One spiritual blip.

Last night I went to the General Women's broadcast with Cherie and family at the conference center. I had a few observations to share - Pres Hinckley can still move pretty quickly for 96 yrs. old - I really love the spirit of a bunch of women with the same values filling a huge auditorium and really feeling the power of unity - Pres. Monson had 3 goals for us: 1. study diligently 2. pray earnestly 3. Serve willingly Which I heard as SAVE willingly and wrote it down that way until Cherie brought it to my attention that it was "serve" (you can analyze that one with a good laugh) . I had one of those "I am in the right place, doing the right things, and heading the right direction" moments. A Gratitude Moment ( not to be cliches') (sp??)

A small illness and football update. Sorry no photo:(

Lelu's sore throat was upgraded to strep throat - which D followed 3 days later putting him out of commission to play in his game. Although he was required to wear his jersey and stand on the sidelines in the rain - and Big B still filmed. And the cold I thought I missed caught up to me on my flight home. Everyone is now on the mend. D is done being punished for his parents sins questioning Evil King Coach E. He played an awesome game yesterday in the SNOW Brrrrrrrrrr and can I just emphasize Brrrr? We all came home soaked to the bone with mild frostbite, but happy to enjoy the game again. They are now 5-0.

Big B is a Genius

What is this you are probably saying? It's my dream come true!

Last weekend my friend and I went to downtown LA and shopped for children's girl's clothes for 3 days. My friend last spring and fall has had a boutique in her home selling jewelry, purses, clothes and belts that she travels to NY and LA to purchase with a wholesale license in the fashion districts. She does this with another one of her friends. So I was talking to her and asked if she ever thought about doing kids clothes. She thought it was a great idea, since she has two little darling girls herself. Big B thought it a great idea too and I wondered why he was so agreeable. So we took off last Thursday, stayed in downtown LA right across the street from the law firm I used to work at. And I remembered flawlessly how to get around (maybe my alzheimers is at bay after all). My friend is also fluent in spanish (but blond like me) so she listened to these mostly spanish speaking sellers down there discussing prices and negotiated like a pro. After we shopped we went up to Beverly Hills to see a movie ( I sat right next to Larry King and his wife), then we went into to Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Ave. to check out the kids clothes. We were so excited because everything we bought, something extremely similar were in these stores for 6 or 7 times the price we paid. Thus why Big B is a genius - I have a whole new (miserly) perspective on shopping for my kids clothes (my biggest guilty pleasure). And my girls each got a fall/winter wardrobe for hardly anything. The rest of the stuff we'll sell at Kelly's boutique in November and make back the cost of our trip plus some X-mas money. Win-win! Big B in the meantime, kept down the fort getting kids to games, practices etc.

Lelu the Soccer Forward (on the right)

This is the first year Lelu has played soccer since she was 6. That's when we realized that she was a really fast runner because she could reach the ball before anyone else - but she was afraid of

the ball.

She is no longer afraid of the ball and has become the super soccer player. She tells me they play at school at recess every day. Her team is boy/girl and they play at school with the boys, so there's some good competition. This may be where we'll see the true meaning of her name "Fiery". Yesterday her game was cancelled because it was SNOWING - yes you AZ and CA residents - I said SNOWING. There hasn't been a year we've been here that it hasn't jumped to winter at least once in September.

She has a really great team, so far they are undefeated.

THE TAYLOR FAMILY THEATRE ROOM FOR THE INFIRMED

Our bed has become the official "sick bed". Lelu and B are suffering, the twins are just magnetized to the TV. Poor Lelu missed her first day of soccer yesterday - and D's game because of a sore throat, achy bones and a really runny nose. I missed this cold, thank heavens - I loaded up on Cold Ease at the first sign of a sniffle. I swear that stuff works. The twins started it last Monday, but didn't seem to suffer as much as Ay and B.

D. Taylor as "Sludge Slyskull" in "The paper bag bandit". Playing October 23rd.

Okay, so the photo has nothing to do with the title. Isn't he just the cutest player? I like this photo that we are supposed to wear around our neck at the game, so I took a picture of it. D also this week got the biggest part in the school melodrama - the evil guy - and he's got the evil laugh down to almost chilling!

Every one of D's plays he got his man! So there!

I promised a football update.....so here goes in a politically correct narrative: D has been selected and frozen by the same coach for the past 5 years. His coaching methods include intimidation and negative reinforcement, relegating a player to his 10 play minimum if he gets wind that the player's parents tried to get the player off of his team and raising his voice to an extreme volume when passing on the negative reinforcement to his players. So this was one of D"s 12 plays of the game. Which they did win, but I am a selfish parent who doesn't care who wins or loses, just how much my son likes and plays in the game - so B and myself didn't care. D was disappointed further because Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt Michelle and a cute girl named Demi came to watch him play. ( I don't think Demi had any idea how much D played, she just had a big smile on her face.) They say bless those who hurt you......so I bless and praise Coach E that what goes around, will not come back around - I'd just like to see it if it does;)

Just a small clarification: We are the parents that tried to get D switched off of his team - so the coach hardly played D, there is a 10 play minimum and D did get 12, so I guess he was generous. Usually D plays 1st string Defense & 2nd string offense - which is a whole lot more than 12 plays.

THE BIRTHDAY THAT NEVER ENDS - ENDED. Phew

While Big B and Mr. T were watching D, Lelu completed her birthday with the glamorous friend party. They all got updo's, makeup and nail polish at the beauty school and then came back to our house to take photos, play games, eat cake and ice cream, play more games .........the party was supposed to end at 5:00 - but the last girl left around 9:00. I got a good glimpse into the future of Lelu's teenage peers, with the obnoxious, the I'm all that, the gluttons, the nice ones, the brainiac and the performer (like a little Bette Midler -she was my favorite). Also a little glimpse into how much Arielle is going to want to hang out with Lelu and her friends - I hope Lelu doesn't get too annoyed.

Big B is videotaping every moment of D's football season - so I am very lacking in the football photos. I will repent and bring my camera to the next game, so tune in to a football post coming soon.

Lelu does not have a future in Rodeo bull riding!

We joined Big B at Snowbird for a quick night's stay on Friday after he finished his TazWorks User group conference. We had some fun on their summer activities - Bull riding for Lelu - Alpine slide all of us, with Mr. T being tall enough to ride by himself. In his excitement, he flew down the hill at the top speed and promptly flipped himself over in a sharp turn(he's a true Taylor, I seem to recall Jeff having the same problem).

But he just tipped his sled back up and flew down the rest of the mountain. He said it didn't even hurt, with a few scrapes to his cheek, ear and elbow. I wish I had a picture of his wipeout.

Saturday we had to rush back down for D to get to his football game. His team won. They are 2-0 now.

No bond greater than those who shared the womb!

Lelu took this picture and I just thought it was so memorable! Look how tightly they are hugging. I hope they stay this close to each other throughout teens. If they can last through the teens together - they'll be close like this forever!