WWF on Ice

I see now, after having gone to only two local hockey games, why there's such an attraction to the sport. It is QUITE intense, fast-paced, and brutal all at the same time. It also brings back fond memories of playing roller-hockey in the cul-de-sac of our street with my siblings. Usually when I played with Lance, we ended up fighting with each other before it was over. That is no different on this level. After only about 2 minutes into the first period, two of the players threw off their gloves and masks and started punching each other. The refs didn't even attempt to stop them until they went down to the ground. The guy on our team 'won' the impromptu brawl, so I guess that's why everyone was cheering. I found it disturbing, but oddly entertaining. I guess you go 75% for the sport of the game, and the other 25% for the food, drinks and off-chance that guys in padded suits will start throwing blows at each other. Either that, or the chance that you'll win one of THREE free t-shirts that the mascot shoots into the crowd. All we're trying to determine now is... when we're going next.

Also, the kids had a GREAT time. Even Abby endured all 2.5 hours of it with only 3 or 4 awkward "excuse me while my 3 year-old and I trip over you to get to the aisle" moments. Tate and Whitney made it to the big screen dancing to YMCA. That was exhilirating for them. Tate, upon discovering himself on the giant screen, instead of shying away, simply added just a lil' extra bounce in his booty-shakin. It was great.

Good News and Bad News...

The Good News is: I finally bought Adobe CS2, and started an online Photoshop class yesterday from our friendly Yavapai College.

The Bad News is: I may NEVER get to doing the laundry again.

Here's my first assignment. It was great fun.

This is what it looked like before I SEVERELY messed with it.

A ROUND (you know the one) of applause...

I have fond memories as a child, going to my brothers' pack meetings. For whatever reason, the silly cheers, carefree atmosphere, and (of course) REFRESHMENTS at the end were just so invigoratingly exciting. So, now that Bret's a full-fledged cub scout, we're subjecting our children to the same. We had one last night, which was just like I always remembered them. The girls sat on the floor, sliding around, making faces and being obnoxious, and the boys sat on the front row in their cute uniforms snickering and being 8-10 year old boys. Bret got a few beads, so I documented it. After recently making an "Eagle Scout Court of Honor" video for a friend's son, I realized the importance of documenting all the lil' steps along the way. I love WHAT HE DID with his thumbs. I'd like to think I taught him that. I do it all the time. This way, we'll have plenty of pics for his video one day. C'mon everyone - let's give him one of those BIG ROUNDS of applause.

A video link attempt

I have been learning how to use my new video program which is SOMETHING of a steup from MSMovieMaker (to say the least), and so while I played with various new features, I created this very random very short video with a couple of silly clips of Whitney and Tate from December 05 in our old house. Let me know how google's doing with their video option here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7059822433099390328

Technological Brain Trauma

So, ever since I became so technologically dependent, I've noticed some interesting things that happen with my brain and I'd like to document them, wondering if anyone else ever has similar twinges in their head.

example #1 - Since I acquired the ever-handy Roomba vacuum, complete with laser-ready "virtual walls," I somehow think that they should work on my now-mobile pre-toddler. I had the thought just the other day, before my "duh - you idiot, it doesn't work that way" turned on, that I should let Kyle crawl around on the floor in my bathroom, but put up the "wall" so he wouldn't leave the room, like the vacuum does so obediently when I use them on it. Yeah, that would be nice, but it doesn't work so much that way. It then dawned on me, they do make something like it, it's called a baby gate.

example #2 - I recently found myself searching through a drawer of old cassette tapes (you know the ones, with the rolled up tape inside of them). I wanted a particular one that I was certain was in the drawer. When I opened the drawer and saw that there were easily 60 or 70 I immediately went to that place in my brain that said, "go to EDIT, then FIND, and then ENTER TEXT HERE." Yeah, I thought my chest of drawers had suddenly been deemed capable of finding the Richard Clayderman tape (for a piano student learning one of his solos, mind you) without my having to search through myself. As I stood there and did just that, I'm sure I heard a faint gigling in my head. I'm certain it was my brain standing there pointing at me laughing.

example #3 - I have a testimony of Tivo. I know that Tivo is the true Tivo, I love my Tivo. It's great, and has, sadly - changed my life forever for the better. So, the only drawback of the ability you gain when you have Tivo to rewind/FF/pause/record/otherwise mess with live TV is this: YOU THINK YOU CAN DO IT TO EVERYONE. I've tried it on all of the following with lousy, that is to say - ZERO results:

1. My husband
2. My children (especially when they say something funny, but mostly when I didn't hear them because I was listening to one of the FOUR others trying to talk to me at the same time.)
3. The radio in the car
4. The TVs at the doctor's office or oil changing place that don't have Tivo
5. Any average joe person that I'm talking to and didn't hear correctly
6. Conversations I come upon a little too late
7. My husband. (oh, I already said that)

Coincidentally, we've decided we would actually like to have Tivo-enabled conversations between the two of us, mostly for the ability we would have to be sure just exactly WHAT was said and by WHOM.

I wonder now, just when our ever-advancing world will keep up with the demands of my brain.

Drought Relief

Just in time for droughts in both posting and moisture - this weekend we got snow!

We drove up to Mingus to find a good sledding hill, at which we failed miserably.

