Cars

I am not sure I have shared this before and it has been on my mind. Cars 2 comes out June 24th and I thought this was appropriate for this week.


Marcus's first movie in the theaters was actually The Other Side of Heaven at 2 months old. (I still haven't watched that movie all the way through.) But we learned our lesson and his next movie was Finding Nemo. He was 18 months old and sat on Andy's lap with a single Twizzler. He sucked on the licorice and when the movie was over their was a little red sliver in his hand and red all over his face. He sat through the whole thing without fuss or fidget. (Admittedly, we wanted to go see it and couldn't get a sitter. He did a lot better than expected.)


Anneke's first memorable movie in theaters was Cars. (I think we saw Incredibles and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe before this with her in tow.) She was almost 2. We had just moved to Boulder and didn't know anyone. The children had worked and worked to earn the privilege of going to the movie. Unfortunately we over estimated our daughter's attention span. She stood in front of her chair and shared valuable insights with the people in front of us. When she would sit the chair would fold her up. (She would not sit on our laps.) She would kick her feet and bang the seats. She would not share the popcorn. By the end of the movie she was sitting on the stairs by our seats with the popcorn bucket on her head singing. Yep, we were one of those patrons that couldn't control their child. Luckily the people around us thought she was hilarious. Now I can laugh. At the time I was mortified. Now it seems such a silly thing. She probably doesn't even remember it.


(By the way, Luke's first movie in theaters was Monsters vs. Aliens at 15 months old and Mallory's was Tangled at 6 weeks old.)


My Father's day post is below for interested parties.

We Shall Go Home

I was thinking about the Mormon Miracle Pageant. The scene at the end when Mary comes to get Robert to take him home, specifically. (Of course when I was telling this to my husband he and I had to quote it verbatim. "It is I beloved, Mary, your wife"...) It struck me that someone he loved met him to help him home and all along the way, there were people he knew and that cared about him. (On the stairs the actor and actresses family members and the temple presidency and bishoprics wait for them.) Anyway, I was very teary and realized that is how it is gonna be. There is no need to fear. Even more it came to me that this life is much the same. We have people that love us and care about us to guide us and help us. They try to prevent us from making the same mistakes they do and if we do make those mistakes, they help us through. So, thanks for the help and love.


This weekend I am taking my little family to the Mormon Miracle Pageant for the first time. I am excited to share the experience with them. I wish they could have the same kind of experience that I was able to by being in it, but this will do for now. :) I hope they like it and that Mal isn't too fussy.

Service

Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.


We talked about service yesterday in church. The whole time i was sitting there I thought of my family and their example of service. My dad was always helping people move in and out. We were always there helping Brother Mueller clean up our stretch of road by the VA. Dad would plan and carry out Scout camps and such. He stayed current on his lifeguard skills and always came to girls camp to cook and keep us safe. Mom would always make food and treats for people. We had people over all the time to share meals. Mom adopted some strange friends that would just show up when they needed to feel loved. She, too, came to girls camp and helped cook and take care of us. They say that service begins in the home and I was so blessed that my parents were examples of that. I saw it with other family members, too. Thank you for your examples. 

Here is my hair. Sorry, my program went crazy and cropped it funny. But, you get idea. Anneke got a haircut, too, but I am not allowed to post a picture here. It has to be on her blog. So, if you want to see it, go there. ;)

Memory Monday

We try to have our Easter egg hunts on days other than Sunday. This is 2007 at our Newton Court apartment in Boulder. Anneke is 2 and Marcus is 5.

She looks so small!

Those baskets are actually baskets from my kitchen.
Ah, I miss that love seat.
Not great pictures, but we were just getting used to the digital camera. We have refined our "egg hunt" and baskets since then. Not as much candy. Also, I have learned to get kinds I don't like so I won't be tempted. ;)

Memory Monday

These are just random photos.

This one is on Andy's birthday. Marcus picked out those walkie-talkies for him. Anneke thought he was hilarious.

