Cruise anyone?

Hey! I'm going on a cruise February 14-21 to the Mexican riviera and two of the girls in my room can't go. . .so if we don't want to pay more (can't, buying a house!) then we need to fill those spots!
It is $462 and my flight cost about $200. . . . Not bad for a 7 day vacay, right?

If you're interested, let me know!

Profound.

Invictus
William Earnest Henley (1849-1903)

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

I memorized this poem with Ms. Heart in either 10th or 12 grade English, I'm not sure. I had forgotten most of it, but the last two lines have always resonated with me. Aside from being beautifully written, they are true.
Tracie and I saw "Invictus" today and it was very powerful. Morgan Freeman was picture-perfect as Nelson Mandela and I don't know much about the guy he played, but I thought Matt Damon did amazingly. I just loved it. It made me want to learn more about South Africa, and Mandela, and rugby. I highly recommend it.

Officially becoming an adult

If graduating from college, having a job in a career and almost turning 30 doesn't do it, I'll officially reach adulthood on January 6. This is the day I am expected to close on my townhouse! It is in Balmoral Community, on 5600 west and 2800 south. It's totally cute with three levels and covered parking. I am finishing the basement, and when it is done there will be 4 bedrooms and 2 baths, and I may eventually put in a master bath.
I'll take pictures when we close, probably before we paint, and let you see it! I'm so excited!

The Blind Side

This is amazing. I knew it would be because it had Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, football, AND the south. Ever since the first trailer, I had been waiting for this to come out. I got to go see it with Jenn, which is always a good time. And Iggy's fries beforehand? Can't really get better than that.
I really did think this movie was fantastic. It was inspiring. It was funny. It was really touching. It made me want to adopt kids. It made me want to work harder with my trying students. It was just really well done. I highly recommend it.

On the other hand, saw "New Moon" as well. . . . I don't know that I realized what an unhealthy relationship is portrayed in book two. Don't get me wrong, it was entertaining and I won't lie, Jacob totally made this movie (I could definitely do without Edward AND Bella. Stop whining. Smile once in a while. Don't grunt and whimper when you kiss.) It is what it is, and I'm not going to rush out and see it again. Can't say the same for The Blind Side.

I heart Thanksgiving!

It's coming up. I'm really looking forward to this week. . .and not just because there are only two days of school!!! Well, really, since the students (and probably me) will be totally useless on Tuesday, just one! I saw this on another blog and loved it!

Ok. It's too big for my blog layout so I'll just link to it HERE.

Just can't get enough.

Hysterical. Touching. Amazing. Love it.

Dear Friends,

I need to start hanging out with people my own age. Felt like a 29 year old trying to hang out with high school kids today. Oh wait. . . .yeah. That's right. It's what I do.

Any takers?

Love,
Kat

My Reasons for Posting are Three-fold.

1. THANK YOU to the veterans and members of the military who risk their lives every day for the freedom that I am blessed to enjoy. I miss singing in the annual concert at the U. And I miss my grandpas, especially visiting my Grandpa Paul at the veterans nursing home and all of the awesome old people there with so much history. I love old people.
2. CMA's. I agree. I'm so glad that:
**Lady A won for best song AND best group. I'm loving them. Thanks, Jenn, for the introduction.
**Taylor Swift best album for "Fearless". It really is a great CD, even if I don't like "Fifteen" so much. She is a talented lyricist. TS said, "I think I fell in love with words before I fell in love with music." Love that.
**Taylor Swift for Entertainer of the Year. Awesome. So so exciting. I think that TS is really funny, and really REAL. I think she is very "everyday", which is a quality I really like. I think that she is an entertainer, even though she can sometimes be pitchy when singing live, she performs. She puts on a show. And I just flat love it when dreams come true.
3. I want my sharpies back, you thieving thugs.

Wooooo!!! WOOOOOO!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!

Yes, I do think I can dance. But not as well as those rockin' stars that put on the show Saturday night! Laura, Tracie, April and I all got tickets in, what? August? We've been so so excited, and the show did not disappoint! We got some eats at the Trading Table and then walked over to the E Center. What kind of name is that for an arena? Weird.
Anyway. Here are a few pics!
This really is April's hat, I just wanted to wear it. I've always loved hats, but they don't always work with my hair.This was hilarious! I guess they have come out with a SYTYCD "Get Fit" DVD and it was a shameless plug. Kupono was hilarious. This was a running gag. . . . Remember that one time that Phillip and Jeanine did the Russian folk dance and nobody liked it? So they kept trying to do the dance and would sneak onstage with a big old boom box. . . Totally planned, but funny anyway. Eventually, they got to do a bit and then everyone came on doing the same dance. . . ha hee ha.
Best dance ever. We decided that we are just going to say that Jeanine and Jason are a couple because they are waay too cute not to be.It was so so so fun! I'm really glad we went, I love girls nights!

