Barlow Family Reunion

We have just enjoyed four days of fun with all 26 of us in town for a family reunion. We gathered to celebrate mom's 60th, dad & mom's 40th and Kate's 30th! Lucky Kate, she gets a family party for EVERY birthday. There are perks to having your birthday the day after Christmas!

Thanks to Zack, we all had rooms at the Residence Inn in Palmdale. Friday we headed out to Palmdale. Mom and Kate opened their presents with everyone looking on. Kate got a docking station for her IPOD and immediately put it to use. As the music was playing an impromptu dance started and we all had so much fun showing off 'our' different dances! It was so much fun and had us all laughing! The Birds got Wii and so it was a hit with everyone. We all gathered for dinner at The Olive Garden (a mom/kate birthday celebration). The weather was SO very cold! The nieces and nephews were excited to have a slumber party with the Birds.

Saturday the girls got pampered and had their toes and nails done and we were also able to fit a little shopping in. The boys golfed. Some of the group went up in the hills and practice their shooting skills. We gathered together at the Birds for a yummy dinner, birthday cake and 'hanging' out.

Sunday we all attended church with dad & mom in their ward. We got more visiting in, were taught by dad & mom (TJ was Captain Moroni - armor and all) and watched a wonderful DVD Kate put together for mom's 60 years! She did a great job and it was so much fun to watch!

Monday we all spent some time in front of the mirror so we could be ready for a family picture - taken at the Camarillo House. Keep watching for it to be posted - as soon as I get a copy. :) Kate had to go back to work so off she went home. It has been a wonderful weekend and lots of memories have been made! Thanks to everyone for helping!

PS Sorry there are no pictures - I didn't have the camera and haven't received my 'copy' of the pictures yet!

Happy 60th Mom!

Today mom hits a milestone! Happy 60th! To the best mom and a best friend, I love you tons! You are a wonderful example to me!

PS A shout out to Kate as well - it is her birthday too! Kate hit her own milestone - the big 3-0! We will celebrate in Cancun in February! Watch for some fun posts then.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

Happy Anniversary dad & mom. 40 years and going strong! Thanks to your example! To help celebrate Rachel made a DVD of their married life. It was wonderful to watch! It was fun to watch my nieces & nephews see their parents and grandparents looking so young! Oh the memories!

Welcome Home Brock!

Hip, hip hooray! Brock came home today! It was so much fun to see him again. He came to us via American Airlines and landed at 1:11 pm. Thanks to customs and his suitcases being lost we anxiously waited until almost 2:00 pm before we saw him! What a wonderful reunion!

Of course a trip to LA would not be complete without a trip to Tito's Tacos. We celebrated Brock's homecoming by going for lunch. Everyone wanted to sit close to him. He rotated cars so everyone could talk to him. After lunch we went to Gordon & Maryann's house where Grandma Jex is staying. It was a treat to see Chris & Marilyn there as well. Grandma was very emotional when she saw hug. It was special!

We were able to hear Brock share his testimony with us before he left to be released from President Blickenstaff. He brought all of the nieces & nephews their very own missionary badges (the real McCoy!) and encouraged them to be missionaries. He brought the girls small pictures from El Salvador. McKay presented him with golf clubs -- the new past time of all of the boys. The nieces and nephews sang his favorite Primary song (thanks to Corrine for help) to him - "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ". It is so much fun to have him back! I am so proud of him!

Elder & Sister Johnston

Today Corrine, dad and mom drove out to Yucaipa. Uncle Rich & Aunt Debbie gave their mission report in their ward. They served 18 months in the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission. We are so proud of them! They are the first of my dad's siblings/cousins to serve a mission!


Michelle and her kids drove out and met us there. Paige and her family and Brooke and her family were there. Paige & Clint hosted a luncheon after Church. It was a lot of fun to visit and see the next generation of kids interacting and playing together.

Friday night fun with the Bird Family

Michelle and her kids came to town today. She brought the 'magnet calendars' to the post office. This is her yearly journey for our business advertising. Thanks Michelle!

