the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of texas

I had a wonderful week with Annie, Brock, Alyssa, Ben, and Luke. We went shopping, ate delicious food (she cooks my favorite meal for Christmas Eve dinner), went for walks, looked at the kewlest Christmas lights (set to music), and took plenty of naps. Brock awarded me second best napper award right after Luke. I gladly accept. Annie is this thoughtful, smart, capable, super organized, excellent cook, cool headed cookie. When I told my friend Rosanne that Anne can get five people ready for church while I've still got wet hair, she said, "We all have different gifts." I'd take a few of hers.

Favorite quotes from my six year old niece Alyssa-- When she saw that Santa brought her the exact stuffed dog she had seen at Target, she looked at it and asked, "Does Santa steal?" On the way to the airport, she asked Anne, "Mama, when Kristen grows up is she going to have a baby?" We all hope I'll grow up and have a baby, Alyssa. Hope springs eternal.

i get knocked down, but i get up again

I've had quite a month or so. Some wonderful highs and a few too many lows. You know when you really, really need someone to be nice (because one too many haven't been) and then they are and it just makes you cry? Well, thank heavens for those moments. They are reminders that there are far more good times than bad and that things will work out. As Gordon B. Hinckley said, "It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future." Good times are already here. Right now I'm in Texas with my sister Annie and her adorable family. The only things on the agenda are to relax and have fun. And that's what I'm doing.

if we took a holiday, took some time to celebrate

The logical holiday to be writing about would be Christmas, but today I'm thinking of Halloween. In October, I'm not a fan of stores like CVS that have those large, creepy looking, moving, shrieking Halloween decorations. But there's much more I do like about Halloween like my fabuloso new decorations and pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, chocolate chip pumpkin cake, a pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting...

For the past several years I've gone the easy route with my costumes. I wear all black (what else is new) then put on a pair of ears and I'm a cat. Or carry a bag of jewels and I'm a cat burglar. In college my roommate was going on a date to a Halloween party and needed a costume idea. I told her about the time I dressed up as a grandma, so that's what she decided to do. I'm sure her date was expecting her to be in some sexy outfit (she was gorgeous) and instead there she was in a housedress, powdered hair pulled back in a bun, glasses hanging around her neck, baggy pantyhose, and slip showing. It was awesome.

be our guest, be our guest, get your worries off your chest

St. George was so fun, and I have Matt and Megan to thank for it. I was spoiled and loved every minute of it. We took drives to look at Christmas lights, shopped at some fun stores, ate delicious food (homemade granola, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey pot pie, bumbleberry frozen custard from Nieslon's) learned important life lessons from Kung Fu Panda, and just enjoyed spending time together. I could post a picture of my brother wearing only a pair of pants and a Caution: Extremely Hot apron, but fortunately I won't. Of course playing and cuddling with Chase and Gracie was the best. They could not be cuter.

On the way home I stopped to visit Gayla. She took me to lunch and we went shoe shopping. Ladies, you know that's a good time! Thanks, Gayla! Everyone is being so darn good to me. We went to this great boutique where I got a new clock for my family room and a Christmas wreath. It's pure glittery goodness. Come on over and see.