I love reading to the children. I love Mercer Mayer. They are both combined in this picture.
Anneke posed like this a lot for a while.
Marcus has been a Veggie Tale fan his whole life. So, when they came to the local Christian book store we made sure to see them.

Anneke on the other hand was terrified and I had to hold her the whole time in the store.

Anneke - 2 years old Marcus - 5 years old (Spring 2007)

Memory Monday - Anneke

Niki Sue took a picture of herself:

When Anneke was little it was a fight (still is) for her to let me do her hair. I used to ask how many pony tails she wanted. This particular morning she asked for 10. It was hard because her hair was so fine. She loved it though. The teachers at her school thought it was hilarious as well and took a lot of pictures.
They took them out throughout the day so her head wouldn't get sore. (Can you tell I am in my first trimester with Luke? I look tired.)
I wonder if she would let me do her hair like that again...

Memory Monday - Before I had a blog

I am going to resurrect Memory Monday in a series I call "Before I had a blog". I was looking through photos and realizing how many there are from before I started blogging after my Texas trip almost exactly 3 years ago. So, you will be seeing photos from Colorado, my pregnancy with Luke and his newborn stage. Mostly this is for me, but if you enjoy it, that is a bonus.

First up:

This was the first picture taken on Andy's laptop. Those are 'do rags that someone sent Andy. Look at those chubby cheeks on Anneke and Andy's facial hair! Wow, good times.

4 year old Marcus -

He seems so small!

Anneke @ 2 years old -

She is always so happy.

A rare picture of me. Easter 2007

Just after I got my hair cut.

Easter kids '07 (4 years ago!)

Notice the ruby slippers. Her dress suited her so much. (I wonder what happened to it.)

This year I want to have Anneke and Mallory match. Any suggestions? (I am going to try and find ties for the boys that match the girls dresses. I am setting myself up for frustration, huh?)

All these were taken before we knew Luke was coming to our family.

Memory Monday - Baby Clothes

Heidi, Carianne, Heather

Elise and Pamela

When my parents were visiting my mom gave me the idea of giving Anneke baby clothes when Mallory outgrows them. They used our old baby clothes for our homemade Cabbage Patch dolls. (Did you know that?) I tried to find that photo but couldn't. I thought that would be fun. But I found it and added it. Yea!

Well, these still fit Mallory, but I gave them to Anneke anyway. (I will explain later.) Anneke was sick last Monday and quite bored. I gave her a few outfits and she and Luke played the rest of the day.

Anneke coming home from the hospital, July 25, 2004:

Baby Precious: (Seriously annoyed. The photo is correct when I upload it. I am not sure what's wrong.)
Anneke with baby Connor in the stroller January 31, 2011 (Love the hair? Tilt head.):
My favorite outfit for Anneke. (Aunt Heather picked it out for her.) Anneke 1 month old August 2004:
Mallory looks a lot like Anneke did except that Anneke has more olive tone skin and tans easily. Poor Mallory is very fair. This means that these clothes looked great on Anneke and wash Mallory out. Not to mention they are huge on her because she has a smaller frame.

Memory Monday - Caspian Luke

This time 3 years and 2 days ago we dropped our older two children off at trusted friend's houses and headed to the hospital in Longmont, Colorado. About 7 hours of labor and Caspian Luke was born at 12:53am on November 28th! I am forever grateful and indebted to the Nicholls, Forsgrens and Sanders for taking care of my children. They will always be our good friends.

Just after he was born:

3 years ago yesterday I gave birth to an amazing little boy. Caspian Luke has grown and developed so much. I can't believe how much time has passed and how very blessed I am. Happy birthday my toddler boy!

Now you are a big brother:
In the month of November, a month of thankfulness, I have now given birth twice. My month, heart and joy are full.

P.S. Aunt Carianne is visiting and taking good care of us. Her biggest obstacle seems to be the can opener. (Its not your average utensil. Trust me.) She is attempting to potty train the 3 year old. We will see who comes out victorious at the end of the week.

