Traveling Show

The fifth grade Traveling Show, I must say, was amazing. It was so fun to see all the fine fifth graders we know perform so admirably. It was great to see all our people from "the neighborhood". The show seemed even more patriotic and moving this year for some reason.
My eye-sight continues to deteriorate, however, as witnessed by the fact that I took a picture of a kid I thought was Matthew, but was actually a random boy who I have never seen before. It would of course be the only picture that turned out clear. I should find out who he is and give the picture to his mother. So here is my one and only picture that includes the actual Matthew...even though it is dark and he has glowing strange eyes in it. This was also the first year since we began Barratt traveling shows (many many years ago) that I got to sit in an actual chair with a back (we are usually in the bench's in the back or against the back wall). So having a chair was very nice and added to the overall ambiance of the evening.

Happy Birthday Aubrey Scaubrey Corn on the Cobbrey

Today Aubrey turned 15 years old. She is very excited to be this age. She looks forward to getting her drivers permit and hanging out with a parent in the church parking lot learning how to work the gas and the brakes. I was going to let her pull the car into the garage last week and Lane almost had a heart attack believing that allowing that action would spell the demise of our garage due to a horrendous crash. I myself have been in a loopy and out-of-it state due to sinus surgery and subsequent sinus infection from the surgery as well as loads of medication (Let me say that sinus surgery is not fun and I never knew there was an actual machine that they sucked infection out of your nose with...learn something every day). We also just registered Emily for Junior High. Next year we will have Aubrey in Highschool, Emily in Junior High, Matthew in sixth grade and Brynna in 2nd. We will also have "three" grandchildren. Life goes so fast.

So here are just 15 of the things that we love about aubrey:
1. She keeps us laughing. Aubrey is like having an extremely sarcastic stand-up comedian living with you on a constant basis.
2. We always know what Aubrey is thinking or feeling. Since she has learned to talk...she talks and talks. With a teenager that is a good thing.
3. What's a liscence plate?!
4. You can count on Aubrey to bring you an unwanted random item if you tell her to bring you something like the phone or a brush.
5. Aubrey keeps our house in music, we can always hear loud but beautiful singing coming from all parts of the house, wherever she happens to be at the time. We are currently hearing "beautiful disaster" to the point that I think we all know every single word and intonation.
6. Aubrey helps me hone my domestic skills, due to the huge loads of laundry this girl supplies.
7. Aubrey's smile lights up a room, when she is happy you know she is happy. She is quite the emotional girl.
8. She always loses her money...meaning more money for me.
9. She can make a great weird face with her nose sucked completely in. Maybe she will make it on Letterman some day with her "stupid human" trick.
10. She is a great writer and has started writing her own songs.
11. She has a bubbly outgoing personality in the midst of the rest of us quiet/subdued people.
12. When she was little she always asked all the women in albertsons (everytime we went shopping) if they would be her grandma (no matter what their age).
13. She kissed a boy in kindergarten, but hasn't kissed one since and is NOT looking forward to kissing a boy in Hello Dolly. She has good values.
14. She goes to Young Women's even though she doesn't feel comfortable yet.
15. She is a joy to have as a daughter and we are lucky to have been blessed with this girl who keeps us in constant chaos, talk, singing, lessons, homework, and life.

Have a happy Birthday Aubrey.

New Hair Cut

Isn't she lovely....isn't she beautiful...
Brynna wanted me to post her new haircut on our blog for all to see, especially Melissa and Grandma. She has been asking for this hair cut for about 6 months now (exactly how she wanted it) and we finally got around to letting her get it. She has been really very excited about it and her mom is excited about the potential decrease in tangles.
Also we were very surprised to discover that emily had done so well on the science fair. (Good job emily). We were not even sure it was a real experiment, but I guess it passed. Her board was extremely cute with flowers all over it, so it probably made up for the potential lack of a control group.
We are just trying to get through this next year of 2:00 church...only 10 more months to go. I feel a strong longing to go back to the 32nd ward when I see everyone driving home at 12:00 and we are hanging out...waiting.
Additionally, I have been reading a ton for work (and for pleasure) lately. The "alcatraz" series has been really fun and it has been fun discussing it with Matthew who has finished the series.Gottman's book on raising emotionally intelligent children has also been a good reminder to me to be a better parent (I always seem to need that). I also had to give a presentation in RS on marriage so I was forced to study and receive some good reminders there as well. One of the most interesting things I read was that women have tons of power in making the marriage function well simply by having what they call a "soft start up" when discussing difficult issues. This soft start up is one of the most important factors in good marriages (and it only matters if the wife does it). Also the ratio of positive to negative interactions is supposed to fall in the 8 to 1 range. I tracked myself for about a week and I was oh so far off from this...so more things for me to work at. The last few weeks I have felt like I have been living to count things "off the list" of things to do (I don't know if anyone else ever feels this way). I want to change that way of approaching my life the most and just enjoy the moments...whether I count things off or not.

Hi, our family is currently collecting childrens' board books for charity. They give them to new parents I believe. The kids get to write a little note in each one that talks about their own love of reading. If anyone has any new or gently used board books they would like to donate we would be glad to pick them up. On a side note, is it just me or does anyone else find the science fair a little annoying. I know, it is probably just me. Currently helping Emily re-write her paper and trying to get her to start on her board. I am learning a lot about fibonacci numbers and the "golden mean". Gotta love a Saturday devoted to the science fair.

Re=cap of the holidays.

The christmas holiday has come and gone but the pictures and memories linger. I actually love january and february because the months feels like a new beginning and (altough not this year) usually there is a bit more time for reflection and getting things organized. Our christmas holidays this year included emily's 12th birthday: the arrival of Melissa, Evelyn and Adelle; Brynna in the nutcracker as an angel (who ran beautifully all over the stage in elaborately quaffed hair); the arrival of lance (studying for his test); the new wards christmas party (aubrey singing silent night, emily playing the first noel); Aubrey's recital; school continuing until just up until christmas; The "North Pole Bird"; The Barratt christmas sing; Grandma Taylor's Christmas party including the nativity: christmas eve and day; family fun week (bowling, movies, games,skiing, sledding etc.); The arrival of grandma and grandpa nuttall; new-years eve banging pans: snow and snowmen; back to school; sad departure of lance, melissa, evelyn and adelle; speak in church (so glad that's over...wish I had done better). Whew!. By far the best part of the holiday was getting re-acquainted with the grand-children and melissa and lance. I wish we could have more contact. I wish we lived closer
On a sad note, Brynna wrote her talk about her bird that had died last year. After giving the talk she sat on the stand and sobbed because she "missed lilly". (She received a new parakeet from the North Pole for Christmas..but obviously this did not quell her grief). This week we have gone back to attempting to complete the moving process. Our garage is still overflowing with boxes. We still haven't unpacked certain key items...such as the wii...I think that it is lost for good. We finally moved our food storage down to the basement and put up some shelves in the storage area. We have not refilled any water storage...so hopefully there will not be an earthquake here soon, or else we will be very thirsty. We hope all our family and friends had a great christmas and holiday. We are looking forward to getting a little more settled.