nutcracker week

Thank you- thank you

To all you readers out there!!

I was so surprised at the response I had to going private- wow!

It's just so nice to know there are people out there who love us....

SOOO

anyway...

thanks again

and I should be blogging more regularly - even daily now

-BACK TO THE BLOG-

THIS WEEK IS NUTCRACKER WEEK!!!

This cutie has been having the time of her life dancing all week up at Weber State.

Her ballet school puts on the Nutcracker there every year there.

It's such a wonderful production!

The New American Philharmonic Orchestra plays live music for them & there are 4 professional dancers from Ballet West in the show. Also- a lot of the costumes have been handed down from Ballet West so they are really great too.

Ya- I kind a like it...

It's a big commitment being in the nutcracker!
She tried out back in September- has been practicing since.
Besides selling a required amount of tickets (not too hard), chaperoning twice, being on a committee.... etc. Brett is helping take down the set tonight after the last performance.
It's absolutely worth it- every minute- when you see the look in Chloe's eyes. Well, that & see her commitment, drive & excitement about the whole thing.

Tuesday night- I chaperoned the Arabians.

Last year I finally learned that chaperoning on Tuesday night (the first dress rehearsal) is the best! Why- because you don't have to stay downstairs in the dressing room the whole time. During the act they are not in- you get to sit in the audience & watch with your dancers. It was so fun to sit next to Chloe & hear/see her reaction to the show. She absolutely loves it.

the Arabian scene is in the second act-

We went down & got costumes on.

While we were waiting I snapped some photos- these girls have been really fun & nice.. some of them frankly... have been a little jealous of the soloist (Chloe.)

Let's face it- it's hard being a teenage girl.

EVERY YEAR I forget and EVERY YEAR I am reminded of how nice my daughters are. I know they are not perfect- I know they have their bad days. But, sitting quietly as a chaperone in a room full of candy canes & Arabians I see some mean things, just a few- thankfully- but still. I of course... don't take to that very well & typically find myself embarrassing the mean girl by calling her on it ... but I won't go into that. (who's the real mean girl... ?)

I'm so grateful for Chloe's kind friends.

Blair on the left here is one of them... love you Blair.
She is a red soldier this year & I NEED a picture...?

Chloe- Thursday night, just before going on.

isn't she beautiful!

All the YW in our church congregation came to support her. It was so fun for her knowing her friends & leaders were in the audience.

Of course when the started chanting CHLOE! CHLOE! CHLOE!

that wasn't really, ya know... proper? oops.

Afterward- on the way home (11:30 PM)

we dropped Hailey off on our way home at Wende's house.

Months ago Wende was so sweet & bought Hailey a ticket to the midnight show of Harry Potter. Of course that's before the whole nudity issue came up. We let her go anyway... she's seventeen for heaven's sake & I didn't think it would be all that bad... Hailey said - even though that scene didn't need to be in the movie- it was not as bad as the media made it out to be- you couldn't see "anything" & it was just plain media frenzy? I'm curious what other people think now?

on to last night-

This is a LOOOong post.. I have so much to catch up on!

Wednesday morning my parents flew up from St. George where they live (my sister works for an airlines.) It's been a very special nutcracker year! They've never seen her dance before so we were of course, thrilled to have them. The whole family was here. Marcus, brittany & brit came up. We had dinner than traveled up to the ballet.

getting in those last few messages...

Trent loves brit & of course... wanted to sit next to her!

She is a 1st grade teacher & she is wonderful with kids- but especially wonderful with Trent.

DAd & Me

photo by Trent

siblings- after the show-

this photo is for you Megan & Jack.

I'm not so sure if Trent is happy to be in it.. ha ha? - he says he was trying to go cross eyed- Well, of course? That would have looked good! NOT

boys...?

Grandma & Grandpa with Chloe.

cousins

Grandma & Grandpa with the grand kids.

Chloe did such a GREat job!