Cedar City

Of all the places we have lived, Cedar City was the longest. Marcus was 4 months old when we moved there and Anneke was born there. It holds a lot of memories for us. Last week at this time we went back for the first time since we moved to Colorado. There were a lot of little changes, but it is still pretty much the same...beautiful and memorable. (The scariest change for me was the larger than life Fred Adams statue by the Randall theater.) While living there both Andy and I attended and taught at SUU. (Sort of for me, I guess. I taught preschool and child care.) We both worked for the Utah Shakespearean Festival, too. Here are some Memory Monday photos mixed with our trip photos.

Anneke by the Juliet statue. Marcus used to call this one "flower". They added another girl statue, Queen Titania. She is small and hard to get a picture by. Eventually, though, she will be the top of the fountain.

Marcus dubbed this statue "Tummy" when he first saw it. (Not pictured is King Lear tearing his clothes. Marcus called that one "Bad Day".)
Park Discovery was designed by children and their moms. It was built about 9 years ago, just before we moved to Cedar City. It is large and we spent hours there before and last week. It makes me sad how much it is falling apart now. Marcus wants to move back and fix it up since kids made it possible in the first place.

I haven't seen tire swings in a while.
Shakespeare bench in the Randall Theatre, Anneke and Marcus. Fall '05
Same location, my children-Summer '10
When we first discovered Park Discovery Marcus was about 18 months old. Then-
Now-
Then- (Marcus)
Now- (Lukers)
Life changes so quickly. I thought these times would last forever. I can't believe I have been married for almost 10 years, am almost 30 and have been done with college for 4 years. Enjoy the journey...

Memory Monday - Parties/birthdays

This month in our family there are a lot of birthdays. Parties and such have been on my mind. So, I thought I would share some musings. Each party I have had has taught me a bit about myself or something to remember. I will start with the lesson and then the situation. This is lengthy if you want to skip to the end to see the real purpose, you can.

*I don't like being the center of attention or singled out. - When I was 9 my best friend, Mandy, thought it was hilarious to give me a box of bricks wrapped up. I had an extremely heavy box on my lap and I was so embarrassed. I set it aside to unwrap another gift. Everyone started laughing at me. The gift was in the bottom of the box under all the bricks. It was a lock diary. I prefer opening gifts in private to this day.

*My parents are very creative. - For the same birthday I invited boys for the first time. My other best friend, Cody, his friend Josh and a good friend Adam. (I have always had a better relationship with boys than girls.) Anyway, my parents used leftover scraps of material and made bears for everyone. Then, we decorated them. Well, Cody and Josh got really excited (Adam was a very mild mannered kid and mostly observed the world unless it was football. He was an amazing football player.) They threw the bears over the roof of our house and try to catch them on the other side. To remedy the situation my parents put in a movie, "The Christmas Toy". Everyone remembered watching "a baby movie" for years.

*You can't please everyone. - For my first double digit party my mom let me have a slumber party. I invited 8 girls. One girl was "different" but I didn't notice until everyone at the party made a point to avoid her. I tried to ignore it and have fun anyway. But, I realized that even though people are friends with me it doesn't mean they will be friends with each other.

*Parties aren't always good. - For my 11th birthday I invited a lot of people and only 3 came. It made me so sad.

*Too many people overwhelm me. - For my 12th birthday I invited 10 people to my party, 20 people showed up. I was so over stimulated I went outside a lot and don't remember much about the actual party. It was the last party I planned for myself.

*My friend's are not as refined as I thought. - My sister planned my friend bridal shower. We played a few games. I got gifts that I was unsure what to do with. I also had to tell reasons why I loved Andy. That was hard to put into words without grossing people out.

*Food makes the best newly wed gift. - One of my good friends was quite a bit older than me. She threw me a more adult bridal shower. We played some guessing games and I got advice as I opened my gifts. Doreen (4 months later she would marry my grandpa, but we did not know that at the time) gave me a huge tupperware box with food storage items in it like flour, sugar, pasta, etc. It was the best gift.

