Spencer Turns the Big 4-!

Ahoy mateys! This here be the birthday celebration of the one-eyed Captain Spencer Sparrow, sporting his Hiccup headgear and light saber an' all!

What be a pirate birthday without ice cream and pizza (in that order) for dinner?

It was all hands on deck with Peg Leg Parker, Briny Ben, Big Fisted Briar, Hard Hitting Hyrum, Arrow Nosed Ammon, Just Joking Jarum, and sisters Midnight Maggie and Saw Toothed Sophie helping with the games. Ring Toss over the Alligator's nose, pin the flag on the pirate map, musical deserted islands, rip tide relay, and pass the coconut all got "huzzas" from this ghastly crew.
My favorite was the Pirate Ship pinata. It was so cute! Argh, I mean, more terrifying than the dead man's chest in Davy Jones' locker...

All hands to starboard for cake and ice cream!

My Favorite Things About 2010

· Learning to be a dog person again. I love my black lab Bella!

* Discovering green smoothies, Himalayan salt, and kale. And oh yes, Donckel’s Belgian truffles!!!

· Watching my kids get a year older, more mature, and more fun!

· Having Spencer potty-trained

· Reading the conference editions of the Ensign

· Reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days with my family

· ZUMBA!!!!

· Creating my pirate choreography for my clogging class

· Watching Maggie place 4^th in the district spelling bee… without even studying

· Making the acquaintance of Elizabeth Gaskell though the book and movie versions of Cranford and Wives and Daughters. Now I need to find North and South.

· My Jane Eyre phase over the summer, with Maggie watching too!

· Huckleberry picking and learning more about gardening

· Bridge jumping with the Ricks, Rigby lake with the Fransons and river exploring with the Goodnoughs

· Watching both Soph and Spencer learn how to swim… and seeing Sophie do a flip off Papa’s diving board! I can’t even do that!

· My kidless trip with Gary to Del Mar with the Knights! And that dinner at Roy’s. macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi. Sleeping in, playing games and watching movies until late, eating out…. Ahhh.

· Enjoying the feeling of doing real and substantial temple work with Gary and our 3-4 temple dates a month… and living within 10 minutes of a jewel of a temple here in Rexburg

· Learning to make my favorite restaurant takeoff recipes at home, like strawberries and cream crepes, lettuce wraps and our Wingers meal

· My RAD class and the RAD kids class (self defense) – thank you Emi!!!

· Discovering how much the whole family loves Tepanyaki restaurants. Everyone can find something to eat there, and hey, dinner and a show!

· Realizing again that I have a truly wonderful life, lack of sleep and all. I really am so lucky and blessed to have a tender, endearing husband, charming and relatively well behaved children, a cosy house that meets/surpasses our every need, and a secure job (prof at BYUI) for Gary. And membership in the world’s best church. And I love Rexburg. And I have the best parents in the world. And remarkable, lovely friends who show me daily what womanhood and motherhood can be. I am so very lucky to be who I am, where I am, surrounded by my life! (I just need to remind myself of that at 3 AM when Spencer’s up for the second time and I’m delirious with fatigue, or when Maggie’s pushing my buttons or Sophie refuses to do her hair…such minor, minor trials.)