candy? yes
Killed an animal when not hunting? No
Peed your pants in public? Yes
Snuck into a movie without paying? No
Written graffiti? No
Still love someone you shouldn't? No
Think about the future? Yes
Been in handcuffs? No
Believe in love? Yes
Sleep on a certain side of the bed? Yes

I tag:
Jamie
Maggie
Andrea
Evette
Jami
Heidi
Lettie
anyone else who wants to do this!

Pay it Forward

Here's how this game works-the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the next couple of months, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or be lazy and copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play (comment) and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Remember, only the first three get a gift, so you have to be super fast!This will be fun! I am excited to see what comes out of it ... HURRY, this will be fun!

My Talented Brother

I just wanted to post my brother's song on here... I recorded the piano and then he recorded it at my house. I think it turned out really well. It's the first song in my jukebox on the right. (This is a Celtic Women song, if you are interested. It's really beautiful.)

American Idol Disappointment

I've been waiting patiently for Ryan Seacrest to mention the songwriting contest... and yet another night passed with nothing mentioned. So I went online this morning and found an article saying that the contest was canceled and that Kara will probably write the song. The article was a few weeks old, but at the time, Kara said she'd take a stab at it and see what happens. She is taking the opportunity so lightly, when others have been working hard all year and would kill for the chance. I didn't seriously think my song would win, but I wanted a chance to try. Oh well, I'll finish it off and put it on here so at least a few people can hear it. I'm very proud that I actually wrote a song from start to finish that I'm not embarrassed about (except for my vocals). I guess I have to just be happy about that!

Here's the link to the article: http://television.aol.com/american-idol/2009/04/07/idol-cancels-songwriting-contest/

Kids are wonderful!

For those of you that think my blog is only used for complaining, I decided to write about my wonderful kids and the funny things they do every day that make me smile.

Two days ago, Alyssa was acting grumpy and wanted to sit with me while I was sewing. It's really hard for me to hold her while I'm sewing, so I set her on the chair next to me and she fell asleep!

I was reading a book with Dallin yesterday and he saw a picture of a cockroach and he said, "Eww, a coachrock!"

I was looking Alyssa in the eye and said "You are so beautiful." Her response..."Mommy, your eyes are green, just like an alien!"

Anytime Dallin plays a game or we get something that has instructions, he says "We need to look at the "constructions."

When Alyssa says the prayer, she says "thank you for the food" but she doesn't bless it, so we whisper "bless the food" and she says loudly "I already did!"

Last time we went to the zoo, Dallin kept asking us where the "miracle ground" was. I couldn't figure out what he was talking about until he said, "I want to ride the panda on the miracle ground." Merry-go-round...go figure.

When I whisper "I love you" in Alyssa's ear, she always says something unrelated back in my ear, like "I'm hungry" or "Let's go to Nana's house."

Dallin really wanted to jump on the tramp last week, but it was snowing, so we got all our snow gear on and took him out to jump. He had a blast!

Alyssa sometimes has a fit if she has to be buckled in the car. I told her once that the police would take me to jail if she didn't get buckled. She started crying and said "But mommy, you're my best friend." It made my heart melt.

Dallin likes to make up jokes that don't make any sense. They usually go something like "why did the shark cross the bridge...so he could fall in the water!" Like I said, they don't make sense, but they make me smile all the same.

The other day, the kids wanted to ride their bikes. I put a helmet on Dallin and then tried to get one on Alyssa. She got a shocked look on her face, put her hands up to the sides of her head and said, "But mom, it will mess up my hair!" What a girl!

I love my kids. They cheer me up when I'm blue, they make me laugh, they keep me young.

(See, I can be positive!)