*College students are poor. - My first baby shower was planned by my baby sister. She did a great job and we had fun. I was surprised by the baby blanket she made. I didn't find out the gender of the baby, but since they were all such poor college students I got some very random gifts. As far as things that I needed, I don't think I got anything other than the blanket. I remember the baby bottle drinking contest and how we had to widen the nipples because it was too hard to suck on them.

*My family is the most fun. - For my next baby shower we had it after Anneke was born so people could meet her. Heather planned it. It was another one of those parties where only a couple of people came. Still, my sisters and mom make things fun, so it didn't really matter. The highlight was Katie bringing huge bags of girl clothes that Heather and I went through.

Because if all this I don't really like parties. But, I have always wanted a surprise party. I remember Carianne's and all 4 of Pam's. (Heather, did you ever have one?) But, I never got one. The closest I got was a friend brought me a cake to school and told me the box contained a science experiment of moldy bread. I accidently stepped on it and thought it was no big deal.

In a few months two dear friends are putting together a baby shower for me. They are so excited. Chocolate fountain, open house style, diaper shower etc. I am trying to be as excited as they are. I am terrified that only a few people will come and I will be embarrassed that they wasted their time and resources. I dread being the center of attention. Mostly though, I don't want to make people feel obligated to celebrate me.

P.S. I went through my girl clothes boxes after I wrote this and realized I really need a lot of things. That's what happens when you think you are only going to have one girl.

Car Trips

This is kind of Memory Monday, but not really. I was Marcus's age when I remember my first long car trip, from Texas to Utah. I remember snacks, naps and a lot of books, but not much else. (If you have something to share in that regard, please do.) I remember stinky rest stops and the fateful "poo-bottom" incident. I remember listening to Jack Marshall and other church tapes. (Yes, tapes.) I remember chewing gum to pop our ears.

We live in different times now. I am trying to plan a car trip. The trip is supposed to take 20 hours of driving. So, I need some suggestions on what to do. I have gotten some good ones and have some ideas, but more are always welcome. I have a growing list, but I want to do this frugally.

Food

Feeling the way I have lately I have been thinking about the pros and cons of food. This led me to thinking about the things we ate when we were younger. My children each have their own philosophy. Marcus likes anything chicken (except curry). Anneke thinks that pasta in any form is good for you. Luke has decided that sweet is best. Right now, for me, eating anything and keeping it down is good.

As we were growing up Pam survived on Kraft Mac & Cheese (it had to be Kraft) and canned mandarin oranges. Heather had huge bags of sunflower seeds and a spit cup ready. (Gross? Sorry.) For me I think I survived on stuff with cheese. Cheese made everything better. (No wonder I have always been bigger.) Carianne was always more healthy, but was obsessed with Ramen noodles. Did I forget anything? Now, I still eat cheese, but in moderation.

What kind of food did you eat a lot of? Do you still?

Happy Birthday Carl! We are thinking of you.

The Theatre

Theatre and the arts was a big part of my upbringing. I thought I had done this before, but apparently not, so I am actually adding a memory monday for today.

*My dad has an amazing voice. He would sing to wake us up "Oh, what a beautiful morning" or "It's time to get up.." He would sing when we were upset at each other "Let us oft speak kind words to each other..."

*Each grade would perform a play in our Elementary school. I played a reindeer in the first one I can remember. (Second Grade) My costume was too big so I spent the whole time holding my pants up.

*I sang a solo about prepositions in my third grade play, a solo about John Henry in my fourth grade play and a summer camp song in my fifth grade play. I did not get a solo in fifth grade but was in the ensemble. It made me sad. I always seem to be second best. (I still remember the words to all the songs and sing them on occasion.)

*Dad liked to participate in the stake plays. He was a very scary bad guy that led the Nephites astray in the San Antonio stake production of Moroni.

