"S" is for...Super Stars

When I was little my Grandma Parrish use to humor me and my cousins and let us get all dressed up in her high heels, make-up and use the wedding gown she had gotten just as a dress-up dress. On real special occasions Grandma would also give us a treat of fake fingernails and eyelashes! My cousins and I could spend hours upon hours making ourselves glamorous. I even remember putting fake nails on our toes!!! It was an all day event and always ended in a fashion show. Well thanks to a wonderful little friend of Anali's named Brooklynn Blair, we had a similar Fashion show at our house on a snowy Saturday and I have to tell you it was almost like I was 6 again.

It all started as I was sitting in the office.....the girls were whispering and tip toeing around. From the bedroom to the bathroom to the bedroom to outside. As I began to question them they kept saying nothing was up. Pretty soon I see this outside the office door!

"sin (sign) ups for the fasin (fashion) show: include name , date, address and phone. At this point I'm not really getting it but head downstairs to attend to Avalon. Monte rushes in the house and heads right up stairs. I mention that Anali and Brooklynn have been really quite and to check on them. Before I know it, down the stairs comes Monte with an invitation printed from Anali's Disney camera. I was given several dollars and a handful of coins as my money to get my ticket to the show. Monte then begins announcing for everyone to take their seats at the bottom of the stairs. Out comes the first model and then the second. All followed by rounds of applause of course! It was short and sweet and I thought over. Oh no it was only beginning.....this was followed by the red carpet walk where the models stopped and posed for all the cameras.

After which we were also allowed to line up for Autograph signing

The girls then answered a few questions and informed me that I would be allowed to take a picture with them. This was all to much fun and I had such a great time!!!
I love how hard they worked at their fashion show and of course who could forget how Stylin they looked. I love the mismatched colors and clothes they found from the bottom of the drawer....but none the less I felt like I was six again and they were most defiantly SUPER STARS!!!

"B" is for Big Brother

Ever since Avalon was born, this saying has become a favorite of Aden's. At first we thought Aden was so proud. He loved sporting his "Big Brother" shirt and was so proud to show all the nurses at the hospital. He insisted on wearing it not only the first day he came to meet his new sister, but the day after that and the day after that as well. Yes, besides his BYU Cougar blue shirt, it is all he wears. So we knew he was happy with his shirt and liked to say he was a "Big Brother" but we had no idea what was in store. Aden continues to LOVE his "Big Brother" shirt, but the saying itself has several meanings. If Aden appears next to you and you happen to say "You look so handsome today" the reply is usually "me not handsome, me big brother". If Aden successfully opens a door he proudly announces "me a big brother". There are also the times that Aden is sad and crying and you try to comfort him and he says "me not sad, me big brother". Aden is also sure to tell complete strangers "me big brother" usually pointing to his shirt at the same time. It's funny as Aden for the most part has no interest in his little sister, but he sure knows that he is a "Big Brother". Regardless of what Aden means when he says it, we are sure happy that he is "Our Big Brother".

"F" is for...Famous (almost)

Last night was history in the making!! We were able to brave freezing temperatures to attend the Iowa Caucus. It was so exciting to be part of something so important to those running for the White House. We felt extra special as we also got to meet one of the front runners.....Mitt Romney!!! What a stand up candidate he is. He knows that every vote counts and made the time to shake hands, sign autographs and take pictures with all his supporters, us included! As he was leaving the building, passing by Anali and I, Anali stuck out her hand and Mitt grabbed it and shook her hand while I tried desperately to get a picture. When Mitt saw this, he knelt down and said to Anali "lets let your mom take our picture". What a kind man!!! He must have known how much I wanted that picture for our scrapbook.

Anali, as always, was the shinning star of the night and has her picture plastered just inside the front page of the Des Moines Register with Mr Romney. Monte also got some face time on the Register's Web Site. See them both in this link and click next. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=D2&Date=20080103&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=801030824&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=2#top

Due to Mitt showing up right before the Caucus, there was press galore and the Register asked me a few questions. My friend Tiff Briggs was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and we are watching for that. I think we all felt just a little important and "famous" if it be only for a few seconds.

The Iowa Caucus was hot and crowded and in true Waukee fashion very poorly organized. The Caucusing that should have taken 1/2 hour took 2 hours and we were all a little grumpy. In our precinct and county Mitt won so it was worth it.

Attending Caucus was like a step back in time. Everything is done by hand. Nothing looks very official at all. We were handed a photo copied little slip of paper. They were marked and put in a box, that was passed around. The "officials" dumped them on a table and counted the slips. All out in the open with all of us watching. It would have been so easy to take slips from the box or off of the table. But we are all republicans, which means we are honest, right? It is something to see and worth the trip to Iowa in 2012, if nothing else just so you can feel "famous" too.

Here are our photos from the nights events.