She also brought her carpet cleaner and spent the evening cleaning all of the carpets upstairs at mom's house in preparation for Brock's arrival home. Mom and dad have new tile going in their kitchen, bathroom and laundry room and so they have been living in a little bit of a mess. Corrine had the kids come to our house so their mother could work. Ty & Lori watched Goonies and Bryn played with toys. They had dinner at our house as well. I came home from the office late but got to enjoy them for a little bit. Bryn had so much fun playing on the exercise ball with Corrine.

When Michelle came over she had the kids put their pajamas on so they would fall asleep in the car. I put Lori's princess pj's on my legs and asked her I could keep them. She thought I was very silly and so we took a picture. It was a fun evening!

"Our Town" Performance

Tonight Corrine and I went to see Courtney Troxel in ACHS's performance of Our Town. She had the lead role - Emily Webb. She is one of Corrine's former Mia Maids. She did a great job! I really liked this picture of her and her mother.

The night we were there we also had a few other members of our ward/stake at her performance. It is wonderful to see all of the support.

I Have Been Tagged - Thanks Kate!

4 Randoms Things About Me:

1. You will rarely see my bed made. This isn't so much that I don't like it made, it is more a sign of my laziness in the morning! I actually really like the look of it made with the pillows on it, etc. However, my sleep is so important I usually don't factor in 'bed making time' each morning. Sorry mom! You did do your job and teach me, I just did not learn well!

2. I have a scar on my chin from cutting it open and getting stitches. I have actually done it a couple of times. One of those times happened in Santa Monica. I was really young. We were all celebrating Grandma Jex's birthday at her house. We were playing kickball (or something like that) with all of the cousins. I went after the ball and when I landed my cousin Bill grabbed it from me right before I landed on the cement. My chin hit the ground and it didn't fair too well. Bill felt so bad. He wouldn't leave that night until he knew I was okay. It was one of many bumps and bruises I have received! Yes, Bill, I have survived! He probably doesn't even remember it!

3. I have FM & AM radio, a 6-CD changer in my dashboard and XM radio and recently I found out I have a plug in my car for my IPOD but I rarely have my radio on anything but 'talk' or 'sports talk' radio. This absolutely drives my sister Kate nuts! I don't know, I would rather hear what is going on. In fact, I went to use my IPOD gift card and really didn't know what song to get! How pathetic am I?

4. I second guess everything I do and everything I decide to do. It drives Corrine nuts. One of the things I second guess is kind of ridiculous -- my bedroom garbage. I can't throw it out without making sure I didn't throw anything away I really wanted. How sad is that!? No, I haven't ever pulled anything out, but still I do it. Corrine is usually a good sport and comes and empties it for me. This way I don't think about it. This garbage thing doesn't cross over to kitchen garbage or bathroom garbage. It is just my room. Go figure. Also, I have left the office door unlocked once and now I am really uptight about it. I have to check and re-check it. I stand at the front door and shake it a few times. Usually when I walk to my car I am saying the words "you locked the door" so that I don't think otherwise. I have been known to turn around in my car and come back and re-check it. No, I haven't found it unlocked when I have done it, but still. Oh, boy! As Corrine reminds me -- I have ISSUES! :)

4 Movies I Can Watch More Than Once:
1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Sense & Sensibility
3. Two Weeks Notice
4. Sweet Home Alabama

4 TV Shows I Watch:
1. ESPN Sports Center (does that count as a show?)
2. Dancing With the Stars (although this season has been a little anti-climatic)
3. The Biggest Loser - Kate asked me to watch it last season. I enjoyed it. This one is ridiculous and I am ready to be done with it
4. Saved by the Bell (a flashback to days gone by. I have it on in the morning while I am getting ready. Lifetime took "The Nanny" off and so now I have moved to TBS for this show)

4 Places I've Been:
Just four? This is a fun category. I love to travel!
1. Japan (served my mission in Japan Nagoya Mission)
2. Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy)
3. Church History 'trek' (I think I have hit them all - I love going!)
4. Mexico (PV each year with Corrine's timeshare)

4 Favorite Foods:
1. Cheesecake Factory
2. MO's Cafe for their California Salad
3. Outback Steakhouse or better yet, Ruth's Chris Steak House :)
4. Chinese food - mostly I order Beef & Broccoli.

