HONOR BAND

This week Mitch was selected to participate in HONOR BAND! He was one of only a dozen kids from his school chosen to attend a one day workshop at BYU-Idaho. The students, from all over Southern Idaho, had to learn 3 pieces and then perform at a concert that night. He did great! He is the one in the stripped shirt standing in the back. The drummer boy. Way to go Mitch! Trey has figured out how to handle all the drumming at our house. I caught him playing downstairs while Mitchel was practicing wearing these. Trey you are so clever!

More Holiness Experiment

Yesterday Elder Russell M Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came and spoke at BYU-Idaho. It was a wonderful devotional on knowledge and wisdom. Then, that night his wife spoke to all the women faculty and the wives' of BYU- I faculty. It was a nice evening. A few of us went to dinner and then we were spiritually feed by Sister Nelson. She talked about being a more holy woman. She told of the "Seek to be More Holy Experiment"...If we can just pick one thing in our life and try to do it more holy for 3 days (It can even be something different each day) what a strength it will be in our homes and lives. I am ready to try this and hope to use it everyday. She quoted Elder Henry B. Eyring who said, (October 1999 Ensign)
"Time has taught me. As the forces around us increase in intensity, whatever spiritual strength was once sufficient will not be enough. And whatever growth in spiritual strength we once thought was possible, greater growth will be made available to us. Both the need for spiritual strength and the opportunity to acquire it will increase at rates which we underestimate at our peril." It made me feel the importance of strengthening my testimony and my families for the many forces we face in life. I just wanted to share my feelings. If you try this experiment, let me know how it goes for you :)

DUKE

In case there is any questions....we are DUKE FANS. We have been since the early years of Christian Laetner and Bobby Hurley. (Remember the miracle shot?) But somehow we end up living by crazy North Carolina Fans. We have been given Klenex boxes, cookies, NC hats.....insane Tarheels?... So, just FYI, DUKE is the team this year. Coach K is the man.
We eat, sleep and drink true blue basketball.
It's what makes us who we are. GO BLUE DEVILS.

Brooke White Concert

Remember Brooke White? From American Idol a few seasons ago. Well she came to BYU-I and I took the girls to the concert this weekend. It was great. Not a rock out, stand up concert like most of the ones I have been to in my life. A mellow, relaxing, enjoyable concert. And what a true sweetheart she is! Her songs are great. She has a new ablum out too. High Hopes and Heartbreak. Kindra was star struck. Row 6 yeah. Before the concert.

After the concert waiting for her to come sign autographs.

We met her as she came up the steps and she gave us each a hug, and told us thanks for coming. She is seriously a very nice person. Signing authographs here.

Kindra with Brooke in the background signing. Kindra stood there for about 5 minutes staring at her in shock that she was so close to her. It was so cute.

Ring in the New...2010.

I have to just vent about my day before I go any further. I have made my goals for the year. They include a new workout plan. I have got to get back in shape! I am so excited, the kids are back at school and I am ready to go up to the gym...I am half way through my workout and the power goes out. Yes, the whole campus, town and surrounding towns- in the middle of the day!
So, I finish my workout in the complete dark, get dressed in the dark locker room and get home because the kids are getting sent home because of the power out....so, I decide to jump in the shower quick, thinking there would be enough hot water..Oh yes, there was hot water... just enough to soap my head with shampoo and then...you guessed it...no water at all! I forgot that we live out in the country and we are on an electric well that pumps our water. So, I ended up getting ice cold water bottles to rinse off the soap. yikes. cold. What a way to start......

Now, for the pictures below. Kindra loved her American Girl Horse from Grandma and Grandpa.
Mitchel got drums...They are set up in the sound proof theater room that we found out isn't so sound proof. He also was given some amazing cymbols from a famous drummer Jeff Hamilton!

What did Marc and I get for Christmas? Well, our stinking fridge broke a week before Christmas... so we got a wonderful new black Amana fridge! I am so excited...not really.

It has the freezer on the bottom so it is pretty nice. Thank heavens for 12 months no interest!

Look, I even got all the magnets and pictures back on.

Our traditional gingerbread house making on New Years Eve actually was a gingerbread train this year. It was so fun to make and the kids enjoyed eating the extra green frosting.

It snowed a ton on New Years Day and we spent a lot of time out in the snow. Trey loves to pull Kindra on the sled.

Looking forward to the new year, new goals, and a new smaller jean size! I hope 2010 is good to you and your families! Happy New Year!