A birthday, a scavenger hunt, and other adventures

January was my birthday month, and for the first time in MANY years, I was actually not depressed! I think it was because in the past, I have lived in Utah and Maryland for my birthday, and January 22 usually brings freezing temperatures, gray skies, and seasonal depression. However, this year in Texas it was sunny and clear and warm, in the high '60s. It was wonderful! My friend Tiffany hosted a birthday breakfast for me at her house, and it was so fun to get together and talk. That night Jeff gave me a wonderful birthday cake and took me to Celebration, a wonderful restuarant. I used to go there with my mom and grandparents when we lived here or when we would visit, and it tastes just the same.

Kris, Lindsey and me on my birthday

Sharee and Maryn

Tiffany and Michelle.

My yummy triple-chocolate cake.

Camie's hair was getting long, so we gave her a haircut:

And one boring Saturday, we amused ourselves by riding in laundry baskets,

and playing play-doh. I asked Maddie to clean up the play-doh, and I said, "Maddie, are you finished?" She said, "Yes," and I went to investigate. This is what I saw:

Needless to say I had to seperate all the colors again and put them back. I thought it was hilarious! Then I sent Camie on her first "picture scavenger hunt." Here are the results:

Something pink

Something that swims

( I thought this picture was a little strange...am I weird?)

Something new she got for Christmas.

Catching Up...

December came and went in a blur. It seemed as soon as the tree went up, it was down again. We had fun getting ready for the holiday in our usual way, which for me, is usually doing various Christmas crafts for my house and baking....and baking....and more baking. This year was a first in that we had a white Christmas for the first time in a long time, and Dallas/Ft. Worth hadn't seen a white Christmas since 1927. Despite everyone's opinions, we drove to Utah on Christmas day, trying to make it there by Sunday for a new nephew's blessing. Despite all the backtracking and twists and turns in the road, we made it. One reason why I love my husband (of the many): he drove all but about 3 hours of our 2-day trek in the car. The kids were fine, but we were sure trunky.

One of the many highlights was going to Camie's preschool Christmas play, where (miracle of miracles) she actually said her line and sang all the songs (probably the loudest.) If anyone knows Camie, you know that she is incredibly shy in front of a group of people, so I was pleasantly happy and surprised.

Here is some of the things we did in December and the first part of January:

Getting the first snowfall in December; Maddie eating it.

Camie's gingerbread house she made at preschool which was eaten about 3.5 minutes after this.

Camie's makeshift costume as a Wise Man.

The other kids in the Christmas play.

New jammies on Christmas Eve (their Christmas list for Santa is taped to the door behind them.)

Some presents she got from her Grandma Sullivan at her house.

Maddie's lion cub from Grandma S.

Grandma Dunn's Christmas tree.

Eating Mexican food before opening presents at Grandma Dunn's.

Cousin Claire (la petite ange.)

The Sullivan crew at new nephew Grahm's blessing (congratulations Eric and Dallas!)

Making sugar cookies at Grandma Dunn's.

For Christmas their Great-Grandpa and Grandma Gregg gave them each $25 which they chose to spend entirely at the Disney Store....

and a carousel ride.

Camie has been perfecting her basketball skills on the hoop next door (she makes a lot of shots! Underhanded, but nonetheless.)

Maddie just uses the "Daddy Slam Dunk"

Maddie with her new dog Bolt.

Ding-Dong Merrily on High!

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the music. For some reason I can't start listening to it until around or after Thanksgiving (although some years it's been sooner.) I love how music can take me back to remember wonderful Christmas-past's. My classics in the repertoire is Amy Grant's "Home For Christmas" and Harry Connick Jr.'s Christmas album. They never get old, and remind me of Christmases growing up. I also love Jazz at Christmas-time. There's nothing like Ella Fitzgerald's "Sleigh Ride" and Dean Martin's "Let It Snow." And Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song" and "O Holy Night" have brought me to tears.

A while back my sister called and had a proposition for me. She wanted me and my mom to start saving our money so we could take a trip to Europe together. As we chatted about where we would love to go and what time of year to go, I said that the best time to go, in my opinion, is Christmas-time. True it is freezing. But I was so fortunate to serve my mission in two HUGE Christmas-towns in Europe, Brussels Belgium and Strasburg, France (which they refer to as the "Christmas city.") I spent the first one in France, and the second in Belgium, and they were probably the best Christmases of my life. Both cites go all out, and deck the town in lights and wonderment, especially in the Grand Place in Brussels and at the Cathedral in Strasburg. It is purely magical. Both towns also do open-air markets where you can buy roasted nuts, homemade wooden toys, and other wonderful quaint and beautiful handmade gifts.

One of the best contacting tools we had (especially at this time of year) was singing. In both cities the missionaries took advantage of the crowds as we stood on street corners and sung in our best french and our best harmonies. But my most memorable singing we did was in Brussels. We had a wonderful missionary in the mission who was very gifted in music. His idea was to get two or three zones together and do a Christmas concert in Belgium at the International Ward. Luckily I was included in this. We practiced for weeks, we invited members and nonmembers alike, and got two standing ovations. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I sang these hymns, as I felt the Spirit so strong, and as I was at the end of my mission, I looked out and saw so many wonderful people who I loved dearly and was sad to leave.