4 Things I'm Looking Forward to in the Next Year:
1. Definitely going to Cancun to celebrate Kate's big 30
2. Going on my first cruise - we are going on one to celebrate Corrine's big 40
3. Using our BBQ next spring. Corrine and I finally have one and so I am looking forward to a lot of BBQ cooking.
4. Baseball season - I know it just ended, but who says I can't look forward to it again? :)

4 People I Tag:
1. Meghan
2. Carol
3. Nancy B
4. Kori B

FHE with the Jexes

Tonight Corrine made us a yummy dinner. It was her version of Mongolian BBQ. It was a keeper. Rachel needed to interview Grandma Jex for a project for her history class so we all drove out to Gordon & Maryann's house. Maryann made us some very yummy peach cobbler (with vanilla ice cream, of course) and Gordon shared some thoughts with us from Elder Bednar's talk from April's conference. While Rachel interviewed grandma the rest of us had a good time visiting. Maryann drove me to the 99 cents store for some toothbrushes for the hygiene kits I was finishing - Camarillo's supplies have disappeared. It was a fun evening! It was wonderful to see grandma again as well. We had a great time visiting with family and Rachel kept us entertained in the car to and from Granada Hills. :)

A Birthday Celebration with Anna

Anna's birthday is on Wednesday. McKay and Rachel are taking their family to Utah for a few days and so we celebrated early. Grandma made her a confetti cake. She also made the dinner she requested - meatloaf and baked potatoes.

Aunt Rachel found Bubble Gum ice cream. As you can imagine. This was a hit with the girls. They each collected their pieces and then put them in their mouth at one time. Oh, wasn't that a pretty picture (I decided to spare you of that one). :)

Aunt Rachel gave Anna the game "Fancy Nancy". It was a huge hit. Of course, Anna opened it up right away and a game of it was played tonight.

Can you just say 'cheese'? I loved this picture Corrine took of Rachel & Mac. See his curls? He is letting his hair grow out as well for Brock. In Church today I watched him as he was wrapping it around his finger. So fun!

Home, Family & Personal Enrichment Meeting

Tonight was our enrichment night. It was really well attended which I was grateful for. I was a little concerned we would not have support since everyone has been so busy. However, we had over 30 people there. We had a potato bar for dinner and everyone seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to relax and visit. Part of the evening was a service project. The DI in Los Angeles asks for help each year. We donate new, unwrapped toys or clothes for children 2-17 and then the bishops in the area are able to go 'shopping' for members of their ward who would otherwise not have something to open on Christmas morning. Our ward has participated in this each year. I really like this service and so I encourage participation. This year we decided to do it a little different.

We asked each sister to bring an item that reminded them of their childhood or teenage years and then to tell us about it. Corrine brought Rummikub and Skipbo because these games remind her of playing with Grandma Jex. I brought a basketball (because I was a BYU ball girl), a small farm set (because I lived on a farm) and when I saw the Rubik's cube I had to bring it too. I have memories of riding the bus from American Fork Junior High and everyone had them. I know they are coming back in now, but they bring back memories.

We had a lot of great gifts to donate and it was so much fun to see what people brought. It was a great way to get to know the sisters in the ward. Even the sisters I thought I knew well I learned from tonight. After we were done with this part we had Harold & Geneva Ferguson speak to us about Eternal Relationships. They have been married for over 60 years. They are converts to the church and they have six children. They joined the church after all of the children were born. They each took turns talking about ways they worked together and learned from each other. They shared their very different backgrounds and explained why they needed each other to balance each other out. I know they really enjoyed sharing and it was good for our sisters to hear. It was a great evening. I know all who came felt uplifted and relaxed.

Have You?

I saw this on my cousin's blog. With all of the 'heavy' postings I have made, I thought I would share this one with you.

Have you done any of these?... Just copy and paste this to your blog and highlight or Bold the ones that you HAVE done.

