C is for . . .

C is for CHILDREN. I absolutely adore little children between the ages of two and five, and the darling little things they do and say. If I had a dollar for every funny thing my kids ever said back in the day, I would be rich. Of course, I cannot recall them all now, and I very much regret not writing them down. One instance in particular that I love, is something Skyler said when he was getting his first haircut. I think he was about three years old at the time. The gal who was cutting his hair was trying to make idle conversation with him, asking him random questions. She asked him where he lived . . .and he said "In that brown house by that one tree". I think he actually thought she would know exactly where he lived by his description. She thought it was so cute, and I could tell she wanted to laugh . . . but she kept a fairly straight face and said "Oh yeah, I know where that is".

Also, my nephew Zack and my niece Jessica were constantly entertaining me with their hilarious spin on words. They called a sandwich, a swamich. A magazine, a mazagine. And the day that Jess finally could say BaRbRa instead of Bawbwa will go down in infamy. I think I hugged the stuffing out of her I was so proud!

You won't want to miss these particularly great kid videos on www.youtube.com. They'll brighten any downer of a day, trust me on this. First, watch ""Blood". You'll die laughing. Second, the little asian girl who sings "The Lord's Prayer". Third, the toddler who pretends to play the guitar, and sings "Hey Jude". Fourth, "Isabella Natalini Sings Ellen the 50 States". And finally, "Janna and Hannah Sing "I See You, Lord" for Lola Pinay". Two little Philippino angels singing for their Grandmother's funeral. They can even harmonize with each other . . amazing! Oh . . and I almost forgot . . .watch a little video of my grandaughter Izzy getting WAY excited about a bouncing penguin on Travis and Jenna's blogspot. (www.tjandersonfamily.blogspot.com). Scroll down until you find the video clip where she is wearing the red shirt. I think she discovered her voice, and could not stop screaming. The more she hears her voice, the more she screams with delight! Such precious little gifts from God.

C is also for CREATIVITY. I am told I have alot of it, but I would not admit to it because I am very hard on myself. I am not perfect in the things that I do, but I do try think outside the box to make the things I create, special. I am a micromanager, and I drive people crazy with my vision, but in the end I get things done. Whether it be writing a script for a play, putting together a musical program, remodeling a bedroom, or making a simple card or gift for someone . . .I try to make it memorable. It goes right in line with Good, Better, Best . . .the talk given by Dallin H. Oaks. Just go the extra mile in whatever you do. CARPE DIEM!

B is for . . .

B is for BLOGGING . . .which has become my new obsession. I am always learning, and trying to figure out new ways to make it interesting and clever. My latest project was the slide show, which was not as hard to put together as I thought it would be. I already had most of the pictures on my computer from the massive slide show I made for the Anderson Reunion. I am adding more pictures every day though. . .so ya'll come back now, ya hear? B is also for BARBIE, BOMPERS, BURP, BARBIE DOLL, BARBALICIOUS . . .and all the other funny and disgusting nicknames that people have given me over the years. B is for BENEFIT, the most entertaining makeup station imaginable thanks to Frederick (that one's for you Darcy). B is for BROADWAY, which I missed this year and I am so BUMMED!!! Wanted to see BEAUTY and the BEAST, or Legally BLONDE. Darn. B is for BELLE, Isabelle to be exact . . .who I would really love to squeeze at this very moment . . especially her BABY BUM cheeks!

A is for . . .

Okay, so I gave in and finally joined the ranks of the ABC bloggers, inspired by Jenna of course. The logical answer to what the letter A is for is ANDERSON, since I am one . . but I certainly do not want to copy you Andersonites who already used it . . . So, I am going to say APPLEBEES, because of the new California Shrimp Salad that you can get there. For those of you who have not tried this delectible creation, I STRONGLY recommend it. It is to DIE for! I know what you're thinking . . .it could not match the Oriental Chicken Salad that you have been ordering for years, but trust me on this one . . . it surpasses it by a mile. And the Grilled Shrimp Spinach Salad is a close second. Bon Apetite!

Last week, My niece Jessica called and asked if we would be willing to babysit a 9 month old snow white maltese pup for a few of days, until she could arrange a ride for her to Shelley, Idaho. Everyone knows that Randee would rather have puppies than kids, so there was definately no hesitation on her part! For just the four days we had her, Randee named her Little Miss Muffet, or Muffy. She is now in Shelley in her new home, and has been named Bella. I have learned that I am much better as a dog sitter, than a dog owner. I will have grand-pups though, thanks to Randee. Hopefully the pups will feed and water her kids, and clean up THEIR poop.

CONGRATULATIONS TO TRAVIS FOR LANDING A JOB WITH OMNITURE!!! Travis and Jenna will be moving down to the Provo area! Travis got on as an accountant with Omniture, a server company. (Thankyou Johnny for keeping him abreast of the job openings). It will be nice to have both boys in one spot, for visiting purposes.

Hailee, my oldest grandchild called me the night before last, and told me that Grandma Bobbi's dog Hank got hit by a car. I asked her if she was sad, and she said "No, but Grandma Bobbi is". So, I said "How come you're not sad Hailee?" To which she replied, "Because his spirit went up, up to heaven". Course, I laughed because I thought it was so cute and funny, but I was so glad that Hailee actually listens in Primary, and knows that our spirits go to live with Heavenly Father when we die.