(Brussels market and festival in the Grand Place)

I had a new favorite Christmas song from that experience. Elder Blomberg asked all the sisters to sing "Coventry Carol." There were probably 8-10 of us and we had a three-part harmony in this little-known song. As I practiced my part and learned the words, it gave me a new appreciation for a little-known story that we usually don't really talk about: the slaying of babies under one-year-old by King Herrod. The Coventry Carol was written in Coventry, England, and the song is about this one-last lamentation of these mothers of these baby boys. Since they were not allowed public mourning by King Herrod, they sang one and only song of mourning. As they rocked their babies for one last time, the song is hauntingly beautiful, mostly in a minor key, but with a note of hope at each phrase. We sang this song in English, and I'll never forget how beautiful it sounded.

(The Strasburg open-air market around the cathedral at night.)

(Strasburg)

It was 10 years ago that I was so fortunate to be in these wonderful cities at Christmas, and it is my goal to go back someday and experience the magical European Christmas again. I am so grateful for that experience in my life, where I learned the true meaning of Christmas, of loving and serving those people and proclaiming Christ's birth in word and song.

Thanksgiving

This year we thought we would take advantage of living somewhat close to family, and went to Houston to have Thanksgiving with the Dunn's. The advantages of Jeff's job is that he gets hotel points, and we were able to get a really nice hotel which we only had to pay the taxes for. It was a two-bedroom suite with a kitchen and seperate bedrooms and bathrooms for us and the girls. The hotel also gave us breakfast AND dinner, which saved us money, and it was good food too!

But aside from the sweet hotel stay, it was so nice to have Thanksgiving with my grandparents and my Uncle Mikey. Mikey surprised the girls with two goldfish upon their arrival, but in the subsequent days, one of them kept dying, which Mikey would then go back to the pet store and get a "replacement." We took the two home with us, but unfortunately, they did not survive. I guess we are just goldfish killers!

The girls also loved going to see "Grandma and Pappa's horses" and to feed their chickens. I love that the girls can get up-close-and-personal with these animals, I think it's a great learning experience, and they absolutely love it.

It was also nice to eat such a good dinner, and to go around the table and express what we were thankful for. It brought tears to my eyes to hear everyone's responses, and it reminded me that family and your roots are really the important things in life. I learned a lot about my extended family from this trip and helped me appreciate my family history. I am so proud to be a Dunn girl, and I'm so happy that I have such a wonderful husband who is so great with my family. They love him, and he loves it too!

The girls jumping on the hotel bed. They're not allowed to jump on their beds at home, so this is a real treat whenever we stay at a hotel!

Thanksgiving morning, taking the elevator down with toys and books to bring to Grandma's.

Camie and Maddie loved their huge backyard too and Camie wanted to climb the tree. She's such a climber!

My Grandpa Dunn carving the turkey and my Uncle Mike making the mashed potatoes.

Jeff and the girls waiting for dinner.

A shot of the whole crew. Thanks for the wonderful Thanksgiving!

Bop-Bobbie

This past weekend, Jeff had a "honey-do": upload our old movies from our camcorder (which we don't use anymore) to our computer to save them. He did, and we watched most of the old movies this past weekend. Memories of Maddie's birth, Camie's 2nd birthday, holidays with friends and everyday outings came flooding back.

"Do you know what I realize when I watch these?" Jeff said.

"That time goes by too quickly?" I said.

"Yes, and that all these small things that we make a big deal about don't matter. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. We tend to sweat the small stuff, and it doesn't matter." He's right. I can freak out when my girls misbehave just the slightest bit or get my house messy or do something that I told them a million times to not do (i.e. leave the backyard to go around to the front yard.) We need to take it all in, and just be. And enjoy them.

"Do you know what I realize?" I said. "That back then I thought my life was so hard and complicated. But those were the simple times! Sitting on the back porch with baby Maddie on your lap while Camie blows bubbles off the balcony. What was I complaining about?"

"In another five years, you'll say the same thing about this time...'that was when it was simpler'." And he's right. This is the last year that I have both kids home. Next year Camie goes to full-day school. And although I jokingly say I look forward to it all the time, life will get busier. My girls are not little anymore.

5 and 3 are pretty big ages. They are pretty independent, and I can see how they totally love and depend on each other.

They want less and less of me, it seems. I used to sing them to sleep every night when they were little. I tried it the other night, and Maddie said, "Don't sing, Mom" and quickly shot me down. It made me sad. Sometimes I want those sweet babies back. Tonight as I got the girls ready for bed, I held Maddie like a baby and Bop-Bobbied her. This is essentially just rocking back and forth and saying "Bop...Bobbie" with each rock. It is something my mother did with me and something her mother did with her, and I'm sure on and on wherever it started in that Hallberg swedish line of her's. The girls laughed and wanted me to do it to each of them.

