Christmas Memories

I'm one of those slightly (very) dorky mortal beings who, with gleeful enthusiasm, ceremoniously brings out the Christmas CDs on the day after Halloween. In point of fact, I tune in to the holiday classic tunes at various points throughout the year as well. After all, Karen Carpenter, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra deserve an attentive audience more often than just in December, right? It's actually intriguing in the scorching heat of the summer season to hear songs about just "letting it snow". This line of conversation leads into the fact that I simply adore Christmas. I love the music obviously, but also the snow, the baking, the shopping, the crowds, the lights, the commercials, the movies (we watched 17 of them), and most of all, the sublime magic in the air. It's glorious to participate in such Christmas traditions as...

Beautifying and embellishing the tree with ornamental accessories...

Showing off our gingerbread architectural and construction skills, as well as our praise-worthy interior and exterior design work...

And Santa Claus, himself, had the supreme honor of actually meeting the famed, the renown, the esteemed...Summer Simon - who displayed true mercy and fortitude to grace him with her very presence.

One word: Tickets. Two words: David Archuletta. Three words: Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Four more words: The best concert ever! Enough said.

No, this is not the Burning Bush you are beholding, so do not attempt to observe and identify Moses in the background. This is the spectacular lights display at Temple Square in Salt Lake City! T'would not be Christmas without viewing them!

Yes, the night was a bit frosty and Siberian in nature, but proper bundling and cousin snuggling always warm the bones and heart.

Christmas Eve jammies!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

...in hopes that Saint Nicholas would bring something staggeringly stupendous! A first class Barbie Townhouse with sleek design should do the trick...

...which proves that the best part of Christmas for us, were the twinkle lights in Summer's eyes as she excitedly opened her presents and felt the love we all have for her in shockingly overwhelming abundance. :)

Tutu twirls!

Our budding ballerina practiced her whirls and twirls for many weeks in preparation for her dance class's Christmas recital. They performed the Nutcracker, which is Summer's most esteemed and favorite music. She has watched four different versions of the ballet and even saw it live and in person, so she is a seasoned veteran when it comes to the Tchaikovsky classic. The performance day arrived, and Summer was so excited for her big day! I gathered her hair into a bun, applied her stage make-up, dressed her in her leotard, ballet slippers, and tights, and away we went to the show! We first shot some pictures of her onstage with the Christmas decor.


Jerald and I sat perched on the edge of our seats with proud and dorky smiles adorning our faces, while clutching our camera and camcorder to capture every minute. The most comical moment of the performance came when the group flitted offstage to change into pink frothy tutus and out came little pirouetting Summer, whose skirt immediately fell down. Her waist is so tiny, that it couldn't stay on! We watched, laughing, as she was quickly hoisted backstage to have it pinned and then was rushed out again as if nothing had happened.

Here is Summer posing with her dance teacher, Ms. Linell.

After the performance, Jerald presented Summer with a charming bouquet of red roses for a job well done. He surprised me with a bouquet also! What a man. Even though my dancing, lately, has been limited to foxtrots and frolics in the kitchen whilst preparing meals, I accepted the bouquet with gratitude, blowing kisses to my imaginary audience. Anyway, we could not have been more proud of Summer at her first-ever recital. Prima ballerina!

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)