My Top 10 Most Favorite Things

1. CHOCOLATE. Anytime, any place, any way. Particularly chocolate with peanut butter in any form or variety. You can find a chocolate wrapper in just about any trash recepticle at my home, inside or out. If I gave up chocolate, I would have no need to fantasize about getting the lap band. Hersheys would go out of business if it weren't for me.

2. GRANDKIDS. They are the reason I get up in the morning, a reason to be silly, the reason I smile, the only motivation to get out of town what little I do. What do I love about my grandkids? Hailee's quips, especially when she told Grandpa its better to pee his pants than to waste time stopping at Ross to use the bathroom . . . My webcam visits with Riley, who thinks seeing Grandma on the monitor is like watching a really boring TV program . . . Izzy's thighs, so luciously fun to squeeze . . . and Camryn's chubby cheeks . . . ditto.

3. NEW YORK CITY. Manhattan. Bonding time with Darcy & Randee. Riding the subway train. Appetizers at Ruby Foos. Frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity. Late night frozen yogurt runs. Totally awesome all-you-can-eat deli buffets (that ones for you Randee). Lion King. Max & Laura in Grease. Hours & hours at Sephora. Lips Celebrity Impersonators. Purse & jewelry shopping in Chinatown. Gondola watching in Central Park. Lady liberty in all her majesty. Watching the girls on TRL from our hotel room. Dolling up, and going out. Celebrity watching. Walking, walking, and more walking. Visiting Manhattan YA Ward. Being Silly. Everything that makes this dirty, stinky city worth exploring. Its the female equivalant of a hunting or fishing trip. After years of taking care of everyone else, I finally am doing something just for me. Filling my artsy void. It recharges me, and makes me want to face life again. Nuff said.

4. REALITY TV. Just about any show I can get my eyes on, or can Tivo. Survivor, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Big Brother, The Apprentice, American Idol . . .I love them all, and then some. I can even be caught from time to time watching Flavor of Love or I Love New York, if I need a good laugh. The most hilarious reality show of all time was Joe Schmo. I still chuckle from time to time when I think about it. It satisfies my very twisted sense of humor. Its in the Simon genes, trust me. PS . . .David Archuletta, we love you. If you like tall girls with long blonde hair, give me a jingle. I can hook you up.

5. HOME DECORATING. I love, love, LOVE to do it. My budget doesn't allow me to indulge this obsession, but I do what little I can. It is the one thing I think I am really good at, besides music. I love rich fabrics, faux finishes, meaningful wall quotes, functionality. Maybe some day I will be able to make my dream house a beautiful showpiece. I am an admitted homebody, so beautiful peaceful surroundings are very important to me.

6. SLEEP. I don't get much of it because of the paper route, so when I actually get a decent four hour stretch of REM, I treasure it. Every year on Mother's Day and my birthday, I tell my family that all I want is uninterrupted sleep. But without fail, the phone rings, someone knocks at the door, the icemaker does its thing, an airplane takes off, or Randee makes noise just to wake me up because she is lonesome. Even at that, my 49 year old body has to visit the bathroom several times a night, and I wake up thirsty at least twice. I actually slept 5 hours straight on our vacation to West Yellowstone last weekend, thanks to 4 Ibuprofen. I am still in disbelief about that one.

7. PERFORMING. Particularly, singing. I was given a vocal talent, but I can see it fading as the opportunities do. There is no big demand nowadays for a 49 year old overweight wedding singer. But, I do love the opportunities I get to share my talent, whether it be a wedding, funeral, or special occasion. One of the things on my bucket list, is to write enough music to cut at least one CD . . . burned on my computer, for just a select few of course. I want my grandkids to know that their Grandma had pipes.

8. TRAVEL. If money were no object, I would be traveling constantly. If I only get one chance at this planet, I may as well see as much of it as I can while I am here. My travels so far have included Chicago, Florida, New York, Mexico, and Hawaii, plus most of the Western States. My hope is that before we get too old, we can take in a few cruises, see Australia & New Zealand, see some ruins, bask in the Sun in Cabo, visit Hawaii once again, and take the grandkids to Disneyland, for sure. We are still crossing our fingers that we can pull off John's trip to the Philippines with Johnny and Uncle Dan, to get Skyler. He also has always wanted to do a fishing expedition up to Alaska with the guys. Of course, I will continue to do my New York trip with the girls, if finances permit. Oh, by the way . . that is Darcy with the Naked Cowboy in Times Square. Naughty naughty Darcy.

9. THE ELDERLY AND SMALL CHILDREN. I find them to be interesting, sweet, and real. None of that drama that comes from most grown women. So many never made it past Junior High School, and are still at each others throats. To my current friends . . take this with a grain of salt, I love you. I just would rather be playing games with Hailee and Riley, or having lunch with my Dad. Easy going, stress free.

10. BEING AT HOME There is no place I would rather be than in the comfort of my own home. Its the most peaceful serene place I know of, short of being in the temple. Its where I choose to be to escape the chaos of the world around me. The quiet is my survival. The downside though, is that I find the more I am here, the more I don't need anything or anyone else. I think I am becoming a recluse to be honest. But . . I have been in homes with disorder and craziness, and it drives me insane. I love the new song that we are learning for the Primary Program called "Home Is Where The Heart Is" . . .It tells all the things that make home, home: "Home is where the heart is, where warmth and love abound. Home is where warm circling arms go all the way around." Love hearing those little primary kids sing.