*One summer dad discovered the Point Theater in Kerrville. He was in the musical The Man of La Mancha. Again, a bad guy. My little sister and I went to most of the rehearsals and were the biggest fans of the cast. I even wrote them each a "break a leg" note.

*When I got into middle school I took jazz dance and musical theater classes.

*I played a reindeer twice in the musical "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: the true story" Dasher ("I'm the Baptist") and Vixen.

*I have always wanted to be Cinderella in a production. (I lost out in high school and am still a bit bitter because of the reason.)

*I was Sterling Scholar in speech and drama.

*I competed in Miss Ephraim pageant with a monologue from "The Star Spangled Girl".

*My husband kissed another girl when we were engaged in a production of "You Can't Take it With you". The girl and I were kind of rivals to begin with, so that was interesting.

*Marcus was born on the only day Andy had off from rehearsals for "Of Mice and Men".

*Andy changed his major to English from theater when we got to SUU and he minored in Theater.

*We still miss performing in our family.

I know, this was random and odd. I can add so much more. And I might, next week, but I am going to the playground now to enjoy the gorgeous weather instead.

Tiger Valentine's Day

The title is weird, but I wanted to incorporate the Chinese New Year into it. So, Gung Hay Fat Choy! The year of the tiger is upon us. I don't know any tigers. Anneke and I are monkeys, Andy is a ram, Marcus is a snake (the new year came after his birthday that year) and Luke is a pig. Wouldn't it be cool to be a dragon (2012)?

I was remembering some Valentine's days that I had when I was younger. I was so embarrassed that my mom would print off a bunch of hearts for our friends to color instead of buying Valentines. For fear of the same thing I let my children decide.

I saved my valentines and read them over and over for weeks.

Do you remember getting valentines in mini individual envelopes?

I also remembered Popi getting Grandma a 2 pound box of chocolates. It was always pink satin with a fake rose on top. I thought she was so lucky. (Remember, I was a fat kid, even if just at heart.) Grandma LOVED the caramel ones. Personally, I am a fan of truffles. (As a side note, I can't even find a photo of a pink box of chocolates.) I thought Andy was going to carry on the tradition with a red box. J/K.

I stand by what I said last year. Valentine's Day is for children. My children love that "cupid" comes. They know it is me, but I have at times made a trail of hearts from the front door to their beds with a treat on their pillows. This year I gave them each something for their collections, a Pez dispenser, heart earrings and a red rubber ducky.

Writing

Writing has been a huge part of my life. Maybe not in the same way it is a huge part of a normal person's life, though. My dad writes amazing short stories. My grandfather composes silly poems. My mom studied English at UTSA. My baby sister just received her Masters in Creative Writing and has written some amazing books. (My favorite is Addelaide, but it could be because my name is a form of her name.) My older two sisters have a way with words and I love reading everyone's blogs. Not to mention the little fact that my husband is getting his PhD in English. I have had some amazing experiences with writing.

*In Elementary I competed in UIL Ready Writing. I never won, but I loved it. (Click on the link to find out slightly more about this UIL event. As a side note, I had no idea that UT started UIL and that it included sports.)

*In fourth grade I created the Forest Friends, Ronni Rabbit, Terri Turtle and Bonnie Bear. I had 3 stories about them (with ilustrations) and I think they are gone. I showed them to Andy just after we were married and I was so embarrassed, but he didn't laugh or tease me. The books were influenced by Mercer Mayer, Beverly Cleary and Rudyard Kipling. (Talk about diverse.)

*I have had several poems published in books and magazines, but have no copies of them. (I don't think I told people, either.)

*I have written a few songs.

*I was an award winning editor for my school newspaper.

*I wrote one of the most popular editorial pieces for the school paper.

*I lettered in journalism.

*I wanted to be a journalist, but realized I am not good at confrontations or making people uncomfortable.

