Voice of an Angel

Last night Ashlee participated in the school disctrict's Solo Ensamble. Oh my heavens!!! She was amazing and I am not just saying that because she is my child. When the teacher was handing out music for the students to work on she originally gave Ashlee some song choices that Ash thought were "boring and easy". So she asked if she could do something else. Ashlee choose "Think of Me" from "Phantom of the Opera". Ash has been sick all weekend long and she was nervous all day yesterday that she wasn't going to remember the words or that she would mess up. After listening to her sing I have no idea why she was even nervous. She blew me away. I was so glad that parents could go in to watch and that I was able to film it. I can't believe the wonderful gift that she has. She is only in 7th grade and she has such a beautiful voice. She can sing any style of music. I love to listen to her sing karaoke at home. She can ghetto up any hip hop song with soul that I cannot believe comes from a white girl, yet she can sing a love song with beautiful emotion. Last summer I was asked by our Bishop, Nick Taylor to sing in a wedding that he was asked to go to. I couldn't make it becuase I had to work so I volunteered Ashlee to go. I think the Bishop was a little nervous about having a 12 year old come sing but I assured him that she would do well. Turns out that the Bishop was amazed by her song, and the Bride and Groom were in tears by the end. She has sung twice in church since we have been here and both times has done so beautifully that people are in tears. Yesterday I was so blown away by her and so proud of her. As I sat watching her solo I had to hold back tears because I didn't want her to be nervous about singing.

Needless to say she got a Superior I in all her performances. She did GREAT!

Go check out her videos at: www.youtube.com/SadiePollyPops

His Watchful Eye

I have never been one who is content. I always have to have something going on, something to look forward to, something I am working on. I have to be busy. I can't sit around and do nothing. I have been having a rough winter. It has been years since I have been trapped inside by snow. I am used to Vegas weather where I can be outside all the time. I loved the heat so even that didn't keep me in.

I have tried to come up with things to do lately to keep me busy but it has been hard. With the mortgage market being so aweful right now Bill isn't closing as many loans as usual so money is tight. We have had to put off any vacation plans for awhile. So that takes care of my "something to look forward to". In addition it is hard to plan any house projects when it is cold and snowy. I need to paint the outside of the house, do some yardwork and so on, but I will have to wait till the snow melts and the sun comes out.

Well the Lord has taken care of those problems for me. As usual his watchful eye has seen my dilema and help me solve it.

I was called to be the Ward Camp Director this month. (This is in addition to teaching seminary). Boy am I going to be busy. I am a little nervous becuase my idea of roughing it is the Best Western. Don't get me wrong I love the outdoors. I just like them during the day and then prefer to return home to a warm bed and running water at night. I am excited nonetheless. Ashlee was especially excited when she found out. It will be fun.

So the planning, the meetings, and so on have begun, and I now have something to both keep my busy and look forward to. I am grateful that the Lord answers even our unsaid prayers. Wish me luck!

Oh The Seasons......

So I haven't written for awhile because I have been so down with winter that I have struggled to find anything to write about. I am thinking about all the times I have heard people say that they love where they live becuase it has "all four seasons". Well send me somewhere with 1 season... SUMMER!!!

So with all the cloudy sunless, cold, and snowy days what is a "sun lover" supposed to do? I always try to look at the upside of things and make the best of what I have. Lately I will admit that I have been going through a little downtime. So this is what I have had to focus on. Other Seasons. Volleyball Season, Basketball Season, Stay Inside and Read a Good Book Season, and Plan for Summer Season. I have enjoyed going to Ashlee's volleyball and basketball games. It has been fun to watch her go from playing no sports and not having an idea about how to play, to becoming a great athelete and really loving the games. This summer when she was thinking about playing volleyball I took her across the street so that we could just bump the ball around. Then we used the short swingset for a net to hit back and forth. I will admit that I was a little nervous about the idea. She didn't know how to hit it. She couldn't serve, it was scarey. She ended up being one of the best players on the team and now loves volleyball and will continue playing through high school. The same thing happened with basketball but this time I was confident and she was nervouse. During tryouts she said she had a rough time and she was worried that she wasn't good enough. She came home one day and said she didn't even know what the coach was talking about using words like key, wings, posts. She was so nervous. But she worked hard and made the "A" Team. She has made some great friends and she has become more confident about her abilities. I am so glad that we moved her here to this Montrose. This small town has been great for her and her school has been awesome.

I am so glad that I have Ashlee and I don't know what I will do when she grows up and goes to college. (Maybe go with her :) ) She is so much fun and I love watching her grow and become such a great young lady. She is a gift from heaven.

Announcing the Arrival of Ella!

Oh I am so excited!! I am a new Aunnie today. (Well for the second time) For some becomming a new Aunt might not be a big deal but for me it is huge. See I am not a huge baby fan. I love teenagers but babies not so much. In 2003 when I found out that my sister was pregnant with my first neice, Madison, I was scared that I wasn't going to like her. I was so nervous at her arrival. I learned that day about the bond of family and blood. Oh I love Maddie Lou Who with all my heart. She is the joy of my life.

So naturally I was also a little nervous about Ella's arrival. I was of course so excited for Shaun and Becky with Ella being their first baby, but me personally a little nervous. What if I didn't like her?

Yesterday around noon my Mom called and said that Becky was going in for a C-section. At that moment I thought about what she was doing in heaven and how she was right then preparing to enter the world. Was she excited? Nervous? I thought of the bitter sweet exit as she had to leave our Heavenly Fathers presence. But it was her turn to come to earth. To a family that loves her and will teach her the truth so that she can return again to Heavenly Father.

Ella was born yesterday February 6, 2008 and weighed 6 lbs. 14 ounces. I was so excited to get the news. I cried when I got the text message from my brother. Then the picture followed. When I opened my email I cried and immediately fell in love with this sweet thing. It was wierd. I felt like I knew her. I haven't held her or even seen her in person (they live in Virginia) but I felt a special bond with her. I am dying to get there to see her in person.