A serious and scary realization

My friend posted this link on her blog and I took a few minutes to read it. Everyone should read it. It does take about 10 minutes but it definately makes you realize what we are up against in our time especially as we are about to have this election which is a choice between bad and worse. This essay was written by Ezra Taft Benson when he was working in Washington as agricultural secretary (don't quote me on his job title. I think that's what he was but I didn't look it up) in response to the threat of communism in the 50's. It is on the proper role of government. http://www.properroleofgovt.org/prog.htm

Grandma's Halloween Party

Our family Halloween party was on Monday night. We had SO MUCH fun!The kids are still a little too young to be excited about their costumes. Mason kept yelling "TAKE OFF!" and refused to wear his Buzz Lightyear boots and hat with the light up googles. He loves Buzz. I am so disappointed. And Tess refused to wear her witch's hat. At this age I think costumes are really for the parents. The kids actually feel terrorized. But hey, it's Halloween. Terror is what it's all about right?Tessa, Mason, Aiden, and Drew are all pretty much wanting their costumes off. NOW! (Tristan didn't dress up this year. But he did come to the party and I got to hold him for a minute. What a cutie!Mason, very happy to be Buzz Lightyear.Probably the only picture I'll have of Tess with her hat on. Notice I'm holding her arms so she can't rip it off of her head. Drew, So cute. Look at that junk in the trunk! I think he also wants it off.

Aiden. Looking very content and handsome in his costume. He is going to be a heart-breaker when he grows up. He is just a beautiful baby.

After some cupcakes, (check out Mason's eyelashes, holy crap.) The men carved pumpkins. Burke's pumpkin got sick to his stomach.

Then it was outside to light them. Mason started into a version of "Happy Birthday to You" as we lit the candles. Afterwards the kids ran around the backyard with glowsicks. SO FUN! It was dark and they were running so fast that it was hard to get good pics. But they were having the best time!Time to go. Mason made a wish and blew out all of the candles. (Is this the cutest? He blows with his eyes closed!)

Mormon moms go crazy in NYC - part 2

So, Friday Morning we had ferry tickets for 9:00 am. No sleeping in for us girlies. Here we are at Battery Park waiting for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Lady LibertyAre we sexy or what?

Ellis Island which was really really interesting. It was kinda fun going on a tour because our guide knew which touristy things were cool and which weren't. She had us watch a movie here about all of the immigrants that was really cool... Or at least that's what other people told me. As soon as the lights went out I was as close to snoring as I ever get. But dang, I felt much better after my little nap.

Part of the NY skyline
After the Statue and Ellis Island, it was on to a tour of the financial district. Very interesting, and very very good pizza at the little hole in the wall pizzarias that are between the ginormous buildings.
The place were all of our money is being flushed down the toilet.
Ground zero. There is a really long bronze mural on the side of one of the buildings there. I thought that it was interesting that there was still fresh flowers being placed there all the time. It just made me realize that there are so many people that are still grieving for their lost ones every day.
Here we are at the construction site at ground zero, it is still pretty much a hole in the ground with lots of rebar and big trucks and cranes. But they have big billboards showing what the new buildings are going to look like and it looks amazing. It said they will finish in 2012.

After the finanical district we walked through China town and had a big group dinner in Little Italy which was awesome!!! My pictures didn't turn out though so I'll have to get pics from my friends.

One side note... Our tour guide had a pedometer and it said we had walked 26 miles since we had arrived in NY. Holy crap! that's a marathon! I felt it. I was sore in every muscle I have. And I'm sure I got a few new muscles I hadn't ever had before.

Then we went back to the hotel to change and go to....

Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! I had seen it before in LA and it is one of about the top 3 I've ever seen. We didn't have the best seats though. We were in the 2nd row on the far side of the stage, which usually would have been fine except for Lion King. The set and costumes are incredible and we didn't really get to see the full effect. But still.... Overwhelming!

Then I ran into an old friend on the street. What a coincidence!

