Pocket Stories

Today's funnies are about, you guessed it, Gary. He gets a lot of "face" time here, doesn't he? Well, he deserves it, on way or another.

Cute Story #1

When Chad's dad, Gary, was Bishop, he got into the habit of always carrying candy in his suit pockets for the little kids. When he was released, I'm sure the children kept asking for candy, and, since he has a sweet tooth of his own, he never has let his pockets get empty. At church today, my little Gary was hitting up his Aunt Alane for some candy, but she didn't have any. "But, do you have candy in your pockets, Gary?"

"No," he replied, "I'm not a Grandpa!"

Cute(?) Story #2

This evening Gary was goofing off in the front room, and rocketed into the couch cushions head first. He bounced right off and said, "Ow!"

His dad, who was sitting on aforementioned couch, said, "Where's your brain? In your pocket?"

Gary retorted, "No. I don't have any brains."

We, of course, know otherwise.

Bitten

I had an unmentionable horrible stomach flu today. The worst I have ever had in my entire life. Really. When Chad came home from work he looked at me and said, "You are pale." Yes. Pale, with dark circles around my eyes, and really bad hair. "You look like a vampire," with that little smile that lets me know he's just turned "death-warmed-over" into a compliment. And I did have a piece of glitter stuck to the side of my nose this evening that wouldn't come off. Maybe I was bitten by an undead virus. It sure felt like it. (I was going to take a picture of my sparkeling nose for you, but then I looked at my nose up close in the mirror and thought really, nobody wants to see that.)

Toilet Stories

Story #1.

This is a recent picture of our bathroom. Gary's work. Although he said Sage put the rolls in the toilet. Is he grooming a scapegoat or an accomplice? Hmmmm.

Actually, in all fairness to Gary, it probably was Sage, because, no matter what he does, Gary usually has no problem being honest.

As in:

"Gary, how did you break the door of my great-great-grandmother's washstand into three pieces?"

"Like this."(Pantomimed demonstration ensues)

or,

"There is smoke pouring out of the front of the pellet stove! Hm. There seems to be a basting brush shoved down inside of it. Gary, did you do this?"

"Yep."

See what I mean? It probably was Sage.

Story #2

Overheard at our dinner table:

Much Burping!

Lexi: "The next person that burps is going to get a swirley!"

Samuel: "I want one! I love shakes!"

Bouncing

Mandy and Clyde and their children were here for the weekend, and we had a big birthday for the 11 birthdays that are in January in the family. Dianne rented a bounce castle, and the kids LOVED it. I went out and took pictures for just a few minutes. Not all of my children were out there at the time, but I got some cute pictures of the ones that were.

New Wheels

So, here she is. Our new ride. A Chevy "Express" 15-passenger van. It even sounds like a shuttle bus, doesn't it? I learned yesterday that if it were just one passenger larger it would require a CDL to drive it. We took it for a spin, filled to the gills with our children, Grandma, and cousins. One Uncle came out before departure and wanted to make sure of the

location of his son.

"Is Noah in there?"

Chad --Um, no. I don't think so.

Lily --Yes. He got in.

Me --I don't see him in here.

Samuel --He's coming with us! He's in here!

Grandma --No, I don't think so...

Gary --Yes he is! Right here!

Sure enough, back in row 47, seat R, was little Noah.

I recently heard Emily Watts refer to her large family's large vehicle as the "S.S. Watts."

"Funny!" I thought. "We'll name ours the S.S. Leavitt!"

However, when Chad brought it home, he immediately dubbed it

the "Cin Wagon."

Hardy Har.

I am so not that song.

And I think Chad hasn't heard it in a long time and has forgotten the words.

But the name seems to have stuck.

In lieu of "The Bermuda Rectangle,"

I guess it will have to do.

Benjamin

Here is my littlest brother, Ben.

Ben was here recently for a visit, and we got to witness his

amazing talents, which are, but are not limited to:

beautiful piano playing and composition

(both of my girls have been more inspired to

enjoy their piano practicing more. Yeah!)

juggling

(He juggled in BYU's Homecoming Parade this Fall!)

break-dancing

(He is currently working on his head-spin)

reciting pi out to the 30th digit

(He was bored in science class one day, and it was posted on the wall...)

and,

creating video games

(check his game out HERE!)

Samuel asked if Uncle Ben could beat his own game, since he was the creator. "Because Jesus beat the game of life, and he was the creator."

(Cute.)

Ben can.

Can you?

Falling Through the Cracks

The kids had thrown the cushions off of the couches today, and I had gotten out the dustbuster to vacuum up the crumbs that invariably accumulate there. As I was sweeping (yes, I'm a Hoosier, sweeping) I noticed a lego shoved down in the crack where the arm of the couch meets the floor of the couch where the springs are. I reached my hand in to get it out, and found it was not alone. Who even knew that stuff could fit down there! Well, it can! Inspired by my friend, Joshlyn, I tallied it all up, and am sharing my list with you.