Being the Arabian Soloist has been an absolute dream come true for her. It's so fun to have a part where everyone can see you & tell it's YOU. Every night several different little dancers come up & want to talk to her & point & stare. She remembers doing the same thing at their age. It's just been such a thrilling experience for her.

I love you Chloe!

I'm so lucky to be your mom

The last performance is tonight - I can't wait to be there- in ROW K!!

-awesome tickets-

BREaK A LeG-

well, not really
Love mom

going private... but why???

Dear folks out there...

I am going private in one week from today.

WHY?
Because I have so much to say that I'm nervous to say to the whole wide world.
Ya know like...
how I started a new part time job (it's so exciting!)-
where & when hailey is singing-
how the job search is going & what we've been doing in the mean time-
where chloe is dancing & when you can see her-
details on brian's dating life... (oooh la, la)-
adventures of 11 year old trent & aspergers syndrome & how he came home last FRiday night early from a friends house because,
"He doesn't want to play with me anymore!?
Only because I have really bad gas that I can't control!"
stuff like that-


I feel stifled by the fact that anyone can & is reading this.

I'm not posting like I used to because of it.

I don't like that.
I want to be more personal.

So - if you really are a reader and you want to stay a reader...
leave me a comment with your email address or email me at

sixandholding@msn.com

and I will put you on
the list.

happiness is....

Pictures of the missionary in my inbox! but why are they so small?

Can someone tell me how to get them bigger?
Doesn't he look great!?
Gotta love that missionary!

a week full of excitement.... aka: wasp nest in the back yard

This past week we noticed something way, way, way

up high in the tree- in the back yard.

Well, actually Brett noticed it.

(this picture was taken with an extreme zoom in- notice the hole toward the top?

that's where Brian got it with a rock from the wrist rocket... sweet.)

This wasp nest has proved to be the most exciting thing that has happened around here in a dang- long time.

It's made for some fantastic bb gun shooting & wrist rocket target practice.

Or background for an all important text?

Fortunately for us... and them...

there are no wasps in it- anymore.

Our necks are kinked-

but it was worth it.

It's a shame really, such a beautiful little nest.

I tell you what?

Those wasps must have worked their little hearts out getting this done!

It's truly reminiscent of Winnie the pooh.

When Brian couldn't hit it-

the girls recommended he get some balloons & float up singing... cute.
But eventually the humans won out-

and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Even though it was amazing- it was seriously frightening at the same time!

a whole lot of Halloween going on

In the last couple of weeks

we've had a lot of Halloween activities going on!

It's been great fun. I love Autumn. It's easily my favorite season.

Here are some of the highlights-

Eating fresh tomato soup on the front porch.

heading off to the last scout camp out before winter sets in.

I made two large batches of pumpkin cupcakes.

One for a friend's wedding shower- one for our congregation's Halloween party.

Brian & Spencer

just before the left for a Halloween party.

scary for sure!

hailey & her date for the harvest dance.

they went as Chimney Sweeps!

so cute

carving jack o lanterns

back home seriously soaking wet... from a rainy Halloween night.

Not too much candy...

Chloe ready to go to a Halloween party too!

What we gave to the many trick or treaters this year.

Tiff & Hailey all decked out.

Trent's set up waiting for the trick or treaters.

He decided handing out the candy was more fun that going out to get it.

and last of all-

Homemade donuts

Instead of making them for the neighborhood- I've started a new tradition.

Just one batch- one- for the family!

It's been a great Halloween season

my missionary jack... an update

Monday this photo was in my inbox.

It was like a little slice of heaven... seeing a picture of my missionary jack!

He has been out nearly 7 months now. YES- you read that right- it's been 205 days sent we said good bye & he got on an airplane to Brazil.

I miss him terribly.

I think about him constantly... always.

I don't write much about it because frankly, I don't like to get super personal on this blog. My feelings about having a missionary are so personal, so overwhelmingly personal & sacred... I just don't want to trivialize any part of the experience. Anyhow- he is doing well. He has lost some weight, but then he walks at least 10 miles most days. He loves it. Absolutely loves it! I know- not because of the many letters saying he loves it- but because of pictures like this one. I know my son, and I can see it in his eyes.