Next morning was Empire State Building and shopping shopping shopping. Very fun in SOHO. Lots of unique boutiques. But the girls in my group wanted to do some more Black market Chinatown shopping. Not really my thing, but it was fun to be with the girls. Miracle of miracles I did not take one picture that day. Don't ask me why. I just totally didn't think about my camera.

Late that night we went to a comedy club. Oh my. I was prepared to be a little offended being a little mormon from Utah. I expected some language. But it was nothing like what we got. Holy crap. Two of us finally got up and left but the bouncers wouldn't let us leave because it's a two drink minimum and they wanted to make sure we had bought and paid for our two drinks. So were were basically trapped listening to the most foul, horrible stuff I have ever heard, until our waitress could verify that we had paid for our two drinks each. Unbelieveable!

We stayed up all night talking and didn't get to sleep until about 4:00 am. But luckily, Sunday had nothing on the agenda so we slept in.

When we did get up, we packed our bags, and headed out to a matinee of Mary Poppins!

Also very good, but not my favorite. We had nose bleed tickets up in the rafters so I think that might have had something to do with the fact that I didn't enjoy it as much.

Last minute pics of us before leaving for the airport.

I loved my trip. I love my friends. It was so fun to do something just for myself for once. But I have to say I think the next time I take a vacation just for me, it will be to a spa. I need a foot massage!!

Mormon Mom's go wild in NYC!

So... One of my cute high school friends has a girl in her ward that has her own company taking tour groups all over the country. She decided that she would put together a tour of NYC for herself and a group of friends and lucky me... I got to got too.

Last Wednesday, I and 25 other Mormon mommies got on a plane to New York. Holy crap it was fun! Although it was sad leaving my babies, I loved being just Jill again instead of Wife or Mommy.

Here we are on the red-eye. Our flight left at 12:01 am Thursday morning. (check out the crusty girl in the row behind us I'm sure she was very happy we were taking pictures at like 4:00 in the AM.)

Off the plane, drop our bags at the hotel and put on some comfy shoes because today we walk and walk and walk. Here we are at a taping of the today show in rockafeller center.This is a really cool Cathedral we saw but I can't remember the name.
Sitting in the Garden on the roof at the Trump Tower. After our tour of Tiffany's

Me and Lego Chubacca at FAO Schwartz. such an awesome place! I wished I had my kids with me for... well okay... only a split second, then I was glad I didn't have to wrestle with them for once while I was out on the town. (for some reason other people couldn't take a picture that wasn't blurry)Central Park. Ahhhh. It's beautiful, especially in the fall.It was a really warm but rainy and muggy day. You can tell from my fuzzy triangle head hairThe sexy Woods Cross Wildcats reunited!

After hours and hours of walking fifth ave, we were basically completely worn out (remember we still haven't slept because we took the red-eye.) So we decided to head back to the hotel and change. Then we got lost in the subway system but finally made it to.... Drum roll please.... WICKED!

Oh my holy crap. The singing was fabulous. Unfortuntely after so many hours without sleep and hours and hours and miles and miles of walking, I couldn't keep my freakin' eyes open. I kept waking up after doing a full body jerk as my head fell on my neighbor. I tried and tried to stay awake though. I really loved it. Elphaba the wicked witch had the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. I could listen to her sing all day every day. I can't even explain to you how fabulous it was. WOW!

The Pumpkin Patch

Family Night at the Pumpking Patch. I thought we could score some really cute pics of the kids in their halloween attire surrounded by pumpkins. And the kids were really having fun as long as we didn't try to get them to look at the camera.This is the typical family picture. You can tell B and I are really trying.

Dinosaurs

Today was free admission to the Natural History Museum at the U of U. Steph and her sister and all of our kids went to see the dinosaurs. I thought it was pretty interesting. The kids just liked running around and screaming and listening to the echos. The future Dinousaur digger upper!

She looks so little next to the wooly mammoth.
Mason and Haylee in an indian hut.