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run . 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke . 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House . 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

This morning I opened our garage to find a message for Corrine and I. Many of you know we have received a few "not so nice" items on our porch. This morning this is what I found. I was so grateful to be on my way to Church where I could feel the spirit! When our HT came this afternoon it was there and an hour later when they left it had been removed -- looks like it was taken for better viewing purposes on Flynn Road. Interesting how none of the other neighbors with "Yes" signs had one placed in front of their house. I am glad to live in a country where we have freedom speech. Obviously someone wanted us to know how they felt.

Today has been a wonderful day! The spirit has been so strong. Corrine and I started our fast together last night and we ended it together tonight. Our sacrament meeting was so filled with the spirit. So many wonderful testimonies were born of the Book of Mormon and of families. Not one word about the election came up! The closing prayer was offered by our bishop. I have never experienced the power in a prayer in sacrament meeting like I did today. It was the most humble prayer, pleading to the Lord and for blessings on our behalf. What a blessing to have the priesthood restored to the earth! We are so blessed!

This afternoon we had a wonderful lasagna dinner with dad because of a sweet sister in our ward who served. Saucha called the office on Thursday and told me she had made a lasagna and was bringing it by the office for Corrine and I so we would have a home-cooked meal to pull out when we needed. She recognized how busy we both were and wanted to help! I was so taken back by it I didn't even know how to respond! Wow! Today we had a wonderful break-the-fast because of her! Thanks Saucha!

Needless to say, I am looking forward to November 5th!

Singing in the rain?

This morning I was surprised to hear the wind howling and the rain coming down so hard. It woke me up about 5:15 am. I had my windows open just a bit and the blinds were slamming on the windows. I thought for sure it would let up because today was a very important day. I just knew that the four hours I was asked to serve today would be done in the sun -- after all the weather wasn't suppose to change until tonight. Well, I was wrong.

When I got up about 8:00 I knew that today was going to be an experience -- I just wasn't sure what kind of one it was to be. I sent Corrine a text message (she was already over at "headquarters"). My message was "are you kidding me?" Her response was CLASSIC -- "we are having our own pioneer experience".

I arrived around 9:00 to be given my assignment. We were asked to put door hangers on people's doors reminding them to get out and vote. I went with two other people in my area and we were assigned an area with a specific list and doors to go to. These were people who had previously responded favorably to being contacted before regarding Prop 8. The rain had let up a little and so when I was dropped off at my corner I took my umbrella (just in case) and then all of my supplies. I had hardly started with the drops started to fall - slowly at first and then all of a sudden a micro burst of rain. I had no choice but to stand there and just smile. Throughout the next three hours I enjoyed several more of these wonderful micro bursts. Since I was in a familiar neighborhood and knew some of the people who lived here I 'borrowed' a friends' porch during one of these down pours and stood out of the rain. I got a good laugh at myself on Flynn Road when I had no where to 'hide' when another came. I was literally walking in puddles and everything on me was wet. I just laughed out loud to myself. It took me back to my mission. In Japan we usually had two choices each day -- be wet from the sweat because you chose to where a rain jacket, or be wet from the rain because you didn't. Either way we were wet. Well, today was the same. BTW, I now know another reason we go in pairs as missionaries - it was an incredibly boring and lonely job! I had brought my IPOD, but never pulled it out because it was so wet and I had no place to put down my other items and get it out.

When we finished our assigned area I was picked up by the other two and we headed back to headquarters. We were fed, and warmed and began to dry. It was fun to see people come in looking so put together and come back looking like a drowned rat! I couldn't help but think of the cause we were fighting for! I am grateful to be able to stand and be counted on the Lord's side despite wet clothes and hear and a few blisters!

Happy Halloween!

Tonight I got to see my sweet nieces and nephew all dressed up and so excited to go trick or treating. I came home for about an hour to hand out candy. I guess I am a Halloween Grinch of sorts -- it is not my favorite holiday. I love to see the little kids come -- they are fun. However, once they start coming as middle-schoolers and high-schoolers, I am done.