Tonight I want to share a bit of this week & last week's email.

(last week)

He is writing about a family they are teaching, "They are a really humble family, that doesn't have much. It was hard going to their house for the first time & seeing how little they have. Their house is only a little bit bigger than my bedroom back home & they are a family of 13- 11 kids! But they are so happy & so excited about the gospel. The blessings of the gospel are so much it doesn't matter how little we have, if we have the gospel we are rich with blessings."

(this week)

"this week was GREAT!! We went to visit a family & one boys had a surprise for us. He had named two of his roosters after my companion & I. Little Elder Messer is a white rooster with a red head, ha ha. Now many of you may be recalling the Seinfeld episode where Kramer buys a rooster & names it little Jerry Seinfeld. So it probably won't surprise you when I inform you that, yes, Little Elder Messer got in a fight against Little Elder Alves. We were all sitting in this little tiny room (it's really little especially with 11 people in it!) when these two roosters just went at it. They were fighting in between my lets, on my lap, it was craziness. Don't worry though, Little Elder Messer was quicker than Rocky from rocky III."

It's good to know he still has his sense of humor.

I know you are not reading this...

but someday you will-

I love you Jack. I know you are exactly where you need to be, doing exactly what you want to do & I am proud of you. Proud to be your mother. Proud you are doing good in this world & loving your fellow man. Proud of the man you have become. Proud that you are not afraid to teach & testify of what you know is true. Proud that you know how to work hard. I miss you but wouldn't bring you home- mostly because you would never speak to me again- for anything. I dream of the day you will come home & walk down the ramp at the airport. I love you so much.

love, mom

Meeting Bakerella

On the 14th of this month there was No School.

I was thrilled that I didn't have to take my girls out of school to meet her...

the One & Only

Bakerella!

We were absolutely delighted when she announced here that she would be coming to Salt Lake City on her book signing tour. I had pre-ordered her book... you know on that day... and YES it is worth it!

It's an amazing book- even if you don't bake- it's worth buying just for the photos.

Here is a copy of the photo of the four of us.

It's the photo of us that she put up on her blog post about Salt Lake City.

I was stunned that she chose our photo to go up- the girls & I have been walking on cloud nine ever since.

We got to Williams Sonoma an hour early.

Ready with our book- we would have bought three... but then- no job = one book.
We picked up our number- #36 then looked around the shop for a bit.

I realized just after we arrived- that my camera card was in the computer at home. Oh my gosh, I nearly had a heart attack. These photos are all taken with my IPhone.

Bakerella - or Angie- her real name, was absolutely delightful.

She was darling & sweet & has a bit of a southern accent. Her mom came with her & she is the one who took that great shot of us all.

I asked her if she has been able to quit her day job. She said- no. I am so thrilled to see such a talented blogger go big, even if she hasn't been able to quit her full time job yet. She is so talented she absolutely deserves the book deal & every bit of recognition she is getting & more.

I found her blog just after I started mine over three years ago & it's a family favorite.

It was an absolute thrill to get see her success- buy her book- meet her in person & have her sign it!

After the book signing we topped off our special day with lunch here at Elizabeth's bakery & tea shop just north of Trolley Square in the big city.

It's a delightful little bakery/tea shop with true English originals.

A friend of mine- who seved a mission in England says it's the real deal.

Authentic as it gets here in Utah.

We had a (top left to right) a bacon cheese puff, cheese & onion pie, cucumber sandwich & blueberry tart.

We sat among these lovely pillows & just as we were being served the owner came over & told the girls they were so lovely that the looked like they belonged in the tea shop!

We finished off lunch with scones, English butter & jam.

It was such a GREAt day.

I still can't believe our picture is on her blog!

Thank you to all of you who left messages here yesterday to tell me about the photo- I was so thrilled to see you recognized us.