Sad Mama!!

Alright - it is still just less than a year away before Cali leaves for college but I am already getting emotional over it. Tuesday evening Jim, Cali and I went to a CES fireside to hear about the church schools, enrollment etc. So - I was doing fine until they showed a video clip of kids moving into their dorms and saying goodbye to their kids - I lost it! Then the thought of my sweet little girl turning 18 this week is just about enough to put me over the edge! Cali also took the ACT for the last time this Saturday and she is starting the college application process - I hope I survive all of this! I know I have been through this before with the boys (and I didn't do too great then either) but there is something about having your daughter go off to college - oh my - think Jim better have a nice surprise planned for me after we drop Cali off at college to keep me from having a total breakdown! (hint, hint Jim!)

Friday I flew down to Napa, California for a Women's Retreat. It was put on by a business coach I have worked with in the past and she asked me to do a presentation at her retreat on "Making Your Home a Haven". We stayed in a darling little house in Napa and the weather was beautiful. Saturday afternoon we went to a state park and climbed up a hill that had an incredible view of the valley and the vineyards with all the beautiful fall colors. My presentation went well and it was nice to get a little time away (love you guys!)

It was a wild weekend to be gone and Jim did a good job of holding down the fort. Friday night was a high school football game - Westview was undefeated so far this whole season but lost to Jesuit Friday night. Tessa went to the game with friends and Jim went with friends Larry and Marsha Jensen. Cali stayed home to prepare for the ACT and her NATS competition which was also the next day - proud of you Cali!!

Saturday morning Cali had to be at the school early to take the ACT. After that Jim drove her out to McMinnville (an hour away) to Linfield College to sing in the NATS (not sure what it stands for but it is the association of voice teachers) competition - she sang three songs. I was so sad not to get to hear her but Jim said she did great! Jim also had to drive Tessa to dance so he got a dad workout on Saturday.

It was Stake Conference for us so Jim went to the adult meeting on Saturday night and the girls had a morningside Sunday morning before the main session.

I flew home from California this morning and got home around noon. Unfortunately I left my cell phone in the rental car but fortunately someone turned it in and they mail it to me!

We are getting ready for Cali's big 18th birthday party next weekend - wish you all could be here to help us celebrate. We made a cute invitation tonight so thought we'd share it with you! I know she'd love to have some birthday wishes this week - you can email her at toothpck124@yahoo.com.

Boy Update:

Good news - Clark got a job. He will be working from 3-6 each day at a BYU call center. I think they answer questions from people having a hard time navigating the BYU website. Clark had some male bonding time Friday night with some of his old freshman roommates where to quote Clark they "ate a lot of meat and laid on the couch"! Saturday Clark was asked to Preference (the girl ask boy date) and the dance was held on a train that went up to Heber and back.

Logan had a busy week with school and rehearsal(show opens next Friday) and he was a bachelor this weekend. Shayla went home to see her sister's show so Logan helped his friend Mark Boothe out Friday night and DJ'd a dance. Saturday was rehearsal and then he went to a Young Ambassador Progressive Dinner Halloween Party. He dressed up like a cowboy - easy way out Logan!

Thanks to Wynn and Emily Logan and Clark were well fed today - thanks!!!!

When I got home tonight I had a little bit of a "cooking bug" after not cooking for a couple of days so I tried a new cookie recipe and to quote Tessa they were "absolutely amazing"! I'll post the recipe later in the week on my www.ahomebasedmom.com blog - check it out later in the week!

Leigh Anne is so excited to see her boys the end of this week. Jim has business in Salt Lake the end of the week and he had a frequent flier ticket on Southwest so I get to go with him!! Yeah!! We will see the opening night of Logan's show Friday night.

Make it a Great Week!

Check out my Slide Show!

Show Week

This week was "Show Week" at our house - that means we all spent a lot of time at the High School! Each fall the high school puts on a children's theater production and this year it was "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" - a popular children's series of books. Cali had the part of "Leslie" a cute girl with pigtails. Leslie has a problem though - she can only read upside down! So her teacher solves this problem by having her stand on her head to read. Wayside School is a crazy school - including a teacher who turns children into apples, a mysterious 19th floor that doesn't exist and there is also a boy named Myron who sits behind Leslie and loves to pull her pigtails. Leslie screams everytime he does - there is a lot of screaming in this show and Cali was pretty hoarse by the time the last show was over!