McKay and Rachel took their kids over to mom and dad's neighborhood so Corrine and I went over there to see them. As Rachel mentioned in her blog, a few weeks ago the girls found grandma's dress up box. Tonight all three kids wore a costume from that box! I love how McKay and Mac were both wearing Superman. Mac even left it on! So fun!

After we saw the kids Corrine and I spent the rest of the evening working on preparations for tomorrow's Prop 8 efforts. Even though it was work, I enjoyed the social interaction with the other gals there helping out. Rain is predicted in the forecast for the evening - should be interesting.

Tolerance? What does it really mean?

So this past week has been quite interesting. I have been helping with the campaigning for Proposition 8 here in CA. We have been standing on corners waving signs, holding banners, etc. I have done it multiple times in the evening after work. Last week I did it from 7-8 in the morning; this week I will be doing it morning and evening Tuesday - Thursday. Last Saturday I spent two hours participating.

It has been quite an enlightening experience. There are so many that are confused on this issue. So many who think that we are "against homosexuals" or who think of "homosexuals" as our enemies, and that individuals who have entered into "gay marriages" pose a direct personal threat to us. This is NOT the case. Proposition 8 doesn't take away any rights or benefits from gay or lesbian domestic partners. Under CA law, they "shall have the same rights, protections and benefits" as married spouses. It just wouldn't be called marriage.

In my participation I have been told repeatedly I am not tolerant. I stop to question what tolerance really means. Recently Orson Scott Card wrote an article and stated it perfectly, "Only when a gay friend demanded that I agree with his or her point of view or cease to be friends has the friendship ended. What is odd is that in every case they called me intolerant. They misunderstood the meaning of tolerance. 'Tolerance implies disagreement -- it means that even though we don't agree with or approve of each others beliefs or actions, we can still live together amicably. When we agree, we aren't being tolerant, we're being uniform. It's uniformity or submission these former friends wanted, not tolerance at all.'"

I have not heard such vulgarity yelled at me since I was in high school. I have not seen so many explicit gestures in my life. On Saturday one young girl decided that 'mooning' us would be the way to get us to agree with her. It didn't work. I was called a "Christian Zealot" and I was told I would 'burn in hell". Interesting! Tonight as Stacey and I stood on a corner holding a large banner I felt the wind move right between us. It startled me. A car in the far left-hand turning lane threw a salt shaker at us. Gratefully, it didn't hit either of us. Now, I ask, is this really tolerant? Apparently I don't have the freedom to express my views since they don't align with theirs! It is so hypocritical! Wow! We are living through prophetic times! I am grateful to have the knowledge of the Book of Mormon! Talk about the 'large and spacious building' and the people who are mocking, scorning, and pointing fingers! Well, I will continue to 'hold to the rod' and press forward! I want the prize in the end!

PS For those who know me well know that when I get overwhelmed or feel stressed, I usually get cold sores. Well, you may notice a 'nice' cold sore on my lip! I am calling this one "prop 8"!

Memories

On Wednesday I came home for a few minutes and got some cookie dough out of the freezer. I was surprised to see that it didn't seem frozen. I thought maybe the door wasn't closed tight. I felt the meat but it seemed to be frozen still. When I came home that night Corrine mentioned she thought the freezer door was left open because a few things were thawed. We cleared out the damaged products and thought it was done. Last night Corrine came home and the freezer was even worse. We knew we had a problem. This morning Corrine opened the refrigerator to get some milk and found it too was broken -- nothing was cold. I called our appliance man to take a look at it and found the relay on the compressor was broken. A couple hundred dollars later we have a refrigerator again.

When he pulled out the refrigerator I had a little pause -- this picture shows what I saw. Corrine, Rachel & Brock painted our kitchen before we moved in. They put their initials and the date on the wall so we would always remember it. I had forgotten until I saw this! What a great memory!

Proposition 8 in California

Tonight Corrine and I had an interesting experience. Corrine is the zip code leader for our zip code. Therefore, any requests for a sign will come to her. Tonight, we delivered some signs. All of the signs were replacement signs because people had reported their signs as stolen. One house we went to has had four signs stolen. The gentlemen is determined to keep putting them up.

