Maryland Renaissance Festival

Last Saturday Tom went to Tyra's soccer game, then I took the girls to Thomas' soccer game, then by 1:00 we picked up a new soccer friend of Tyra's and took off for Crownsville, MD, home of the Renaissance Fair. We watched a jester "A Fool Named O" show, a swordswallower magician show, and a jousting match (Huzzah!) We also got to practice juggling, walk through a big maze, and eat some fun treats. The kids all had a great time (although Thomas will tell you otherwise.) We barely had energy for baths before falling into bed.

Out of the Frying Pan...

I have enjoyed so much working with the sisters in our ward through Enrichment. I think I've complained way more than anything else, but that's pretty much normal for me. It wasn't easy, and I can't say I'll be sad to be released, but that doesn't mean I won't keep with me some good memories and more still, closer relationships because of serving with the sisters. I got to go out on a "high note"--being an alto that's not necessarily a good thing-- by being in charge of a Saturday morning quarterly enrichment meeting with luncheon. Sally did way more than she was supposed to, having had her 3rd baby during the last month of preparation time. But after calling quite a few sisters to help with the luncheon to no avail, I was sure glad that she was up for more work than she should have been doing. After running around like crazy (trying to get Thomas to his first soccer game, along with everything else required to run a big activity) I felt a sense of relief: Ah, now the quarterly activity days will be put on for just the primary kids, no luncheons required, no adults "watching", scheduling up to me, etc.

And into the fire...
The only part of being Primary President that I really feel anxious about is being in charge of the Primary Sacrament Meeting Program. Which happens to be coming soon, to a day not scheduled by me. With lots of adults (more than at enrichment!) watching. Luckily Sister Baun did get together with her counselors and song leader and write up an outline months ago. But at this point it is only that, a VERY rough outline. I may take the suggestion to copy one that's been posted on the internet, if I can find one that fits our very small primary.

Anyway, I'm excited for what I believe this calling will mean to our family, especially the children and myself. I have kept one of Holly's counselors, Rebekah Barnes, who used to be one of my Achievement Days girls 9 years ago when I moved into the ward. She's great, enthusiatic, on time, reliable, great with the kids. My other counselor is yet to be determined. I was told that everyone I asked for were spoken for by other organizations. We'll see, it might just be the two of us for a while, good thing it's such a small primary!

Lillian Turns Four

Sept 14 was a busy day. I was preparing for my final quarterly Enrichment activity we were holding the next morning. It was also the last soccer practice before Thomas' first official soccer game. Luckily GramaLee gave Lily a little princess laptop which she opened up in the morning and was then busy with while I dragged her to Costco to get the luncheon food, and while we dragged her to the church to set up tables and chairs. (We don't even have an Elder's Quorum president yet, though the Lambert's have been gone for a month!)

Can I just say, I don't know what I'd do without Tyra. She got Lily to help her put up streamers around the livingroom. And she frosted and decorated the cake with Lily (100% on tyheir own!.) We ate Wendy's on the floor like a picnic (maybe Lil didn't know it was because the table was covered with stuff for the quarterly!) and let the kids play with some balloons. She was a real trooper. It was only the next afternoon when I was driving with her in the car that she suddenly said "I didn't LIKE my birthday! I didn't have any of my FRIENDS! I wanted FRIENDS!"
It was certainly a busy time, so much so that we never managed to call Aunt Annie and have the two birthday girls share in the fact that they're on the same day. But it sounded like Anne was pretty swamped in California too!

Stephenie Meyer Book Signing

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I had noted that she would be coming to the DC area, and even thought about going. So when Sally emailed asking if anyone wanted to go, I was in. Ryan took his laptop and drove down to the borders around 6:30 or so in the morning to get us tickets. He got us number 80 and 81. Not until we arrived at 6 or so in the evening did I realize how great that was. The people sitting near us on the floor had #859. And that was with an hour to go of people just coming in. I had to keep laughing at us, and I was, from the time I took off leaving Tom home with the kids. It just felt like such a teenage thing to do. We didn't join in the "Edward! Jacob!" chanting. We didn't have the t-shirts. We weren't wearing birthday hats in celebration of Bella's birthday. We were passing the youngest girl in the crowd back and forth between us (Sally brought her 1 month old Zoe, who was sooo cute and perfect, falling asleep during the q & a.) It was fun to get to hear her answers to the questions. Unfortunately no one asked the ones I wanted to hear, and they pushed you through the signing line sooooooo fast that I didn't even ask her when we were up at the table. But it was a fun outing, even getting lost on the way back home. Sally was easy going (even with Zoe crying in the back seat) when I went the wrong way. It was fun to chat and just have a girl's night out.
Of course, now I'm thinking of selling my signed books on ebay as I see them going for so much more than I paid. Too bad I had her write my name in Eclipse! :)