No matter how big they get, we can still "bop-bobbie."

Since I've posted last...

we've done a few things. We've mostly been homebodies (which has been good to my gas tank and my wallet, but questionable for my sanity.) I've taken my turn teaching preschool and the girls and I have done some Halloween crafts. We've also had some fun adventures this month with the kids. For example:

going to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch with Camie's preschool class
a hayride with the kids (where I found out I'm really allergic to Texas hay...ouch!)

and picking a baby pumpkin.

The mandatory "pumpkin patch" pictures

I just thought this picture was funny. Maddie loves being naked. This day she was eating a chocolate cupcake, and Jeff said, "Hey, she looks that Baltimore director! What's his name?" You got it, John Waters.

Our community (Crawford Farms) had a Fall Festival last weekend which was really fun. They had a little petting zoo...

and homemade cotton candy (my favorite!) And yes, a Fall Festival in Texas calls for a sleeveless shirt. It was gorgeous weather! A bit weird, in my opinion, but oh well.

Pony rides

Face painting

and lots of games with treat prizes.

Yesterday we went down to Ft. Worth to check out the famous Stock Yards and met Mo the Buffalo.

Watching the Long Horns walk down the stock yard (they do it daily.)

And Jeff had to get a picture with Boss Hog's car.

afterwards we ate an awesome lunch at Cattleman's Cafe.

For Art's Sake

A couple of weeks ago I went on a weekend-getaway with my friend Tiffany. When we moved into the ward, we found out we had a few things in common, including a love for art (Tiffany majored in Art Teaching at BYU.) So when she found out that the Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit was at the Houston Natural Science Museum, she proposed that we leave our husbands and kids for a weekend and go down and see it! And since my grandparents live there, we had a place to stay.

I learned so much about the Terra Cotta warriors. It was so neat to see artifacts that was over 3000 years old (well before Christ's time.) I'm glad that I got to see it.

We then ventured to Houston's Museum district, which is home to the Rothko Chapel, The Byzantine Fresco Chapel, The Cy Twombly Gallery, the Menil Collection, and the Dan Flavin Installation. I'd been to these museums before, but it was about 12 years ago. I had learned about the Rothko Chapel in my Humanitites class at Highland High School, and was excited to see it in person. The two summers before when I was 18, I had been able to see his work in many other places, including our nation's capital, and Europe. He was soon becoming one of my favorite artists back then.

I remember seeing my first Rothkos in person. I stood in awe at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., at the enormous colorfields, taking up the room. I was 18. At that time I had, what I would describe, a spiritual experience. I felt in awe, and humbled, and felt deep gratitude for the opportunity to see such beauty. I remember showing my Dad the Rothko colorfield for the first time. He took a minute, looked at it, and said, "I don't get it." I huffed at him, rolling my eyes, because to me, he was missing the point. I repeated the expression that Julie Hewlitt drilled into our heads that year in school: "Many people say about modern art, 'What's the big deal? I could do that.' The point is, you didn't. He did."

I have been priveleged in the years since to have been to many more museums, many more exhibits, and many different citites in the world. Coming back to the Rothko Chapel and the other galleries, I had a new-found appreciation for all the things I saw at that time in my life. It reminded me of our desire to create, to make something that no one had ever made before. To provide a space where people could revere and meditate, and even worship if they wished. To ponder on life and the grand scheme of things. To leave their mark in history.

That evening we attended the General Relief Society Broadcast. I felt uplifted and inspired, but in a different way. I was reminded how all of these things are connected, and how grateful I am that we are all children of God, that we are created in His image, and that we are blessed with the ability to create, to express ourselves, and to connect with other human beings.

The Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit: They had 15 terra cotta warriors and 120 artifacts.

(Yes, this is a replica.)

Next: The Rothko Chapel. Marc Rothko was commissioned by the Menil Family in 1964 to build a sacred place. Dominique de Menil said, "The Rothko Chapel is oriented toward the sacred and yet it imposes no traditional environment. It offers a place where a common orientation could be found--an orientation towards God, named or unnamed, an orientation towards the highest aspirations of Man and the most intimate calls of the conscience."

I think it's neat that the Rothko Chapel over the years has hosted speakers like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, and the Dalai Lama, to name a few.

Next, the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum. These original frescos were from a chapel in Crete, and displayed in a really modern way. I liked the old mixing with the new.

The Cy Twombly gallery. His art is very modern, and very weird, but I found it fascinating. To me, it was like looking into the mind of a madman (although I don't know if he technically is, he's still living.)

The Menil Gallery, which, like all the other galleries, are totally free. I didn't realize how many gems were in here! Alexander Calder, Piet Mondrian, tons of Magrittes (along with other surrealist painters), and even some Marcel Duchamp. And more artifacts. By this point, I had kind of had it with artifacts.

The Dan Falvin Installation. Not too exciting, but kinda cool nonetheless.

My cute Grandma Kay Dunn who hosted us. She is the sweetest lady.

Me and Tiffany.