Wow-ee.

Michael Jackson was a genius. Amazing.

Halloween for Real

Today was a big day. Victoria said it would be the best day ever, because FIRST she was going to get baptized. Then there would be a big party. THEN they got to go trick or treating! Can it get better than that? I don't know. I started the day off by taking pictures of my friend Ashley's family, and her little girls are so so adorable. I will post pics soon on my pic blog. Then I headed to Orem. They asked Alan to ask someone to give a 2 1/2 minute talk on baptism, and he asked me. I talked about the primary song, "I like to look for rainbows/whenever there is rain/and ponder on the beauty/of an earth made clean again. . ." and it went well. Toria did a great job and Alan gave her a beautiful confirmation blessing. It was very touching and I can't believe she's so old! She is such a little grown up and has true desires to do good. One day we were driving in my car and she said, "I was thinking that I need to be a better example to Brayden. And when he makes me mad I just need to walk away instead of fighting with him." It was so cute.
The luncheon was awesome, nothing like soup and breadbowls. Love it. We had a great time visiting with everybody, April has a great family and it's nice that we all get along so well. We have been so lucky with in-laws, way to pick 'em, sibs! I laid down with Audrey to take a nap and I think she only slept for about half an hour, but I didn't want to wake up. Naps rock.
I stayed the whole day so I could go trick or treating with the kids and it was fun seeing them get so excited about their costumes. April's mom, Grammy Susie, made an unbelievable mermaid costume for Toria, Brayden was a pirate, and Audrey who was scared of every costume (so so funny) wore a dress-up fairy/ballerina/froofy something.
I don't know that there is much more in the world that I would rather do than hang out with the kids. I think it's because I live vicariously through them. And because of their cuteness. I'm glad that A & A don't get sick of me around. . . .but it'd be silly to turn down free babysitting, right?!

This is the only picture I got, and Tor has this thing about not looking at the camera.

This picture cracks me up because they look so excited.

Ha ha. . .I remember this. Dad would have to go through all of our candy first. . . . watch out for those hypodermic needles and drugged taffys, right??

Halloween Part One

On Friday we had a rad halloween stomp. Jessy and I decided to be thugs. Or the word here is "chola", which means a mexican gangster. But we were in a good gang. Like the Buttercream Gang. Just wait until the Widow Jenkins falls down again, we'll be there.
Anyway, she was pink, I was purple. It was awesome.

We had a dance battle and I think it was pretty even; even if I like to say I killed it. Then we choreographed our own little line dance to "Thriller" and that was fun. Pretty rudimentary, but rockin.

Word to the wise: the fake nails were a bad idea.

WWWWitch!

Really???

I don't understand how I lived without this movie for five years. Heard about it, was feeling BBC-ish and bought it on Amazon. Best investment ever. Best four hours ever. Best final scene ever. Best intense look by a hot actor ever. Oh, swoon. You can borrow it.

Working out was never so easy.

I really really really love cardio cinema.

Raaaaaaspppberrrrries!!

I think the only person that could name that movie is Erik so I'll just tell you; it's from "Thoroughly Modern Millie". Good times.
Here is a video of Audrey and Ellie. I have to tell you that whenever the baby was low enough for her to reach, Audrey was trying to take off her clothes. I later found out why. Please pay attention for when Audrey says "there you go." So funny.

**Want to hear a sad story? I tried to post the video three separate times and it would spend HOURS lying to me, saying it was posting, and it never did. I'll just tell you, Audrey blew on Ellie's tummy. So so cute. Best little noise ever. Maybe you can come to my house and watch it. It's worth it. Or I'll try again another time.**

This should be the last "kid" post for a while, maybe. No promises. You know how much I love them, but seriously this blog would think I birthed them. Which I didn't. I almost didn't correct a cashier, though, when I took Audrey with me to the WalMart and said something about her "helping mommy". So, just a few more pictures and then it will be back to me.

