Tricks and Treats

Halloween is so enchanting, but even more so when you have kids! This year's holiday started a week early when we hobnobbed with King Arthur, Robin Hood, and other story book characters at the Tree House Children's Museum's Enchanted Woods.

Then, on the morning of Halloween, Jerald and Summer carved pumpkins! I'd like to say that I actively participated, but I must confess that the smell of raw pumpkins, to me, is violently nauseating in the highest degree. Plus I'm leery of knives lately, since I accidentally sliced my finger in September, requiring stitches. Anyway, I did create some pretty fantastically creative hairstyles for the jack o lanterns using yarn, so that was my part.

After the pumpkin carving, Jerald made delicious crepes and dyed them orange for the occasion. Then we turned on some disco music and had a dance party in the kitchen! Our doggy, Goldie, wanted in on the action too, and slow danced with Jerald.


Even though I dislike the word "boogie" or even worse, the term "boogie down" (saying them makes me ferociously embarrassed), they are the perfect way to describe Summer's hot dance moves. While we're on the subject, isn't it mortifyingly troublesome to hear someone say they can "shake it"? Ew! Anyway, my point is that Summer is a rapturous disco dancer, which you can see from these shots below.

Jerald was captivating as well...

At the conclusion of our kitchen dance party, we donned our costumes. Summer chose to be the dainty Princess Cinderella...

...while Jerald played the part of a rocker with the spiked hair thing happening, and the angry metal jewelry - not to mention the Adam Lambert style black eye makeup and fierce, glaring expression.

And then there was I, who dressed as Rocker Jerald's tacky, cheap, tasteless and overdone girlfriend/groupie who seems stuck in the 1980s with the unfortunate crimped hair, unsuitable shoulder pads, and gaudy baubles, bangles, and beads. Behind me is a portrait of me as an eight year old. It makes one think, "She used to be such an angelic child, and look what happened to her!" Haha!

Then we went to the Treehouse children's Museum again for their Halloween party. Summer was chosen to be a ghost for the Halloween play! Look at her glowing phantom-like eyes!

We showed off our costumes to Jerald's parents and they took more pictures of us!

What is such an adorable child doing with such peculiar parents?

Halloween night proved to be very rainy, but what a gorgeous sunset we beheld, with colors that matched the holiday!

When we went trick or treating, all of the neighbors loved Summer and gave her extra candy for her extra cuteness!

The rain poured and pounded, but we did prevail and we did indeed weather the storm - and were rewarded with an enviable collection of candy and a large quantity of fun.

Beauty Tip - High Beam and Gleam

Some beauty tips are so majestic, they must be professed and proclaimed! I am about to plug a beauty product that is very near sacred to me and mine. It is called High Beam by the brand "Benefit". I discovered it at the Sephora in Times Square in Manhattan a few years ago and it is still my favorite makeup product. It's a luminous liquid highlighter that you dot and blend over your makeup onto your cheekbones for an ethereal and glimmery glow. It reflects the light for a natural-looking and lustrous luminosity that, thankfully, does not contain glitter particles. No one wants to resemble a human disco ball, now, do they? Glittery cheeks are reserved for those under age eight, yes? After I've applied my foundation, I apply a couple of drops of High Beam to the tops of my cheekbones and tap it gently with my fingers so I don't remove the foundation underneath. Then I lightly apply blush to achieve a natural looking flush. For some extra tips, you can mix one or two drops of High Beam with a dollop of foundation in your hand and blend the mixture over your cheeks for a healthy-looking, glisten-y glow! You can also blend a bit of High Beam into the inner corners of your eyes to look beautifully awake and bright-eyed. High Beam is also lovely dabbed on your collar bones when they naturally reflect the light. You can buy High Beam online, at Sephora, or anywhere Benefit products are sold. Hopefully, with this recommendation, you'll be "sold" even before you "buy"!