So we abused the 'gently inclined' road instead. It worked great for the kids, and we attracted quite a crowd. By the time we left, there were probably 20 cars parked all around us. Doug was in charge of keeping the sledders from entering the highway. I spent the time keeping Kyle stocked with cheerios in the car and figuring out where to take girls with their bibs on, to the bathroom. JOY. This is what happened when Bret thought it better to try it once without his coat, hat, gloves and what should have been a facemask.

We made it home in time for my Girl's Night (but in the afternoon) lunch date, and B&T's basketball game. Doug and I went to a hockey game last night too, where I wish I had taken my camera, but maybe next time. We're DEFINITELY going back. It was great fun!

We woke up to another inch or so of snow on the ground this morning, YAY!

Doug (in7th heaven) is THISCLOSE to asking for a snowblower.

8 seconds each x 20 riders = nail biter.

This was the best shot I got from the PBR tour we went to on Saturday night. Notice, if you will, how everyone else within 10 feet is running for their lives to hang on to the fence for dear life. Granted, it's quite entertaining, but mostly because you're wondering if, when this guy falls off, he's going to land on his feet (not likely), side (quite possibly), or on his head and then proceed to get stomped on by the ginormous bull with the big horns. This weekend was full of things I don't quite understand, but I suppose I get the gold star for moral support.

92 minutes I won't ever get back.

Nothin' against any of you who for WHATEVER reason rave about it,

I'm just not gettin' it.However, a shout out and Happy Birthday to Brett Taylor!

I hope you enjoyed your homemade movie night.

The best part of the movie, we all agreed was: the ice cream.

All the little Tops

So, I spent the morning yesterday cleaning out my closet. I SURE WISH I had taken a 'before' picture, because it was quite literally the Extreme Makeover Closet Edition. I had to take a picture of my 'little tops' since I seem to have quite a collection of them. In November, I modeled with a couple of other girls from our ward for coverwear

on a local morning show (don't ask) and the co-host just kept saying, "well, you just can never have too many little tops!" It has since been the local joke between Doug and me as he is constantly picking up, tripping over and hanging up my many "little tops."

I love the lone yellow shirt. Clearly, it isn't my favorite color.

In other news: Tate's blog is now up and running.

Granted it takes him a while to type so his posts may be sporadic,

but he's super excited.

Tate's remedy for boredom: write about it.

Tate has requested his own blog. And this is why, cuz he's always writing stuff, and I think he would have fun knowing that people could read them, whenever they wanted to. This is ONE of the several stories he brought me yesterday, complete with illustrations.

One Boring Day

by Tate D. Burch

the end.

Watch for more on Tate's soon-to-be-created blog.

I'll send you the link, no doubt about that.

Who knows? This stuff could be a collector's item someday.

You saw it here first, compliments of The Burch Tree.

Holding Hands Around the World

... and I already miss that song.

This was the Family Activity last night. Liz was talking to her parents and Marcos & Metta in Brazil, when I wanted to get in on the action, and my children soon followed. After no time at all, everyone was re-acquainted like we were living at 378 North again, and Sis. Prieto was singing primary songs with the kids. They all got to choose their favorite, and she sang with all 4 of them each one, in English. As I stood back and watched, I found myself wishing we were crammed in that apartment again eating beans and potatoes while playing Lincoln Logs with Marcos and Sammy, teaching Tate how to walk.

Until we meet again, our Prieto Family.

which, by the way... is in April, in Orem at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. Can't wait.

The time has come.

Should we cut it or not? I'm torn, since he's my baby, but I think we could start braiding his hair soon if we don't.
Since we don't have church until tomorrow, oh, I mean 2:00, I think we might have time to do it this morning. I'll post the results.

Merry Christmas Pilar do Sul...

These are the children in Brazil that our primary kids at church made stockings and collected church clothes for. I am so excited that it all arrived safely. It was something of a task getting the large packages there, but we prevailed, and most of it even arrived before Christmas. How WILL we top this project next year?

Calling all Procrastinators:

Since I haven't taken any interesting pictures in the last couple of days, and Primary seems to be consuming practically all my time this week, I figured my efforts therein were worthy of a post of their own.

This is the cover I made for the jewel cases for the new CD we're giving the kids on Sunday:And this is the cover I made for all the teacher's binders with the new manuals. I'm super excited about this year's theme. I even ordered a 16x20 print of the Greg Olsen painting for our primary room. I'll be keepin' it when we're finished, especially since I paid a lil' extra for expedited shipping from UT to have it by Sunday. Oh the life of a procrastinatin' primary prez.

and bytheway, if any other procrastinatin' primary workers are in need of the aforementioned files, or other 2007 paraphernalia I've created, I'd be happy to share.

Basking in the January Sun

This should attest to how warm it was yesterday. We had an enjoyable time riding bikes as a family, cleaning the garage and beating the tar out of the ice on the sides of the freezer. Which, I discovered, is an excellent way to, as it were, let off a little steam. I had to wear safety goggles and everything. I then used the shop vac to suck out all the icy water. What an adventure. It's nice and tidy now, a great way for any freezer to begin the new year.

Got Cream?

We decided to devote a little much needed TLC to the garage today. One of our tasks involved defrosting and cleaning out the deep freezer. Here's a sampling of what I found at the bottom:

It's a shame we're all out of pie.

Happy New Year!