So Proud of my Hubby

I know, maybe you get tired of hearing it, but it's still hard for me to believe how lucky I am: smart, funny, handsome, sweet, great father, wonderful husband, etc., etc.! But tonight has been a fun time to just think on especially one aspect of Tom's greatness: success at work. (I know, that's MANY aspects: ability to get along so well with people, straight brains, quick eye and understanding, managing skills, technical writing, keeping his mouth shut :) etc.,)
Tonight was the Grade 14 Promotion Ceremony. Only 10% of the people who were qualified for the promotion received it. General Alexander wasn't there for the ceremony itself as he was talking to Congress about FISA But after we had eaten our refreshments, chatted with the people Tom knew, and looked at the new sections added near the "They Served In Silence" memorial which were all about the war on terrorism, Tom wanted to go back one last time to see if he'd come. Right as I asked "Will you even recognize the general?" Tom said "Yes, and that's him" So we got to shake his hand. Tom had already met him because of a advisory board of which he's the executive chair. My big-wig husband :)
I mostly noted that he is the first person to compliment me on my new necklace my mom gave me for my birthday, though I've worn it many times. :) (Besides Beth, of course. She mentions it every time saying "Oh, your necklace is fewtiful, mommy! I like your necklace! Oh! GrammaLee gave it to you for your birthday! It's fewtiful!" Thurs. night when we came home from the ceremony Elizabeth went through all this again and then added "I like your chinny-chin! (and touched it) I like your lips! (touch) I like your nose!" and on through everything, with a pause about my forehead, which she finally said, while touching it like for a fever "I like your... head!" Ah, funny how I blame my diminished looks--wrinkles, weight gain, etc-- to having Beth(and the others) yet she's the one to make me feel so fewtiful!)

Bit of a sidenote there, but I never said you had to read my blog! This entry is about the super-man who is my husband, who is keeping us all safe every day at his job :)

The Lambert's Leave

It happens all the time. I blame it on the airlines. If they didn't make travel so easy and affordable, people would be forced into staying my friends! As it is they can just pick up and go at the drop of a hat, and they sure DO. I've been avoiding blogging for 3 weeks or more now because this entry needing to be written. But I think I've come around.

OK a few more weeks have passed. I started to write a list of all the good friends we've made in the ward who have since moved away. It made me all melancholy and so I stopped writing this once again.
So the Lambert's are in American Fork, UT now, and Lily asks me daily "Is it time to go on the airplane now?" and "I'm ready to go to Utah" all with the intent of seeing Carol Anne and Ellie. But I figure we've come a long way in the last month since last week Lily said "Mom, let's go to Utah or the farm" Needless to say, I rushed us all to the farm when Tyra and Thomas had the day off and counted my blessings. Another good sign is that Elizabeth now thinks of the other 2 year olds in the playgroup as her friends. For the first many weeks I would prep her on our way saying "Yay, we're going to see your friends Auden and Sydney!" to which she would reply "NO! JOHNNY's my friend!"

Anyway, there's still a big hole in our hearts, but we're surviving. Ug. I just won't write my thoughts on the subject. I wanted to write of the Lambert's and what their friendship has meant to us over the last 4 years, but I guess it'll take even longer. Many of you who read my blog are people I've had to say goodbye to already, and sometimes I'm crying when I write the occasional sappy letter or note!

Tyra's first soccer game

Tyra had her first soccer game this past Thursday. Her team practiced biweekly, for the last two weeks, and they were excited for their first real chance to take the field. Tyra's team consists of 8-12 year olds, and she is one of the youngest and smallest on her team. She looks up to the older girls on the team because they are so much faster and stronger. It turns out that their first game gave everyone on the team a chance to feel small.

When we arrived, everyone was waiting for the previous game to finish. The parents started scoping out the opposition. There was another group of girls there, but they looked like a group of teenagers that would be playing in a different league. When the game was getting ready to start, it became clear that this was actually the team they were going to play. Many of us wondered if they actually were under 12, but when they all showed us their driver's licenses to prove their ages, all our fears were assuaged.

If you ever have wondered what would happen if David faced Goliath without God on his side, this was a good example. The first goal was scored in about thirty seconds. So was the second third and fourth. The other coach was a reasonable sport and pulled each player on the other team after they scored a goal. The main problem was that the smallest player on the opposing team was about the same size as the largest player on Tyra's team. Each of the opposing players was either very fast or very large. I would guess that about six of the other team players out weighed me. That is the adult ref in the all blue shirt.

As Tyra's little team tried to valiantly defend, players kept getting mowed down. One girl got kicked in the ankle. Another got ran over. Another successfully blocked a kick with her chest and got the wind knocked out of her. Our team bench began to feel like a hospital wing. When the call for subs came, the girls bravely agreed to reenter the fray. The poor goalie took the pounding of her life. Even when she managed to block to first couple of shots, they always seemed to score. It almost looked like dodgeball, when the team mercifully scored after a little kicking practice against the goalie.

In the second half, the other coach forbid everyone except his three worst players from crossing the midfield line. This put an end to the scoring free for all as Tyra's entire team seemed to be able to handle the three remaining players. Of course, whenever Tyra's team recovered the ball they headed down field to what they affectionately referred to after the fact as "The Wall".

"The Wall" functioned exactly as the name would imply. Tyra's team never got very far past the midfield line before they were completely overwhelmed. "The Wall" was getting bored and kept cat-calling their coach to let them cross the line. He refused. One of the players pounded a kick from just over the midfield line and it soared through the air into the net. Goal. Their coach was livid and pulled the girl for the remainder of the game.

The game finally came to an end. I don't know what the final score was. No one was really interested. The teams wished each other well and we were off. When Tyra complained about how the game went, I told her that she probably had more fun than at least on person on the other team. Who? "The goalie. She just stood in the sun for an hour." "Dad!"