One gentlemen talked about freedom of speech. This freedom gives him the right to put a sign in his yard, the opposition is trying to take that right away because his speech doesn't reflect their own. Very interesting.

The last house we went to was my favorite. They too had a sign stolen. His children were quite upset at this fact and couldn't believe someone would actually take the sign from their yard. When he returned he found that his children had made their own sign (see picture). Corrine and I thought this was great! Hope you enjoy.


I also received this link to a You Tube video. It is a very simplified version of what proposition 8 is all about. Hope you enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zbpDe_QhS0

Celine Dion Concert - Unbelievable!

My cousin Lynette gave me a great Christmas gift last year. She had two tickets to the Celine Dion concert and asked if I was willing to come with her. Of course, my answer was YES. I was excited to see the concert but had no idea what to expect. I have only been to country concerts and not really that many. I was completely overwhelmed! It was absolutely wonderful! It totally exceeded my expectations!
The concert was held at Arco Arena (home of the Sacramento Kings). It has two levels and we were in the top level. However, the way she had the stage and screens set up was great! She had screens all around the arena and we were sitting at eye level of the screen and so we could really see everything well. She used the entire stage and was absolutely wonderful!
There were only about three songs she sang I was not able to sing along with. It was so much fun! I cannot even describe how great it was! For those of you who live close by, I have a couple of videos you can see. Unfortunately, I can't upload them because they are too long.
As she left the stage (after two encore numbers) she walked slowly through the crowd shaking hands, etc. She was really quite gracious. What an amazing opportunity. THANK YOU LYNETTE & thanks to her husband Jason and kids! I had an absolute blast.
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Birthday Celebration with Lynette

Prior to the Celine concert I told Lynette I would take her to dinner for her birthday. She got to choose the location. We talked about getting a great meal (with a HUGE splurge) at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. This is a wonderful place to eat, but not so friendly on the pocket book so I only go on special occasions. We found one in Roseville and headed there for dinner.
Lynette had a good chuckle because I made her take a picture in front of the sign because this is the first time she had been there. So I am a little cheesy! It was a very yummy dinner and was a great preparation for the Celine concert. Thanks for a fun night Lynette!

Aunt "Aweesa"

On Sunday Jared asked me when I was going to take pictures of him. He saw me taking so many pictures of TJ at his football game. I took a few pictures of him on Sunday before church.
He was so cute doing a bunch of things for me to take a picture of. He wanted me to take a picture of him "doing tricks" on the trampoline. His parents said he needed to wait until Monday. This morning I decided to take a video instead because I wanted to capture him saying my name! I love to hear it! Hope you enjoy the video!

I left Yuba City today and drove to Turlock to meet up with Lynette and her family. She and her two youngest met me a Chili's for lunch. I then stayed the night with them. I enjoyed visiting with them and we even made homemade Oreo cookies together. The kids were really excited. The biggest disappointment of the day was the Dodgers loss!!

Sunday with the Yuba City Barlows - Go Dodgers!

This morning I awoke to little boys calling "Aunt Alisa" as they came in to the kitchen. I managed to stay in bed for a little longer, but finally I got up to their calls. We played "I Spy" and "20 Questions". These two games seem to be their favorite games. Today is Fast Sunday here, so I stayed out of the kitchen so as not to be tempted.

We pulled the mattress in front of the TV and the boys and I watched a DVD. Well, I should say they watched and I dozed off. Chelsea and Todd's ward meets at 1:00 pm. After everyone was ready we took some pictures of the kids and I attempted a picture of their family. Unfortunately, their is a circle glare on all of the pictures I took on the nice camera. I think the sun was reflecting on that spot because none of the pictures I took inside had the glare. Darn. There were some really cute pictures in that group! I did have my small camera and so I was able to get a couple of nice ones.

I went to Primary with Chelsea for the 2nd hour of church so I could see her in action (she is the PR chorister). They are learning "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet". The younger group was doing really well. During the 3rd hour I attended Relief Society. It was interesting to be a participant and see how other wards do things.

