Take Your Daughter...

or your 5 year old son...he loved it too :)

I took Maddie and a friend (and Will) to see this movie yesterday. We really enjoyed it. The story takes place during the Great Depression...and at times, I must say, it was really sad...okay, I cried. The struggles families went through were heartbreaking. It was good for Maddie to see that life is not always what you want, but you can get through it. I liked that it was a movie for children, but it was real...people losing their homes, cars, clothes, food, and even their dad...I try to teach my children that not everyone has it as good as they do (and there are many others who have A LOT more than we do). But seeing it in that setting...it made her think.

She made a couple of comments last night that made me realize she understood that life is not all Nintendo, Disneyland, new toys and FUN! Sad...but true. (dangit)

Friday Night Fun!

Last night we got to have the missionaries, Elder Parker and Elder Kelly, over for dinner-something you don't get too often here in Utah. It was great to have them over and to feel of their spirit. It is amazing the spirit the elders carry with them-you could really feel it. Maddie and William displayed such excellent dinner-time behavior...I wish they could eat dinner with us every night! :D Knowing the elders typically eat lots of food,I made a huge platter of Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Cheese...delish. This Rachel Ray recipe is one of our favorites-I make it often.

Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes amd Cheese

1 pound penne or any short cut pasta

1 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil

4 bacon slices-chopped

1 large onion-chopped

4 large garlic cloves-minced

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1/2 c white wine (or white grape juice or just extra chicken stock)

1 pint grape tomatoes (I sometimes just use Roma tomatoes cut up)

1 ball fresh mozzarella

fresh basil leaves-I like to chiffonade mine (stack leaves, roll, and slice in long thin strips)

1/2 c Parmigiano-Reggiano

Boil pasta making sure to add salt to boiling water. Cook according to package directions. Heads up-you'll need to reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before you drain the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the EVOO. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring every now and then, until crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the white wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and reserved pasta cooking liquid, then bring up to a bubble and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grape tomatoes and cook them for about 30 seconds, just to start getting them hot and ready to burst. Add the cooked drained pasta, toss to coat in the sauce, and let some of the sauce soak in, about 1 minute. Turn the heat off and add the diced mozzarella, basil, grated cheese and black pepper to taste.

After dinner we went to see Nims Island (of course without the elders)! We really enjoyed the movie...especially Maddie. It would be Maddie's dream to live on her own island with no one else and be friends with the animals. I had the most fun watching her. The story is so fun...adventure, comedy, scary...it has it all. I must admit, I got a little teary-eyed at the end. I don't want to spoil the movie, but the relationship between the father and the girl was so sweet. I have loved watching Maddie grow and become the young woman that she is and I have loved watching her relationship with her dad grow and develop...she loves to study with him, go on rides with him, play Nintendo with him, watch SpongeBob with him, ride scary rides with him...she loves being with her dad.

Nim's Island is just one of those happy movies-I love those kind! We would highly recommend seeing this movie-the whole family will enjoy it.

Kindred Sprits!

I just finished watching Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea...and a part of me wished I had been a friend of Anne's...I know we would have been kindred spirits! Bob teases me that I dream of being Anne and I transport myself right into the movie-yeah right! :)

A few times a year PBS does those telethons to raise money blah blah blah and I DVR'd Anne and have been watching a little every night for the past few nights...I find myself wishing it would never end. I love the way that movie makes feel...it is so idealistic-I laugh and I cry. The relationship between Anne and Gilbert is so romantic-even though Anne is such a ninny sometimes-it drives me crazy that she can't see her true love right in front of her!

I can't wait for Maddie to love these movies as much as I do...so we can daydream together!

And the soundtrack is one of the best CD's I've ever owned. I can listen to it over and over. It can be ordered online here.

Life at the Cluff House...

B.O.R.I.N.G. Yup...nothing going on here! Seriously, for the past three weeks we've all been sick (all except Maddie-the lucky duck missed all the fun)!

It all started with Bob coming down with Influenza and the stomach flu! Within a few days, I was DOWN for a week! It was absolutely the most miserable I have ever felt-death didn't seem too bad! While I was down my house fell apart...and then Will got sick! Now, both Will and I have the worst colds and I'm trying to get my house back in order. Will keeps doing these big, huge snot snuffers..."I have to get my boogers up" he says. I wish he would just get his boogers OUT! We all seem to be on the upside of this disease...however, I'm still so tired!

My parents went to Idaho this weekend for some dental work from my awesome brother and I sent Maddie who had a tooth that was bothering her...Kevin pulled it! He said she was very brave and did great! (maybe I'll take a photo when she gets home). We're missing her around here-but I must say the lack of sibling fighting has been very nice!

Oh, and I'm taking a photography class from this amazing photographer! Check her out! I am learning lots and I'm also majorly confused! I will post some of my photos when they're worthy!

Last night we took Will to see Horton Hears a Who! He really enjoyed it-we had a fun little weekend for him...he's really missing Maddie-too bad she's not missing him!

I'll be back!

What a Day!

Today was one of those days where you have so much to do, it's hard to know where to start and you wonder if it's really all going to get done (the worst is when it carries into the next day-which mine will!)

I offered to help with the ward party tomorrow night by putting together a live nativity with the primary children. What was I thinking? Of course, I waited until the last minute and have been scrambling around trying to gather children, props and costumes-UGH! So I fretted and stewed all day about this task. I actually woke up wondering how I was going to accomplish this task. I also have to decorate a table and make a salad for the party!

I am decorating a friend's house for the holidays (something I do each year). But it was on the busiest day ever. I went over in the morning to do it, but she wasn't home and had told me she might not be home but the code to her garage was
- - - - . Of course, I forgot it. I tried her on her cell phone, but had to leave a message. I knew I couldn't really go anywhere because I would soon be leaving for Maddie's school program! And also, if she called, I wanted to be able to run right over! She didn't get back to me until it was about time for me to leave for the program-totally my fault. I should have written her garage code down! Anyway, the block of time I had set aside to do this was now gone-YIKES...when was I going to get this done?

Maddie's Winter Program was great! Grandma and Grandpa came to watch. She is so beautiful! Isn't she just wonderful! I love her so much and I am so proud of her.




Mrs Johnson-Maddie's wonderful, amazing teacher!

I brought Maddie home after her program, took her to Activity Days (she didn't want to go, another story,) but went anyway and had a fun time. It was a babysitting activity so Will actually got to go and I had the hour and a half I needed to get Bonita's house done! Yipee for Activity Days! I picked them up at 5:00, ran to Harmons because I had to take rolls to our Neighborhood Christmas Party and also get something for the kids for dinner (chicken drumsticks-YUCK!), then picked up the babysitter, ran in the house, tried to make myself presentable for a party, wrapped the white elephant gifts and ran next door to enjoy myself for a couple of hours! WHEW!

The party was over by 8:30 (the party is getting shorter and shorter each year!) So, since we had a babysitter, Bob and I decided we'd go to a movie and went to see Dan In Real Life. I absolutely cracked up. And Bob was laughing so hard-I rarely hear him laugh like that-(Seinfeld will do it) and it's one of my favorite things about him. He has such a great laugh and when he laughs hard, you know he means it! Go to see that movie-it's great!

reminds me of this below....is this not the funniest thing ever!

I'm going to bed now, knowing I will dream about that darn nativity! HELP ME...I have poop stomach!

Have you seen the previews for this movie...it looks so good! Maddie and I saw the preview yesterday and we can't wait to see it on opening night...this Friday, October 19th. Review will be coming.