SOCCER FUN!!!!

Note Connor's tiger face (Sarah Beth has a princess face but you can't see it)...we had dinner at Chic-fil-a before the game and "Sarah Dippity" was there doing face painting. Sarah Beth was an awesome goalie and no one scored on her so the next game she played goalie both periods (or quarters or halves or whatever they are called!) Connor became fierce during the season and became proficient at stealing the ball with his feet and head bumping and chest bumping or whatever you call it. (Can you tell I'm not too up on soccer lingo?) But, I loved watching them have fun! Their team was pretty lousy because everyone was a beginner but I enjoyed watching them progress...Some of my most favorite memories are of watching my kids play sports..or dance..or act...

Happy Happy Birthday Princess Dear...

LaNelle is 23!!! I can hardly believe it...the years have flown by...I will never forget the absolute joy I felt as I held her...Dr Cohen was giving her 1st bath (back when doctors did that!) and looked up to see if perhaps a grandma or two was at the window...he saw about 30 people and stood in shock and then looked at LaNelle and held her up and said, "Who is this kid, anyway?" Her Daddy replied; "She's my princess." and that was the start...we love you and wish we could be with you today...Happy Happy Birthday Princess Sassyfrass LaNelle...

A Fast for Lauren and LaNelle

Our family has been praying for and worrying over my neice Lauren who is sick (GSD and ?????) and in the hospital for weeks now...and also for LaNelle and her struggles with infertility. So we are calling on family and friends to join us if they desire in a fast for them this Sunday. Thank you!

Just for you Lauren!!!!

This is for Lauren but you can read if you want...

A - ADVOCATE FOR: children and the Gospel

B- BEST FEATURE: it was once my eyes...now, I don't think I have any GOOD ones

C- COLOR PREFERENCE- ALWAYS RED (except in the fall and then it's CLEMSON ORANGE)

D - DREAMS & DESIRES: to sit in the Celestial room with all 7 children and their eternal companions

E- ESSENTIAL ITEMS: other than Pete and my children...cell phone, debit card, reading glasses, crocs

F FAVORITE FRUIT- watermelon

G- GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT- 7 fabulous fantastic children

I- HAVE NEVER TRIED: illegal drugs and I never will!!!

I - IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS: get out of debt, buy a house and take my ENTIRE extended family onthe Disney Cruise!!

J - JUNKIE FOR: popcorn!!!!!! and hibachi veggies and rice with shrimp sauce

K- KINDRED SPIRIT: Lauren

L- LITTLE KNOWN FACT: I am TERRIFIED of scary movies

M- MEMORABLE MOMENT: holding Kalib for the first time and seeing Heather's smile

N- NEVER AGAIN WILL I: ever drink alcohol or smoke

O - OCCASIONAL INDULGENCE: pedicure..wish I could get one every week but I've only had 4 in my whole life!

P- PROFESSION: Mama and Registered Nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Q - QUOTE: "Take the high road"

R - REASON TO SMILE: I'm alive and have a great family (I stole Lauren's but what could possibly be better than that???)

S- SILLIEST MOMENT- I bet Aunt Kim and your Mama remember us crouching down in the pew and singing with a low voice the first part of "Low in the grave he lay..." and then when it was time we'd jump straight up and sing out really loud "Up from the grave he arose!" we got a spanking (well not Aunt Kim...she NEVER got punished for ANYTHING) every Easter but I still laugh seeing us in my mind. Not very reverent but we were kids...and it was silly!

T - TAG SOME FRIENDS:EVERYONE...even though I might know it all...Aunt Kim

U - UNINTERESTED IN: well once it was shopping but my girlfriends hooked me on that so I guess (don't tell Grandma because this is a sin in her eyes) yardwork!!

V - VERY SCARED OF: a Lupus flare and having to leave earth before my kids are grown!!!!

W - WORST HABIT: losing my temper and saying bad words (and EATING TOO MUCH!!!)

X MARKS MY IDEAL VACATION SPOT: any beach anytime

Y-You what makes you you?: inquisitive mind, deep loyalty, loud mouth, sarcastic view, and deep love for my Savior and my family

Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Scorpio! (Lauren's answer again but ALSO MINE!!!!!!!)