Monday and Tuesday were dress rehearsal. I went to watch and take pictures (took over 900 photos) which I then came home and downloaded and edited down to about 450. I helped with hair and costumes backstage too. Wednesday they performed twice for area elementary schools and I took more photos (because 900 isn't enough!). Thursday was opening day with a matinee at 4:00. Jim was out of town so missed it (Seattle)but Tessa and grandma and grandpa were there as well as all the neighbors. Jim arrived home from Seattle just in time for the Friday evening performance, Tessa chose to go to the football game. Saturday was a wild day - Cali had to be at the school at 6:45 a.m. for the choir to go to a morning workshop where they sang, they rushed back to the school for the matinee and then the evening performance - no wonder she was hoarse! Tessa ushered at the evening performance. We then hosted the cast party at our house from 9 p.m. until midnight.

I had worked at the bridal show Saturday morning at the convention center with our Creative Memories booth so missed the matinee show but hurried home to get ready for the evening performance and the cast party - thank goodness for Costco. I sent Jim to Costco Saturday morning - we served lasagna, garlic bread, salad, mozzarella sticks and brownies - the kids managed to consume most of the food and had a great time dancing, playing board games and playing with the Wii. It was a long day though - getting up at 6 a.m. and not getting to bed until about 1 a.m. - I am too old for that I think.

Tessa spent most of Saturday at the dance studio - from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in class and rehearsal for their holiday performance of La Boutique. In between class and rehearsal she takes her homework and goes down to Starbucks , eats her lunch and does her homework. Thanks to Clark (he recommended them) - we have discovered Pumpkin Spice Steamers at Starbucks - they are SO GOOD. I don't like Pumpkin but they really don't taste anything like pumpkin - YUM!! I've got both the girls loving them now too! Tessa enjoyed one during her break on Saturday.

Sunday morning started early with a Mia Maid Class Presidency meeting at our house at 8:30 a.m. - fortunately I had made cinnamon rolls a few weeks ago and had put a bunch in the freezer so I just pulled those out for the girls.

Wednesday night Tessa and I went to the temple with the YM/YW to do baptisms. I had some family name slips from Tamara that Tessa and some of the other girls were able to do which was nice.

It was a busy Creative Memories week - with several training calls, a team webinar, the bridal show and then another webinar training this weekend. In addition to that I had a board meeting for American Mothers on Friday - I was tired and ready for bed last night at 8:30 p.m. (thus no blog entry last night)!!

I can't forget the "Boy Update" this week:

Clark - took a date (their second date)Friday night to a haunted house and then spent the rest of his weekend studying - what a good boy! He has a big Spanish test coming up he is getting ready for. Thanks to Aunt Tricia for feeding Clark and his roommate Tyson on Sunday -Aunt Tricia - Logan would like me to remind you that he is also available for Sunday dinners :)

Logan - sounded really tired on the phone yesterday - he had a wild week. In addition to writing his 3 articles for the Daily Universe this week and his other school work he made a day trip down to St. George with the YA's to do a show. Shayla's parents came and took him out to dinner while he was there. The YA's also performed for the "President's Club" These are indivduals who all contribue a minimum of a million dollars a YEAR to BYU! They are gearing up to open their show in another week so rehearsal is getting pretty intense!

Logan and Shayla also went to a haunted house this week - guess it is that time of year. After rehearsal on Saturday Logan was able to take in the last half of the BYU football game - in the snow!

Logan called earlier in the week to tell us he had had one of the most harrowing experiences of his life. He had gone into the news room to hand in an article. Next week Supreme Court Justice Roberts is coming to BYU. In preparation for his visit an interview had been set up with Federal Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the US Ct. of Appeals who is a member of the church. There was a specific date and time for the interview and Logan happened to walk into the news room during that time and no one was doing the interview so he was handed the phone, the recorder was started and he was told to do the interview - he had no prep, no warning and really knew nothing about the man.

About a couple minutes into the interview the Judge realized it was being recorded and in all the confusion Logan had not told him - he basically told Logan he was insulted that he hadn't been told he was being recorded and the interview was over and he was hanging up. Using his improv skills learned in drama Logan apologized to the judge, explained the situation to him (new reporter, last minute assignment etc.) and thanked him for his willingness to do the interview, for his example, paving the way for those who come after him etc. - The Judge continued with the interview and in an email to Logan this week told him to stay in contact! Logan said he was drenched in sweat by the end of the interview but pulled it off! Guess he is meant for this PR stuff!! When Logan told his teacher what happened his teacher even admitted they would have just hung up - Logan saved the interview!

Hope everyone has a great week - we are looking forward to getting a bit more sleep this week!