After Church we had dinner together. Todd did some BBQ chicken and steak and Chelsea made some sour cream potatoes and veggies. I was the french bread specialist. It was very good after a day of fasting.

Tonight we watched the Dodgers play the Phillies. We are so happy to see them doing well! Go Dodgers! We really enjoyed that win! Now, they need to keep the winning streak going! While we watched the game I showed TJ & Jared how to make homemade Oreo cookies. TJ and Jared each cracked an egg in to the bowl and they helped put them together too. They decided they were just about as good as 'real' ones. Chelsea decided that some mint frosting would make for some good ones!

A day of football

Last night I flew from Burbank to Sacramento. Aunt Marilyn & Uncle Chris met me at the airport. They brought me one of their cars to use for the weekend. We had a good visit for 20 minutes in the parking lot before I headed to Yuba City. I arrived at Todd & Chelsea's house about 10:30 pm. They had all gone to bed and I found my bed ready and waiting for me!

This morning we were up early for TJ's game. He needed to be at the weigh in for football at 7:45 am. The game was held at Sutter Union High School - about a 20 minute drive from the house. Yes, that is the AM! It was an early day! Needless to say I was putting my makeup on in the car once we got to the field. It was FREEZING this morning. I was really quite surprised how cold I was. I had a sweater and a jacket on and I was still cold. Fortunately, it did warm up some, but I never did take off my sweater.


TJ plays on the mighty mites league. They play four 10-minutes quarters. The team is on offense for two quarters and defense for two quarters. If they score it is one point - although they never really kept score. Todd had me bring the nice camera and so I was able to get some great pictures (not quite Corrine-quality, but still good). I even was able to catch TJ's TOUCHDOWN in sports mode. TJ played a great game. He was involved in almost every play and was on both sides of the ball. Todd had him all taped up (including the shoes) just like Todd and my other brothers did when they played football. I must admit, when I was taking pictures it was much easier to tell where he was because of the yellow-taped socks.



After the game was over we stayed for the first half of the next game. A family in their ward has five boys. Basically they camp out at the high school the whole day. We watched one of their sons play. This was the league TJ will be playing in next year and it was amazing to see how much more advanced they are. After we left the field they took me to see their new home. They found a bigger home with a GREAT yard for the same amount of money each month. It is in the process of being painted, new carpet, etc. We walked around the yard and peeked in the window. I took some pictures so watch Todd & Chelsea's blog to see them. The yard is absolutely wonderful. It is on a cul-de-sac and they are the middle house so it has a pie shaped yard. The boys will love it!

Chelsea and I ran to the store and then we had lunch. We had some of the Saturday football games going on but the boys really wanted to play games. Jared and I played a "Go Diego" Memory game and we played Connect Four as well. All three of us played a Scooby Doo game -- the boys taught me how to play it. We had a great time. At 4:00 we headed back over to the school to watch another of their friend's sons play his game. He is on the oldest team. They played great and won the game 38-0. It was still cold and I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate while watching the game.

After the game we ran to Wal-Mart for some computer discs so I can leave the pictures here and then to dinner at Costa Vida. It was very yummy! We came home and cuddled while watching a movie. However, we all ended up sleeping instead of watching the movie and so we just turned it off and are calling it a night! It has been a great day. Oh, thanks Kate for sending us BYU updates. Thankfully they pulled it off even though it sounds like they didn't play very well at all.

A 40th Celebration/FHE

On Friday, a friend Rachel, had her 40th birthday. As with most people who hit this wonderful milestone, she was not really too excited about it. Corrine told her we needed to celebrate! We decided to combine FHE with her birthday celebration. A few of us got together at JJ Brewsky's for dinner. We chose this place because they were advertising Oktoberfest. Corrine loved celebrating this in Germany so I thought it would be fun. Unfortunately their menu left a little to be desired (unless we wanted to drink) when it came to the Oktoberfest items. However, we did find something yummy to eat. Rachel enjoyed herself. Our server found out it was her birthday and so she brought dessert out with a candle. Rachel wasn't too thrilled about having her picture taken, however, we convinced her to take ene with the balloons Corrine gave her. Happy Birthday Rachel! May this be your best year yet!

