Typical

So today during Sunday dinner, as usual, Gary and I asked the kids what their Primary lessons were on at church. Maggie replied, "the third Article of Faith on the Atonement of Christ and I got a treat because I was the first one to pass it off because I already knew it!" Sophie: "um, Jesus?" and Spencer, very matter of factly: "Darth Vader."

The After Party

After a nice, quiet Christmas day at home, however, the pace picked up. We were soon called south for several noteworthy events:

*A Jazz game. All the adult Hunters and spouses went, plus Hunter, Jack and Graham. We had a box. John Huntsman's box. But it gets better - it was fully catered, ice cream sundae bar and all. But it gets better - we also had third row seats we all got to take turns sitting in. But it gets BETTER- suddenly President Monson - the prophet of the Church - walks into the box with his son and grandsons (and security detachment) to watch the game! We all have a nice chat over fajitas, hoops and chocolate mint chip with hot fudge. It was just us and them - I had to keep reminding myself to breathe and not to giggle or stare too obnoxiously. But wait - it gets BETTER! Jon Jr.'s (the governor) kids show up and say they don't want their courtside tickets anymore because they're leaving, so would we like to use them? Um, YES! So we all got turns sitting right in Boozer's face, reading tatoos on the players' arms and feeling like superstars. To tell the truth, if you're there for the game, the view from the box was better but it was so dang exciting to be right on the front row. Really, who's life is this? Who gets to do stuff like this? It was a little surreal, but hey, I'll take surreal every now and then. Especially if Pres. Monson is involved. AND caramel sundaes.

*Watching the kids put on show after show on Nana and Papa's stage in the basement

*Seeing New Moon again with Mom, Abby (who'd never seen it), Hillary and my dear friend Christy Knight.

*Heading south to Richfield to stay with Gram, Grandpa, Scottie and Kenzie. More presents, and lots of canines:

*Playing cards 'til late

*Riding HORSES! Gram set it up with some of her neighbors (ah the blessings of life in the country) - it was even indoors! One of their ward friends does dressage. We loved their two sweet ponies. All the kids got a turn; it was a huge highlight of the trip!

*A mini-trip down to Cedar City to see Gary's brother Ron and wife Mary Beth, with a stop at our family favorite tepanyaki restaurant, Samurai. YUM! Spencer thought so too.

*Back to SLC for part of Gary's Christmas present from me, tickets to Hale Center Theater's The Importance of Being Earnest. Then real life decided to kick in again and we had to say goodbye to dear family and head back to Rexburg. School, clogging, and lots of Christmas toys await!

Bean Bags, Legos and treats Oh My!

Merry Christmas 2009! Christmas this year was eventful and restful and exciting and emotional. Here are the highlights: The festivities started with Christmas Eve at Nanny's House - an honored tradition with all the Idaho cousins ever since I was young, although my family rarely participated since we were usually in Maui. But it involves a huge feast (a spread only my Idaho aunts and cousins could produce, name cards and all!), a talent show, and a rowdy but adorable nativity reenactment by all the great-grandkids. Nanny is amazing - 91 (?) years old and still pulling together a bash like this. She is the GREATEST!

Then we went home and the kids donned their Christmas Eve jammies (thanks Nana!) and went to bed all together on the downstairs sofa, which they only get to do on special occasions. They were cherubs and let us sleep in until 8 AM, but then Maggie went upstairs (per my instructions) to peek and came down shouting "there's a thousand presents up there!" After that there was no controlling the stampede, so the kids (politely but enthusiastically) attacked the numerous presents around the tree. Their favorites were the bean bags from Nana and Papa, Spencer's pirate ship, and the Lipizzaner horses from mom.


I gave everyone a Willow Tree figure representing my love for each family member. Cheesy, I know, but I like the idea of a physical representation of my love that they can each look at, hold, and remember me by. I'm such a softie.

Then we had a breakfast of pumpkin pancakes, an afternoon of toys and movies, and Noel pedicures from Mom. Our toesies were in desperate need of glittery shellac, but I had to draw the line when Spencer picked out a nice rosy red for his!

Dinner was fun and fairly easy on me: barbecued ribs, mashed potatoes, Magleby's rolls, fruit kabobs, and hula pie for dessert. We stayed in our pajamas all day, and I didn't worry about the mess or nag anyone ONCE to clean it up. It was GREAT!

The Annual Neighborhood Talent Show and Sing-In

Well, we did it - last night we hosted the first annual Neighborhood Talent Show and Sing-In in the Larsen Family Party Barn. Gary went to town decorating the barn with twinkle lights, garlands and stage lighting (while keeping one eye on the BYU bowl game as well, of course! Go Cougs!) It looked amazing! Wish I'd had my head on me and thought to take some pictures - d'oh!