Fancy Nancy!

So Toria wanted a "Fancy Nancy" room for her birthday. Normally this would be too big of a request, but with four of us going in on it, for both of the girls, we made it work. This was so exciting for me because A) I love Fancy Nancy and B) I love to decorate. It was very exciting. We got some canopies for $7.99 each and a fabulous chandelier for $20, both at IKEA. We added christmas lights around the ceiling, put up a poster made at Costco of the three girls (one of my favorite things), got some boa's, and because they had taken down the crappy old closet doors, we hung up a curtain rod and put some cute deep pink sheer drapes from Walmart at $7.99 per panel (we got two). We still need to get a full-length mirror to go on the back of the door, a rug (circle rugs from IKEA are $5 each) and hang up the new curtain valence of butterfly fabric and they'll be good to go! Here are the pics and Tor's reaction! (ps the chandalier hasn't been hung up yet because I'm no electrician. Alan will do it now that he's home.)



Here she is ready for a blissful night of sleep, she loves that it wraps all the way around. She said it was "better than she thought". Well, good!

Victoria is 8!

Sunday was Toria's REAL birthday. Alan and April had the opportunity to go down to Cabo in Mexico and stay at a time share, so they jumped at the chance; so Tor got to spend her birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house!
She had decided what she wanted to eat at every meal (it's a tradition) and had even made herself a beautiful birthday sign. She had a wonderful day, she got to be the Birthday Queen and wear a tiara that G & G gave her in the morning.
After conference, Laura and Mike and Besta Mor (Great-grandma in danish) came over for a "birthday feast" of macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, green beans and salad with chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. Oh, the simple tastes of kids. . . .who am I kidding? It was soo good! We need to rock the mickey mouse chicken nuggets more often.
Happy Birthday, Sugar Bug, love love LOVE you!!
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. mmm. . . comfort food!
Really, so good.
Audrey was equally excited about the princess puzzle from L & M.
Help or hindrance?
Yes, yes I did.


Remember how frustrating it is to be in the middle of a video and have your memory card be full? Lame. Sorry.
In other Sunday news. . .
This is Tracie "listening" to conference. In her defense (she'd get mad if I didn't put this) she did listen to most.

I don't love Audrey more, she just does funnier things. Don't tell the other kids. They were the same at her age.

Toria's Birthday Party

I can't believe that Victoria will be 8 next week! It's so crazy that time has gone by so fast. She was born two weeks after I went into the MTC so I didn't get to know her until she was almost a year and a half old but now we're friends so it's ok.
Tracie and I went down to Orem to help April with the party (she had invited 16 kids so it's a good thing we went. . . .don't worry, they didn't all come). Any excuse to see the kids is ok with me. Tor was so excited, she got home from school soon after we got there and wanted to help me decorate. She told me, "do you know why I have this big smile on my face? I can't wait til my party!" She made sure the backyard was clean and picked up Braydens stuff every time he got it back out. We asked him to play in another part of the yard after the third time. Audrey loved the balloons. She had a pink one tied to her wrist for a while and then wanted it off, and of course, about thirty seconds after I untied it, I hear "oh no! uh oh!" I looked over and she was pointing up at the sky as it floated away. I told her to say bye bye, and she said "no!" Finally, she did, after she jumped a few times and found it to be fruitless.
Brayden had his friend Carlos (that lives downstairs) hang out with him and they loved teasing all the girls.
Tor had a great time, the other kids did great, and it was a lot of fun to spend time with them.


Audrey learned how to play "duck duck goose" today. So cute.
They ate corndogs and cheetos and Brayden's face looked like this too. Side note: Brayden hasn't had any problems swallowing (choking or gagging) since he got his tonsils out. I feel bad for getting after him so many times for not just swallowing his dang food. Mean Aunt Kat.
They played a game where they put eight m&m's on a plate then covered it with spray whipped cream. With their hands behind their backs, they had to eat all of the candies. It was pretty funny.
They liked it.
Tracie did too, don't let this stink-eye fool you.
Then they had cupcakes.
And then opened presents.
Somebody laughed really hard about this one. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), it was filled with Hannah Montana everything. I thought it was clever. I would have done it.
And of course, little bebita. She is wearing the princess outfit I made mom buy in New York "because you're the Grandma, that's why." Sorry about the red-eye, April. Didn't want to edit.
I need to have a birthday party next year.