A Model Ballerina

Once a week for one hour, I stand with my nose pressed against the window of Summer's dance class, gazing at her very cuteness as she gracefully whirls and twirls and promenades and pirouettes. Summer loves her darling teacher, all the friends she's making in her class - not to mention the dance steps she's learning. I know I'll cry at her first recital! Here are some photos outside the dance studio. These are Summer's own supermodel style poses she came up with herself! A true model ballerina...

A Fair to Remember

It would be fairly fair to say we had more than a fair time at the fair! (How's that for uses of the word?) Davis County puts on such a darling fair, that to miss it each year would be unhallowed and blasphemous. The best parts were Summer's giggles and grins on the rides and seeing her meet and pet all of the animals. Oh! There was this awesome sheep whose "baaaa" sounded just like a bass-voiced man. You've never heard anything like it! Jerald could imitate it perfectly, which thoroughly thrilled the animal and delighted the crowd. People gathered around, laughing hysterically at this comical display of the sheep and Jerald conversing and communicating so effectively.

Boys: "Wow, there's a hot girl in the backseat!"
Summer: "Are you guys checking me out?"

Flirting aside, the ride began and Summer loved being the backseat driver!

This is my favorite picture of all. Summer adores animals so much and got such a kick out of this charming duck. They had a very deep and meaningful conversation, both of them using various terminologies, forms, and dialects of quacking.

It truly was a fair to remember!

Hymns of Exaltation

The pianos in our home get a daily workout. Not just from the dozens of piano students earnestly hacking at the keys, but from the resonance of Jerald's melodious compositions. I get a free concert from Jerald every day. And it is never taken for granted.

When Jerald set about arranging the hymns for his Hymns of Exaltation piano book and CD, he felt inspired from Heavenly Father for every rhythm and note. At times he felt as if the music entered his mind and heart from heaven above, and he merely notated what he what he heard and felt. If, indeed, he felt so guided and directed by the spirit, then this music has the ability to soften the hardest of hearts and to lift even the most sorrowful of souls. Besides that, Jerald's music is simply beautiful. He selected non-denominational hymns, so Christian religions worldwide already know them and love them. And now, through his CD, they will love HIM!

You can listen to each of the songs below:

Click on the album cover below to purchase a copy of the CD
"Hymns of Exaltation" ($12.97)



Click on the image below to visit Jerald's website (www.musicmotivation.com)

July 4th and 24th

Independence Day and Pioneer Day are filled with traditions for our family and this year did not disappoint! On the morning of the 4th of July, we went to the Kaysville Breakfast followed by the parade. We love chaos, crowds, and mayhem, so it was all right up our parade route!

Later, Jerald grilled us all some hamburgers and hot dogs and we had a traditional Independence Day cookout with the whole family!

After we ate, we all attended the fireworks spectacular in Kaysville. Look what a smashing sunset we had! I want to eat it!

Summer zonked out five minutes before the fireworks began, but luckily she woke up with the first "boom". We had such a merry and cuddly time together watching the display!

This picture is so fabulous for many reasons: Our nephew, Jared, on the left, looks violently nauseated. Summer looks candy-sweet. Our niece, Mary, on the right, looks maliciously resentful, and my brother, Nate (obviously caught in mid-sentence), looks intensely and compellingly surprised!



On the morning of Pioneer Day, the 24th of July, we drove into Salt Lake for the Days of '47 parade! We lucked out with a perfect spot in the shade, which ensured our true and abiding happiness.


Later that evening, we drove up Meuller Park Canyon for a hot-dog roasting, s'more making, and stream wading extravaganza!

On such a hot day, wading through this gloriously cold stream was like entering another celestial sphere. :)


The stream's stones, however, dug into our feet like daggers, but the joy in our hearts aided us in withstanding the pain. That is such a gorgeous canyon!

...And on the way home, we enjoyed yet another sunset of lovely proportions. We loved our July holidays and hope you did too!