We had about 60 people show up, which is pretty good for a first time thing, and the talent acts ranged from clogging numbers (of course, since half the local kids take from us) to a Scout lip synch to the 12 Days of Christmas to a bagpipe solo. Maggie, Sophie and Gary sang the song Maggie and Gary made up together, Waltzing with my Daddy, and Sophie got up and tapped her way (along with her BFF Charlotte) through Holly Jolly Christmas. Lots of piano solos and caroling, too. Afterwards, of course, we turned on music and the disco lights, pushed the chairs back, and the whole crowd boogied down to Christmas music. Even the teenagers, which we think was quite a feat.

Now it's all cleaned up and we're recuperating. I'm still in my pajamas and it's noon, but it's Christmas break, right? And aren't showers overrated anyway?

Signing off to wrap some presents and drink hot cocoa with the kids...I love Christmas!

Not A Very Festive Rant... Don't Read this if You Approve of the Governement taking over our Healthcare...

To the insanely corrupt, power-grasping creeps currently "representing" the people in Washington:

The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - you've had 234 years to get it right; it's broke. Social Security was established in 1935 - you've had 74 years to get it right; it's broke. Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - you've had 71 years to get it right; it's broke. The "War on Poverty" started in 1964 - you've had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor"; it hasn't worked and our entire country is broke. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - you've had 44 years to get it right; they're both broke. Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - you've had 39 years to get it right; it's broke. Trillions of dollars were spent in the massive political payoffs called TARP, the "Stimulus", the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009.... none show any signs of working, although ACORN appears to have found a new resource: the American taxpayer. And finally, to set a new record: "Cash for Clunkers" was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took cars (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with high-priced and less-affordable cars, mostly Japanese. A good percentage of the profits went out of the country. And the American taxpayers take the hit for Congress' generosity in burning three billion more of our dollars on failed experiments like Ms. Clinton's $100 billion annual pledge to third world countries to help them cut their greenhouse gasses (like that will work - take the money and run, boys!) So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that "services" you shove down our throats are failing faster and faster, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system? 20% of our entire economy? With all due respect, Are you crazy?

More lies from the democrats. Reid says it going to "save" $750B. What the lying weasel forgets to mention is that the 10 year CBO report is based on 10 years of collecting the taxes but only 6-7 years of paying out the benefit. Once the full benefit kicks in, this bill will be massively in the red every year after that point. Its the worst fiscal scam foisted on the American people since the invention of Medicare which is 30 Trillion dollars in the hole.

There are effective, important ways to help the health care situation. I know it needs an overhaul - I know the system needs help. Allow insurance companies to compete with each other by crossing state lines, that's a starter! And a co-pay for Medicaid treatments would bolster both its finances and its users' personal responsibility. But these nutjobs in Washington want CONTROL (and securing up a dependant voter base doesn't hurt, either!). They want to cover illegal aliens and infant murder/abortion with taxpayer money. And legislate the habits, health treatments and life value of the American people. Our taxes will skyrocket, our doctors quit (who wants to be told what they can make, where they have to live and what they can own, for pete's sake, by the government?) and our access to care will shrivel up. What sane, intelligent, THINKING kind of person supports this insanity? If you do, go right ahead and try to defend it - I dare you. Actually, this is killing my holiday spirit. Wait until after the holidays, and then bring it on.

I need a drink.. oh wait, I don't drink. Rats. Time to go do some yoga I guess and calm myself down...

SYTYCD

I just sent this email to my fam and figured I may as well post it here as well, so the whole world (or at least the three people who read this blog) can get an inside glimpse to the glory and wonder that is the Larsen Family Household:

So I meant to pass this on earlier, but I had a funny story relating to our So You Think You Can Dance experience this week. We always watch it on our downstairs tv because that's the only one with cable reception. Gary, Maggie and I usually sit on the bed while Soph and Spence bop around from the bed to the sofa to the stairs... anyway, we were watching the show on Tuesday (we loved Mollee's waltz, the weird table routine and Russell's Santa solo) when all of a sudden I noticed a trail of ... something .... leading to the other room. I turned the corner and lo and behold, it looked like it had snowed in our downstairs living room! Only instead of snow covering my carpet, sofa and chair rail - it was the extensive droppings from an exploded diaper. What joy! It was just pee, thankfully, but it definitely posed a santitation problem that took hours to remedy. I ran completely out of antibacterial wipes.

I guess I should actually change Spencer's diaper once in a while, huh?

Just thought you could all use a good holiday laugh!

Maggie cried when Mollee got dropped. She's been a Mollee fan from the beginning. I'm glad Ashleigh made it - not much personality but she really turns it on onstage and has come a long way - but I could have seen Elenore leave without a sigh.

Who's gonna win? any bets?

love, Mindy

Quote of the Day

"A home is much more than a house built of lumber, brick or stone. A home is made of love, sacrifice and respect. We are responsible for the homes we build. We must build wisely, for eternity is not a short voyage. There will be calm and wind, sunlight and shadows, joy and sorrow. But if we really try, our home can be a bit of heaven here on earth. The thoughts we think, the deeds we do, the lives we live not only influence the success of our earthly journey; they also mark the way to our eternal goals." - Thomas S. Monson