Scared for the Future

Some of you may know that I play the piano for the local middle school choir class. Well, occasionally their teacher, my ward-friend Brenda, has them sing a solo of their choice in front of the class. I have unfortunately been present at too many of these "performances." They usually don't practice and show up on the day and stick their ipod in their ear and sing along to a song only they can hear. It's painful to say the least. Even if they do prepare, it's usually an easy Disney song they've known all their life, so it's not quite fair. I know I'm just the pianist, but I had had enough, so I told Brenda that the kids need to step it up. I volunteered to bring in some art songs from home and told her she needed to assign each student a song. They were songs they had never heard before and were somewhat difficult. (She wouldn't let me pick songs in Italian, darn it :0) Anyway, she gave the songs to them about a month ago and occasionally let them practice in class. Today was the day for them to perform... it wasn't much better than the old performances. Half of them didn't even try to have their song memorized (they held music in front of them). I was playing as quietly as I could and still couldn't hear them. When I could hear them, they weren't singing all the words and notes right. One of them even decided to change the song from how I had been practicing it with her. She cut a verse and told me in the middle of the song to skip to the end. I got to help grade them and it's no surprise that only one student got above a 60%. Sad, isn't it? I don't know what I or Brenda or anyone can do to get through to these kids. I've never seen so many kids that have no attention span, no respect, and no ambition. I know I sound negative, but you'd have to be in my shoes to know that I'm being kind right now. It's really so much worse than I'm portraying right now. I cry for the future and what my kids will have to go through and hope that they will rise above.

American Idol Thoughts

When the judges announced last week that there was going to be a change in the contest, I was praying that they would say they were changing the voting procedure... alas, they announced they could save someone...which is a good thing, but not what really would have solved the problem of the best person getting voted off. THEY NEED TO SET A LIMIT ON HOW MANY TIMES YOU CAN VOTE! It's that simple. If each phone number were allowed only 5 votes, the results would be a lot more accurate of what the country really wants. The way it is now, why would I vote at all unless I plan to call for the entire 2 hours straight? The results are showing what a small obsessed group of people want and not what the majority of America would want... case in point, anyone remember Taylor Hicks? How about Ruben Studdard? They had their home states voting for them just for the sake of someone from their state winning...after they won, who could care less about them? The show's numbers would be much less impressive if they changed the voting. Ryan would be saying "we had a disappointing 100,000 votes." I think that's the only reason they aren't changing it. Dancing With the Stars has the right idea. They limit votes and for the most part, I usually completely agree with the results. Another option would be to let America choose the bottom 3, but then have the judges pick which one needs to go. Or let the judges pick their top three and give them immunity... oh, the things I would do if I were in charge!

By the way, did anyone like Adam's song on Tuesday? It was very weird, not exactly the kind of music I would listen to, but, man-o-man, can that boy sing!! He's the only one I look forward to every week, just to see what vocal feat he will attempt (and succeed in)... everyone else is predictable. I want to see them change things up and do something other that karaoke, which almost everyone does! They sound great, but ....yawn...boring.

Ready for Spring!

We are so ready for spring right now. We were teased last week with 2 days that felt like spring. We went to the park (I attached pictures of our outing), took walks, rode bikes, put up the tramp... and then it gets cold and gloomy again. It's just cruel! I think it would be easier to deal with if we weren't teased so much. I was all ready to get out the capris and sandals and now I'm back to coats and long pants. The kids are going nuts inside all the time. We have cabin fever! I have tons of projects I can't get to because the kids are so bored that I'm playing with them 24/7 to keep them happy. Spring will come soon enough and then summer will quickly follow and I will be wishing for fall. Time flies too fast around here!

American Idol Song

I have been working very hard on composing a song for the American Idol finale (I know you are laughing at me... that's ok). For those of you who don't know, they have a contest every year for songwriters to write the song that the new winner sings on the last show. Let's just say.... I am SO out of my league here! Last year, I listened to the songs and every one of them was recorded in a studio with a band and everything. They say that you can just record a rough copy, yet every year, the only finalists they pick are all professional. I feel like I have a decent song, but no way to get it sounding like they want it to sound. Brian's co-worker was kind enough to let me borrow his super-expensive microphone (the one I have been using was only $30 at RadioShack), so that's helping, but the house needs to be absolutely silent. When does that every happen with 2 kids? I'm just frustrated, but just my luck, they probably won't even have the competition this year and it's all for nothing. The cup is half empty today. Just kidding... I really have never tried to write a real song with lyrics and everything, so it's been a fun experience.

Alyssa is 3!

Our little Alyssa just turned 3 on Tuesday! Yay! I love birthday celebrations! I thought I would share some of my feelings about Alyssa.

