Mixed

I've had mixed feelings the past few days...

Extremely saddened by the events in Boston.

Sobered by some pain and (possible) pre-term labor over the weekend.

(Um, I should probably call my doctor...)

And overjoyed to have that man named Daddy back in our lives!!

Tax season is OVER and none too soon!

After last weekend, I realized I need to take it easy. I feel much better, but a bit weak and just not quite 100% yet. If I've got four more months of this, that means: no more picking up/carrying Little C (she's at least 30 lbs...), no more excessive bending over/squatting to garden and pull weeds (guess who's home to do that now, ha!), no more shampooing the trunk of the van, no more Jillian Michaels workout DVDs...although her yoga one is probably still in the running. :)

These kiddos were happy to have Dad and not Mom walk them to the bus stop this morning - and even see him at lunch time too!

So we're off to spend some time together for a few days. Tata for now.

(AND I've got a pregnancy massage in an hour! Ah, that wonderful husband of mine...)

Day of Thanks: VI

Happy Election Day!

No matter which candidate wins today,

I'm grateful for the right to vote,

and the ability to choose a new leader without resorting to violence or dangerous riots in the streets. 

Something that many countries may never achieve.

 It truly is an amazing thing to transition from one leader to another without the need for a revolution.

200

The bookworm in me is delighted to say

Happy 200th to Charles Dickens!

I'd have to say my favorite Dickens stories are

Christmas Carol,

Tale of Two Cities,

and Great Expectations.

(...among the many I've read. But I haven't read them all yet!)

I also remember a couple of friends in jr. high acting in the school play, Oliver Twist. I went every night to see them perform and yet I haven't read the book, even after all these years. Gah!

Do you have a favorite Dickens??

Lauren + David

*GASP*

Oh my, take a gander at

Lauren Bush and David Lauren's gorgeous wedding portrait:

So classy.

And that dress and veil. are. amazing. No, stunning.

Part 1920s, part turn-of-the-century, lace, long sleeves...wow.

See a couple more pics here.

(My only question? Will she call herself Lauren Lauren now?)

Remembering

Our flag is flying today for those who died

or lost loved ones ten years ago.

10 Foot Pharaoh

My daughter loves ALL things Egyptian.

Don't ask me why. Mummies and pyramids fascinate her.

In fact, she wants an "Egypt birthday party" next month...we'll see about that.

But I know she'd love to see the Met's newest addition:

See more photos here.

And articles here.

Oh how I miss the Met!!

110

Can you imagine all you'd see and do if you lived 110 years?

Corporal Frank Buckles died last week,

the last American veteran of WWI.

He was 110 years old.

I enjoyed reading his story - he first enlisted at 16 (!),

and was later a Japanese POW for three years during WWII.

Read about him here.

What??

Oh no!
Better stock up on your Shade Clothing favorites!

Happy August + Have you seen...??

Hooray, it's August!

I've always felt like August is the "forgotten month", maybe because there are no "official" holidays in it? An even better reason to have it as my birthday AND anniversary month, huh? We're gearing up for two family reunions this week and into next, so I won't be posting much.

On another note...

have you seen Chelsea Clinton's wedding pictures??

Oh yes, the glowing bride was lovely, but I just wanted to see the pics of the Hudson Valley. MY Hudson Valley. :) She got married just south of my hometown, in Rhinebeck, an artsy place and our constant, staunch rivals...grr. Ahh, the good old days of Red Hook vs. Rhinebeck.

Well, my thoughts are rambling today...

have you ALSO seen THIS jacket in the latest Anthro catalog??

Of course not - you're probably not one to gush over each catalog sighing and saying "oh I LOVE that!" while your husband looks on and rolls his eyes...

Oh, be still my heart.
I love this orange-ish/mustard-ish color...

It's perfect.



Cora was blessed yesterday, so I'll have to post some pictures of the dress I made for her....

WW II Hero

I saw in Deseret News this morning that Karl-Heinz Schnibbe passed away Sunday.
As teenagers, Schnibbe and two friends stood up to the Nazis by secretly listening to BBC reports and distributing to the German people pamphlets filled with the truth.

They were caught and convicted in 1942.

The complete article can be read here

and you may have seen these books about the brave Mormom teenage trio:

Or this very moving DVD:

(Schnibbe is the boy on the left.)

I was privileged to actually hear Schnibbe speak while at BYU. If you didn't know, I was planning on minoring in German (which, regretfully, didn't happen, dang it!) and my German professor, who is actually on the above DVD, had mentioned this story many times. So when he announced Schnibbe was coming to speak, I skipped all my classes that afternoon and made sure I was there to listen to his story! I'll have to find my notebook and read all the notes I took. He talked about his friend Hubener, who was executed as the mastermind behind the group, and Wobbe, the other member of the trio, who was sent to a German labor camp with him. Schibbe was in German and Soviet labor camps for many years and wasn't freed until 1949. Amazing stories.

He died at age 86 in Salt Lake.

Plug for Puj!

The Puj Tub will be on the Ellen show today!

Too bad my sis- & bro-in-law can't be there to personally talk about their product,

but really,

let's be honest.

The Puj Tub speaks for itself.

A must-have for those brand spankin' new-borns!