Art supplies:

2 pencils

2 paintbrushes

3 stickers

13 crayons, or pieces thereof

Game pieces:

1domino

1 red Squeeze-out piece

6 Battleship pieces, including one ship

2 cards from Frank's Zoo

3 Matching Game squares

3 puzzle pieces

1 checker

6 Guess Who faces

1 tTomas card

1 Whonu card that says "malls"

Toys:

1 marble

2 Polly pocket clothing items, both purple

1 surf board from Del Taco

31 legos

Items from the bathroom:

3 bobby pins

7 hair rubber bands

5 barrettes

1 baby comb like you get at the hospital

3 flossers shaped like dinosaurs

Food:

3/4 of a graham cracker, intact

3 m&m's, 2 plain, 1 peanut

6 jelly bellies

1 necco heart

lots of Life cereal

lots of wheat thins

lots of popcorn

1 butter rum milk maid(with wrapper, I might eat that)

1 slice of white chocolate orange(I only buy those at Christmas, and I couldn't find any this year...)

1 pecan

Miscellaneous:

6 rubber bands

1 nickle

6 pennies

5 magnets

1 battery, AAA, with full charge

1 heart shaped rock(Lily collects these and often gives them to me as tokens of her affection)

2 sheets of fingernail decals(one in each couch)

1 bookmark

1 birthday candle

2 pieces of an old FHE chart

this --

1 granite sun charm, purchased on the Boulder ride for one of my girls

1 cow from a nativity

a bit of gold tinsel

a piece of cord that laces up the back of a dress I got rid of a long time ago

1 sock, Sage-sized

1 smashed penny with Miss Piggy on it, created at Disneyland

1 tent stake

So, if you ever find yourself sitting on my couch, hungry and bored, penniless and powerless, with scummy teeth and a bad hairdo, do not despair. Relief is not far away. Just don't ask me how all that stuff got there, and I won't ask how you got into such a state.

Late Night Blogging

Oh, say, does that star spangled...
banner yet wave...

o're the land of the free,

and the home of the...

brave.

No, no, no. Please sit down.

A standing ovation is much too generous.

Our Week

I realized I hadn't taken a picture yet of Lexi's most anticipated Christmas present...

having her hair dyed and highlighted.

So, here it is.

Gary decided he needed a helmet for his new biking skills...

riding with one hand!

And he puts his helmet on all by himself.

We had amazing lighting the other day with a cloudy sunset,

so Eden and I took advantage of it.

Yesterday was Gary's birthday,

so Eden gave him a birthday haircut.

And mom made him a birthday dinosaur cake.

Oh, wait, you said "dragon cake?"

Let's see... add some wings and some fire... OK.

Dragon cake.

Glad I didn't think you said "basketball cake."

This evening we were treated to a visit from my Uncle Chris and Aunt Patty.

They were on their way home from a visit to Sequoia National Park in CA.

We had a wonderful visit.

Thanks for stopping by guys!

We finished the evening with another birthday haircut,

from an older sister, this time.

Supervised by Mom and everything.

It was her first lesson.

He only has one bald spot.

Blessing Day

Little Chad was given such a sweet blessing by his Daddy on Sunday.

A precious day for a precious boy.

A Challenge!!!...

To Mandy! To do the snowman song with your family, since you guys actually have SNOW, and a great sense of humor. Between you and Clyde, not to mention your fun-lovin' kids, I bet you could come up with something hilarious, and I'm dying to see it!

The Snowman Song

I love InsideOut (here's a link to their site: , www.insideout-acappella.com, I actually emailed them and got permission from one of their tenors to post their song -- Cool! )and think their snowman songs are hilarious! We acted out one, and we've finally figured out how to get it from the video camera to Blogger. Enjoy.

Lily in the Limelight

Today is about Lily.

She is a sweet big sister, and a responsible helper. She can often procure cooperation when I can't, and the little kids love to have her play with them.
Lily has really taken off with her piano recently. Music has clicked for her, and she will even improvise and make up her own "extended versions" of the songs that she's working on. She's fun to listen to.

Lily got to try volleyball for the first time this year. She was a good little server, and after serving so many points for her team, her coach would encourage her to try it overhanded, which was a bit more of a challenge.

At the elementary school Christmas program, I realized that Lily has talents I didn't even know about! Like.....

playing the "boomwackers"...

...acting, as Alvin the chipmunk (actually, I did know she was skilled in this area. At home, she is often speaking in a voice laced with drama, and she can even do it in a British accent, if she's in the mood.)...

...and playing the xylophone. She goes to school and hour early, four days a week, to practice for the school's Voice, Instrument and Performance group, and the dance group. They had learned amazing things! I was completely impressed! Go Lily!

Lily is also my little kitchen elf. She loves to cook, and is getting quite good at it. She wants to have a bake sale, and when Grandpa was here, they practiced making some "Key Lime Mini-bunt Cakes" that I'm sure will be a big hit.

So that is a little about my Lily-girl. She is a joy, and we sure love her!