Senior Prom

Patti looked gorgeous for senior prom. I have ALWAYS admired Patti for being true to herself and having such great self esteem. She went to Church prom last year with her friend, Jordan and is going this year with her friend Drew. But, she wanted to go to senior prom with her friends from school...but she also didn't want to lower her standards and go with just anyone so she chose to go with her girlfriends as a group instead of with a date...and she had a BLAST. Patti...you ROCK!! She has tons more pics with her gorgeous friends...check out her blog...we loved her updo! Isn't she a doll?

More from LaLa and DISNEY PRINCESS ON ICE!!!!

Ok LaNelle wrote me again (yeah!!!) and I'll post it here but first...I am soooo mad that my camera is missing because we had a BLAST tonight at Disney on Ice...princess version. It was a girls' night out and Patti, Sarah Beth and I went. We were close to the ice but back near the stage but it didn't matter to SB...she wore her Aurora (sleeping beauty) costume and she and Patti sang all through it! My favorite memory will be the two of them singing and waltzing all the way down the outer corridor on the way to the door...they didn't care who saw and I was in tears watching my youngest two daughters and knowing Patti would be leaving soon...it was a magical moment...we missed our other Princess but she was busy in Mazatlan...

Mom,
Hi! Thanks for your e-mail! We are still having a blast. I am not really sick anymore (except for after dinner because I eat so much that I feel like I can bust and my body is not used to sugar!) I think I've gained at least two pounds. Probably more. It's just so hard not to eat the food because it is so dang good. We went parasailing yesterday in Mazatlan. I loved that city. I cried when our driver took us by where the poor people live. It made me so thankful for what I have. I will post about it for sure. I feel 100% different about Mexicans now. Most of the ones in Mazatlan have college degrees and are still having to drive taxis and wait tables because the mininum wage for 8 hours of work is $5...yes $5 for a WHOLE DAYS worth of work. You have an amazing job if you make $25 a day. I can't imagine living like that.
We bought the twins souiveners, but didn't have enough cash to buy anything else. Stupid me forgets that not everywhere in the world takes a visa card! We went repelling and ziplining today. It was amazing and we paid way too much for pictures but they wouldn't let you take a camera and they took pictures for you and they were so cool that I had to buy them. I just couldn't help it! And they came on a CD so I can upload them and print off as many as I want yea! Tell Lauren that she is in my prayers. And Jean too. I am sorry that Andrew has been sick, but still jealous that he got to be with ya'll for a whole week. We are off to the pools now. We have tonight and then one more day at sea then we are done. I will miss the relaxation but be happy to eat veggetables that don't have a pound of butter on them. (I know wierd to hear me say that but its true) We have got to do a family cruise. Seriously, we have to...save your money it is SOOOOOOO worth every single penny. Oh, did I tell you I got all A's and B's on my grades for the last semester. A 3.4 yea baby! And i thought I was gonna fail! Four more classes and I'm DONE!!!! YEA!!! Love you all, talk to you soon!
Your Princess cruise princess!

A word from LaNelle in the Mexican Riviera

LaNelle had planned to update her blog from the cruise but since she has internet access but it is EXPENSIVE; my guess is she'll wait till she gets home but she did email me. I am pasting it here...it is SOOOOO LaNelle...the princess we love! Please join us in praying that her baby wishes will be realized. She tries not to get her hopes up but it is impossible and every month brings fresh grief...let's pray that will end soon...anyway...here's LaNelle...

Ok, Internet access is not free; it is 75 cents a minute so I have to be super fast. But I am on the cruise and doing great. It is a blast and we should for sure do this with our family. I was pretty seasick the first two days. I didn't throw up but I could hardly walk straight. I doubled my dose of motion sickness medicine and I've been fine. Even the sea sickness hasn't stopped me from eating. I have eaten so MUCH! It's like a 5 star restaurant all the time as much as you want 24 hours a day. I decided that as long as I am under my goal weight by the end of May when I have to weigh in then I'm not going to worry about it. Everyone thinks I'm gorgeous...all the little old ladies stare when I walk by and I can hear them saying how pretty I am haha. I have taken lots of pictures and can't wait to show them off. I'm already getting super tan! We make it to our first port tomorrow. So that will be a lot of fun. I am probably going to get online on Thursday to check my grades and will e-mail you then. But don't worry if you don't hear from me. They don't accept cash for internet use so every time I get on it charges it to Craig and Nancy’s card so I'm trying to be conservative. Well I love ya'll and wish you could be here! Tell everyone hello for me and that I SO wish they were here with me. I'm enjoying the time with Michael and Eric; they really needed time with me and Steven. Well stay safe and keep our baby hopes in your prayers, I'm having some symptoms, but they are probably a mind thing! Love you all!
Your Princess Cruise Princess!