*My favorite paper that I have written was on Lady Jane Gray. To this day I am fascinated by this mysterious queen. (In fact, I am so sensitive about her that I got angry at a book based on her life because they portrayed her love life inaccurately.)

*For about 3 years of my life I wrote letters to 12 missionaries. An average of 3 letters a week. (Some told me that there was only a 3% chance of marrying a missionary you write to. That gave me a 36% chance to marry Andy. Hee Hee.)

*I have 12 completed journals. I wrote every day from the time I was 11 until my marriage. I still write, but not as consistently.

*I write to understand myself. When I am trying to figure things out I journal or blog. (That is why sometimes you get a series of downer blogs like when we were planning our Vegas move.)

*I finally figured out a title for my story, 24 Shoes or 24 Shoes a Week. I like the first one but thought maybe it needed to be clarified. What do you think?

Music

On Saturday we went to a music store, art supply store and dance supply store. It brought back so many memories and was so great. Talents are such amazing gifts! My grandparents were very good at helping us cultivate them and strengthen them. They would buy us instruments (until people lost them), even pay for lessons. I loved "Brugger Talent Night".

I LOVE music! I love singing and listening to it. I will listen to just about any kind of music as long as it is music. (I may offend someone, but I don't think rap and metal are actually music.) At Girls Camp I was constantly singing and people asked me to choose songs around the campfire. I even sang to the young women each night. I love to sing and share the feelings it gives me. I know I am not the best singer and that has been sad to come to terms with because it is harder to sing and use my voice knowing that. I don't want people distracted by what is not there. Make sense? (And no, I am not digging.) Here are some "music memories":

*I took piano with Pam. I did not like it because I had to practice. I felt that Carianne was fantastic without really practicing, so it wasn't fair that I had to.

*I was in choir in high school and even came up with our name, "Treblettes". When boys joined I added "Troubadours."

*My dad has a great voice and he would always sing the loudest in church. I used to be so embarrassed. Now I miss it.

*I played the french horn and was asked to be in the high school band when I was in middle school.

*On the way to San Antonio Heather and I would listen to the Beatles tapes. We would sing parts. She would sing the lead if it was John or George. I would sing the lead if it was Paul or Ringo. (It started out reversed for John and Paul, but Heather realized she liked the John songs better.) To this day I only know the background for Help!

*We loved to watch The Monkees on TV and didn't realize it was not our contemporary.

*Pam singing The Girl I Mean to Be from The Secret Garden musical was always so sweet.

*I dated a guy that wrote me a song. I never received a copy and he doesn't have one either. Sad. It was a pretty song.

*I wrote a couple of songs with one of my sister's ex-boyfriends. We sang it for Friday Forum and Ward Prayer and I don't have a copy of it anymore. (I really need to be better at hanging onto those things.)

*My sisters used to make me sing Lilacs from Nunsense and then laugh and laugh.

*I had a small solo is a Christmas program and didn't tell my dad. I got a ride with a friend and as I started to sing my solo my dad walked into the auditorium. He was hurt I didn't tell him, but I was embarrassed. I still remember how special it made me feel that he came. (The song was Do You Hear What I Hear?)

*My grandfather learned how to play a new instrument in his 70's.

*My dream is to someday be Cinderella in the musical. It will never happen, but I still sing Impossible to Anneke at night.

2009 Thankfulness

My most thankful thing for the last year is that we stayed healthy and Andy was not hurt in the car accident. There is a lot to be thankful for and so I am going to look back and list a few.

*I was able to stay home with my youngest 2.

*For extra income I watched as many as 3 extra children in my home, but consistently Baby Marcus.

*We found a less expensive place in a better neighborhood.

*I was able to go to Girls Camp.

*Andy has survived working 2 jobs and is only 3 classes away from completing his course work.

*We got a new (to us) vehicle.

*The accident was resolved within a couple of months.

*We have enjoyed our church callings in both wards.

*We have made many new friends.

*I blogged over 270 times and was able to keep up with my family and friends through their blogs.