Alyssa is so special and we just love having her in our family. She is so funny and makes me laugh all the time. She is also so compassionate. If I'm crying, she will come pat my back and put her head on my shoulder and sing me a song to make me feel better. It's so sweet. She seems so much older and wiser than three sometimes. She has been getting really interested in art lately. She would draw, paint, and play with playdough all day if I would let her. She also loves to dance and pretend she's a pretty princess ballerina. She wears pretty dresses and skirts everyday (all her pants are going to waste because she just won't wear them!)

We got Alyssa a scooter for her birthday with Disney princesses all over it and streamers coming out of the handles. It's a girly scooter through and through and she loves it. When we first put it together, we let her ride it in the house. She rode it in the kitchen and then rode it upstairs to the bathroom and then to her bedroom and had to sleep with it right next to the bed. In the morning, she rode it into my room. It was funny to see her so attached to it already.

We also got her a new princess blanket that lights up. She showed it to me and gave me her best silly smile. I'm not sure what she's trying to do, but she looks hilarious!

We love Alyssa so much. We are blessed to have her in our family.

Love It!

We just bought the greatest new gadget. I'm so excited about it. It's kind of like a Tivo, but not as expensive and no service contract and you don't need cable to use it....just good old-fashioned rabbit ears. It's a Magnavox DVD recorder with a 160MB internal memory (got it on Walmart.com, but they are all sold out right now :0(
I can record a show to the hard drive that I want to keep forever, edit out all the commercials, and burn it to a DVD. (Tivo can't do that!) I can pre-set all the things I want to record and, ta-da, they are recorded in perfect HDTV quality. I know I'm behind the times if I think this is awesome, but I've been looking for a long time for something that would work with an antenna and not have a service contract. Can I help it if I'm a little excited?

Random Stuff

So, someone (I'm not naming any names) told me I need to write on my blog more. I told her that I don't have many interesting things to say, and I'm not witty enough to make boring stuff interesting. But, in any case, I'll try to write more.

I was talking to this same person about trials and why we have to go through them. I mentioned a quote I had heard and she was interested in getting the quote, so here it is!

Elder George Q. Cannon (1827-1901) said "The Saints should always remember that God sees not as man sees; that he does not willingly afflict his children, and that if he requires them to endure present privation and trial, it is that they may escape greater tribulations which would otherwise inevitably overtake them. If He deprives them of any present blessing, it is that he may bestow upon them greater and more glorious ones by-and-by.”

I really like that. It helps to know that there's a reason we have trials...not just some quota of misery that God has to fill. :-)

Hmmm, what else can I ramble about while my house remains a disaster. (I'd much rather type than clean.) Oh, I can vent about the most painful choir practice ever last night. It was for a stake conference choir that will perform in 2 weeks. I guess I've taken it for granted that our ward is especially musically gifted and that others are not. We are singing 4 verses of a hymn and, get this...3 of the 4 verses will be sung in unison! I couldn't believe my ears. And then on top of that we had to sit and practice it for half an hour! (and we will practice again next week for half an hour and then again 20 minutes before the Stake Conference session... can I pull out all my hair yet?)

I shouldn't be this critical. I actually feel really guilty that I am criticizing. We are supposed to do the best with what we are given, and if that's what our stake choir is capable of, then they shouldn't do more than that. It's just hard for those of us who like a challenge to have patience in that setting. Can I just say how grateful I am to live in a ward where there happens to be a lot of musical talent? I'm not sure I could attend a choir like our stake choir on a regular basis.

Have I filled my quota for blogging yet? At least for today? .... Good!

THEY ARE FINISHED!

I finally finished my couches (well, at least they LOOK done...I still have some hand-sewing to do). They turned out better than I could have hoped for. We found some really nice micro-suede at a discount fabric store and got a great deal on it. Now I have to make new curtains for the room to be complete. And since the couches turned out so well, Brian wants me to re-upholster a chair in our family room. I think I need a break from upholstering furniture though.

I Must Be Crazy

I'm determined to take on the craziest project ever. I'm going to attempt to re-cover our living room couches. I have no upholstering experience whatsoever, but then again, I had no sewing experience whatsoever before I was married and have figured that out pretty successfully, so why not? I just hope it doesn't turn into a disaster! I'll post before-and-after pictures in a few weeks... maybe months :0)