The Orange-White Game

Andrew came home just in time to go to a dance in Greenville with Peter and enjoy a great day at Clemson. It was the annual Spring game and "Be a Tiger Day" so the twins had fun and Connor got lots of autographs from many of his favorite players. Peter comes home this weekend and it will be great to have all 3 of my boys together!

My friend, the APOSTLE!!!!!!!

Wow!!!! I was so excited to hear about our newest apostle! Elder Todd Christofferson was in our ward in Charlotte and he is amazing!!! Okay...so he was more Pete's friend than mine (he and Pete and Br Don Stahli (Pres Hinckley's exec secretary) were all on Ward Council together...Pete was a brand new member of the Church...talk about learning from GREAT men!!!) but we did share a pew in Charlotte for lots of Sundays...and he would slip Patti Teddy Grahams. His wife Kathy is even MORE amazing. She and I went to Atlanta on a temple trip and she made me laugh...and cry! They are just the greatest people...which I guess is obvious...I remember that he was one of the top lawyers for Nationsbank (now Bank of America) when he was called to be a general authority. They had this GI-NORMOUS house and every luxury you could want...and he gave it all up without a second thought. He just WALKED away from that huge job, huge paycheck and great lifestyle!!! I remember Kathy saying, "Well, Libbi, when the prophet asks you personally to come...you go! You don't ask to think it over!" and then we had this really great talk about how that really, anything any Church leader asks us to do is the same thing because they are called of God to be in that position at that time and when we do it unto the least of these... She was such an example to me. I remember when Elder Christofferson (I just can't call him Todd anymore!!) gave his first talk in General Conference...his daughter slipped him a note that said, "Dad, don't trip walking to the podium!" Before they left Charlotte for Utah, he had an informal get together and said it was a "Anything and everything you ever wondered about but didn't know about Church government and didn't know who to ask night." He was asked all kinds of questions...none of which I can remember but I do remember being so proud of him and so sad that my friend Kathy was leaving! On his last Sunday, he gave a talk and so did I and on the stand after Sacrament, he asked me if he could have a copy of my talk. I handed my notes to him because I never really write out my whole talk. I forgot about that until years later when he called me and asked if he could read that talk in an area conference...I about had a heart attack!!! (and to this day I have NO IDEA what the topic was or what I said...). I got to visit briefly with Kathy when they came to Columbia with President Hinckley a few years ago but not near as long as I would have liked...and now, they will REALLY be too busy for old friends but that's okay...every time I see the twelve, I'll smile knowing that once upon a time, I shared a pew every Sunday with an APOSTLE and his wife!!!! I love you Kathy!!!!!

p.s.

and what I remember best is that I could listen to him teach forever and ever...I learned so much listening to him...I found an article that is a perfect example...it's at http://www.reuters.com/article/idUKFLE15338920070611?pageNumber=5&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

Peter's t-shirt results and Andrew's Spring Break...

Ok...I never talk bad about Clemson but I am very mad at the dumb dumb person who put the old Collegiate Club t-shirt in the #1 position!!!! It beat Peter's design and the other design...so Peter came in 2nd ...not bad at all...actually pretty fantastic and now I can have his design printed for our family and friends!!!! and he wins autographed football, basketball, and baseball!! I'm still a little aggravated but also very proud of my ARTISTIC son!

Now for some GOOD NEWS!!!!!! ANDREW is coming home for Spring Break!!!! Oh yeah!!! He got a killer deal on a ticket and it's a nonstop Delta flight to Charlotte and nonstop back. (that's twice now the plain old Delta site has beat out all the "low price sites"...it was a last minute deal he got today!) He'll be home very late on the 10th and leave very very early on the 20th so basically he's home from 4/10-4/19 but we are SO EXCITED to see him!!! And he, Pete and Connor get to go to Clemson for the Spring game so it's good timing.

And some more GREAT NEWS...Peter will be installing security systems this summer once again but he doesn't have to go to Seattle this summer...he'll be in either Greensboro, NC or Raleigh, NC WOO HOO!!!!!!