Griffith Observatory

Corrine has been wanting to go to the Griffith Observatory for some time. She finally decided to put it on the calendar. She sent out an e-mail and invited a bunch of people. It ended up being Natasha, Tracilee, Corrine & I. In the 20 years I have lived here I have never been. It was a great experience. Unfortunately the telescope was closed because it was a cloudy evening and the cloud cover wouldn't allow us to see anything. We watched a movie about the history of the stars, etc. It was in an IMAX theatre and was great. The chairs allowed you to lay back as we watched. They did a nice job. There was a neat area where you could see information about each of the planets. (I think it is ridiculous they don't include Pluto with the planets. However, Pluto was at this display! :)) In each area you could weigh yourself on the planet. I don't really enjoy weighing myself on this planet, but I couldn't resist this and so I did. I think I would enjoy living on Mercury or Pluto for weight issues. :)

After the observatory we went to dinner at BJ's. I had the wonderful BBQ chicken salad. It is SO yummy! Thanks to the recommendation of Tracilee we all split one of the desserts they are famous for - BJ’S FAMOUS PIZOOKIE® Their menu says "You’re never too old to enjoy our freshly baked, hot out of the oven, rich and delicious cookie topped with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and served in its own deep dish. Your choice of chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter or oatmeal raisin walnut."

Forever Strong -- A Must See

A friend gave me information about a new movie playing in Simi Valley tonight - Tuesday. Corrine had previously e-mailed me information about the movie. It sounded like a quality movie and so I wanted to support it. So tonight, Corrine, Rachel and I went together. We went to In-N-Out Burger for dinner and then we stopped by Golden Spoon for a little dessert (Corrine's favorite). We met up with everyone else at the theatre. It was fun to see so many people I know at the theatre. Dad and mom went as well with two other couples in their ward.

I HIGHLY recommend this movie. I laughed, cried, learned and really enjoyed the movie. It is an independent, family sports film based on a true story. It tells the story of one of America's most successful athletic teams, a rugby team from Salt Lake City with a win-loss record of 379-9 over a 33-year period. It is also the story of Rick Penning, who lived life just like he played rugby; fast, hard-hitting and intense. When life on the edge lands him in jail, his case worker Marcus offers him a chance to get back in the game for playing for his rival rugby team. An unlikely brotherhood forms forcing Rick eventually to choose between conflicting loyalties. I strongly encourage you to find where this is showing near you and GO!

General Relief Society Meeting

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. It is the General Relief Society Meeting. Having spent three years working closely with the General RS presidency, I look forward to hear what the sisters have to share with us. It was so much fun to be there with friends and family. When we went into the chapel to hear the broadcast it was Mom, myself, Rachel (my sister-in-law), Corrine, Melinda and Rachel all sitting together. It was such a blessing to have us all together!
This year our stake did something a little different. Instead of a sit down dinner our stake participated in assembling hygiene kits. Each ward was asked to bring supplies. No goal was set by the stake, but they were hoping for 500 kits. It was overwhelming to walk in the cultural hall and see the stacks of supplies -- soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, towels, etc. When all was done there were 904 completed kits with about 150 incomplete kits which will be done in the next couple of months. Wow! It was so exciting to see all of the boxes lined up along the cultural hall wall marked "Latter-day Saint Charities". These kits were ready to go to someone who needs them!
Our stake also put fleece blankets together. These will go to a local charity for children in our area. It was great to see so many of our stake RS sisters together providing service. The stake provided a light supper of soup and salad as well. As I looked over the cultural hall I couldn't help but think of the quote from Sister Beck's talk from last year's meeting -- "Focusing on relief will always build sociality, whereas focusing on sociality may not always bring relief."

Following the meeting we all came back to our house and had chocolate satin pie in honor of Corrine -- today is her birthday. Mom and Rachel went home and Melinda stayed and showed Corrine how to use her new makeup (Bare Essentials) and showed her a few 'tricks' for make up and hair. It was a great day!