*Andy and I were blessed with 2 "get aways" and his family watched our children for both.

*We have been able to visit family members a few times.

*We know how to avoid "The Strip" and billboards we don't want to see.

*I found a book club that I am mostly comfortable in.

*I don't have to pay extra for laundry.

*I have a working dishwasher.

*Andy was given a bike after his was stolen. (Sorry it is too small, honey.)

*The Lord has provided for my family and it has been amazing to see all that we have because of Him.

Remember when...

Remember when Mom couldn't sleep because she was so excited for Christmas?

Remember when we stayed up way late after Christmas and played board games like Clue and Fun City until Dad came out and told us to go to bed?

Remember when we would have back scratching trains on my bed when we should have been sleeping?

Remember when we did Zest commercials after our showers?

Remember when we would go to San Antonio to visit Grandma and Popi (on Christmas) we would wrap up in blankets and huddle in the back because the heater didn't work in the station wagon?

Remember climbing up the walls in the hall?

Remember the rope with our stuffed animals hung on it in the playroom?

Remember the huge box in the laundry with very little by way of clothes in it because they were scattered on the floor?

Remember the FHE when Pam taught us how to do laundry and she was only 8?

Remember Dad's 8-tracks?

Remember my beautiful white end tables, dresser and desk?

Remember someone writing "I love Aaron" on the window sill in my room and blaming me?

Remember Dad lighting up the Christmas tree before we could go into the room on Christmas morning?

Remember Pam's rock polisher?

Remember Deputy Dog?

Remember sleeping in the office at Grandma and Popi's?

Remember when we tried to sneak and see our presents (at Grandma and Popi's) and someone caught us and scared us and we ran back to our beds (the yo) before we could see who it was?

Remember doing advent and drinking cranberry juice mixed with Sprite?

Remember Mom reading The Littlest Angel?

Remember how magical Christmas is?

Daddy Daughter dates

My dad would take each of us on daddy daughter dates the closest saturday after our birthday that wasn't busy. Incidentally I usually went the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Go figure. This meant I frequently missed out on the house decorating. (It was easier without Dad around "Bah humbugging.") We would usually head to San Antonio because Kerrville had a tiny mall and 2 screens in the movie theater. I would usually choose to see eat at McDonald's, watch a movie (usually Christmas themed) and then get Rainbow Sherbet at Baskin Robbins with my birthday coupon. I am a creature of habit and still love to get sherbet when we go there on occasion.

My eighth birthday I chose to see The Land Before Time. I loved dinosaurs and decided against Oliver and Company. (Still haven't seen that movie.) I got a Cera puppet at Pizza Hut and was so sad that she was a stinky character, but happy that she was a girl. I got a Little Foot stuffed animal from JCPenney along with my lavender frilly after baptism dress. I was baptized 2 days after I turned 8, just like Marcus will be. I can always remember that and my endowment date. (I received my endowment on my 20th birthday. Awesome gift!)

I remember once in McDonald's a man was handing out cards with ASL (American Sign Language) alphabet on them. He was asking for whatever we could donate. I was fascinated by the card. I went to a school with deaf kids and didn't know they could speak with their hands. (We learned lip reading, instead.) My dad left a few dollars and the card because he said we didn't really need it.

For my birthdays later I wanted everyone to share the experience. So, we would all go to a movie as a family.

I love these memories and the tradition. We have been unable to start it, but I sure hope to. Marcus and I have gone to the movies a few times or out shopping for his birthday, so maybe I will do Mommy Son dates for my boys and leave the other to Andy.

Some movies I remember seeing:

One Magic Christmas

Santa Claus The Movie

Toy Story

Aladdin

Rescuers Down Under

P.S. I found a great site that reviews movies, books, etc. It is called Common Sense Media. I have thoroughly enjoyed it because it breaks down what you can expect in the book from violence, language, etc. Nice for myself as well as future for my kids. I did books and movies I knew first and then some that I was looking to read. (It made me discard a few of my choices.)