Isn’t this a sweet picture?

 

It seems that Alvie is coming around…

Only 362 more sewing days until next Halloween…

Unlike the “Project Runway” designers who have to sew for catty anorexics, I have perfect models who are always charming, appreciative, and really know how to work a costume…

In the case of the Reed children, I cannot take credit for Will’s fisherman costume or Aubrey’s jellyfish ensemble. That was Heather’s creativity.  But I did make Spencer’s shark suit (which has a fin on the back side).

Liza says this year’s nod to Little Red Riding Hood will probably be their last themed/group venture.  Apparently, Jake has put his foot down and insists on being Nacho Libre next year.  Hmmm….Riley as Sister Encarnación …Brooke as Esqueleto…Morgan as one of the orphans…

 

 

Only the Hermione Granger costume (from Harry Potter) that Abby is wearing is new this year.  Liv’s Dorothy costume was one I made for Riley two years ago and Ellie’s pink poodle was one I made for Liv two years ago.  Kudos for recycling, Em…Al Gore would be so proud!

 

 

Scroll down to the previous post see the Taylor superheroes and Sean as the hirsute Wiggle.  (I don’t remember him…which one was he?)

With eight costumes this year (plus five Wiggles) and two new babies to sew for it has been a busy season.  and I wouldn’t have it any other way…

Lucky Number 13

I have returned from a busy and joyous ten day visit to St. George.  I will highlight our different activities not in order of importance, but in chronological order. 

On Saturday the 24th, we had an early birthday party for Alvie.  We celebrated with friends and family at Pirate’s Island, a very fun themed restaurant/extravaganza. 

Alvie, who is absolutely OBSESSED with footballs, received three different footballs in gift bags.  Remember that fact…it will be important later in my narrative.

Monday was THE BIG DAY.  For Alvie’s actual birthday, Sarah and Sean decided to have a baby.  I would like to officially introduce our thirteenth grandchild, Ezra Michael Taylor, born at about 4:00 p.m. on the 26th.  He weighed 7lbs. 13 oz. and is 21 inches long.  For reference purposes, you should know that he was the same length as Alvie but 3 lbs. lighter.  He is a long, lean fellow.

Clare was at her sister’s side as official delivery room photographer and hair braider.  Because of the H1N1 business, only two designated people were allowed to be in the hospital with Sarah before, during and after the birth.  We felt like Sean should get a front row seat and gave the other to Clare, who wanted to check out the whole birth thing before she does it herself next month.

As you can see, Ezra is a very handsome young man and a wonderful addition to the Taylor line-up.  Ashton adores him.  He can’t stop saying how cute he is and loves to hold him.  So far, Alvie is pretty much pretending he doesn’t exist.

Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, Ezra developed a little jaundice by the end of the week and had to spend two days under the lights.  This seemed to actually spark a little interest in Alvie.

On a couple of occasions, people came to the house to meet Ezra and bring him a gift…in gift bags.  Each time, Alvie grabbed the bags and started rummaging through the tissue paper, discarding baby blankets and outfits, saying, “Football…football!”

Of course, we celebrated Halloween while we were there.  We went with Sean and the boys to their ward’s trunk-or-treat and chili cook-off (Is there something in the church handbook that requires chili to be served on Halloween?).  That night, Sean’s band, Eric the Red, played a late show and they dressed as The Wiggles.  I did the shirts with the Wiggles logos for the five band members with a little long-distance formatting assist from Emily.

Finally, two funny photos before I move on to a different topic.  On the left, you have Clare and Sarah getting ready to go to the hospital.  On the right, you have Sean and Ashton, both just up from naps with the accompanying bed-heads:

On a serious note…during the past ten days I have been very inspired on several occasions by the faithful examples of our  elderly brothers and sisters.   The patience and kindness with which my Dad cares for my Mother is nothing short of saintly.   And my Mother, although she is slipping further into her dementia and disability, still clings to the importance of family and prayer.  I saw other examples which brought me to tears and near-tears.  As I turned the corner from my parents’ house one afternoon, I saw two ladies crossing the street.  They were both well into their eighties and were linked arm in arm, both of them bent over and walking with careful steps.  They were dressed up and one of them was carrying the current issue of The Ensign.  I’m sure they were doing their visiting teaching.  At trunk-or-treat, we saw several elderly couples who had gone to the trouble of decorating their trunks to pass out candy, although they had no children or grandchildren of their own in the ward.  It was wonderful to watch their genuine enjoyment.   On fast Sunday, in Mom and Dad’s ward, we listened to several moving testimonies born by older folks who have had their willfulness and egos burned off by the refiner’s fire and are now left with the pure love of Christ shining in their faces.  I want to be just like them…

Just the cutest darn superhero ever!

I believe I have mentioned before that I have exceptionally cute grandchildren.

Case in point...

Don't you love the "tree swing" that Sean made?

We are in full Halloween sewing mode around here. I have finished seven of the eight costumes that I have been commissioned to do. Alvie (Robin) couldn't wait to try his on. Many thanks to Sarah for keeping her camera handy and keeping me updated with fresh photos. We are leaving on the 23rd for St. George as Sarah is scheduled to be induced on the 26th, which just happens to be Alvie's second birthday. I'm sure there will be many more cute photos to come of all three Taylor boys...and Halloween photos of the Whites, Clements and Reeds. Hint...hint...

Keep reading...there's a delicious recipe hidden below

I have not mentioned this to many people because of the ever-present possibility that I will lose interest in the project, but I guess I am committed enough at this point that I can let the cat out of the bag. On August 10 my new doctor and I had a serious chat about taking more and more medication to control my blood pressure vs. reducing the need for medication by reducing me.

So...since that date I have lost 22 lbs. No magic formula. I ride the exercise bike everyday and eat less food. Hmmm...maybe there IS something to this diet and exercise business...

Bill has joined me in the quest and together we have become big label-readers and calorie counters. I have had to start thinking about food more as a means to an end than as a great source of pleasure. Because, frankly, most low-carb, low-sodium, low-fat food does not fall into the category of "comfort food.".

But we HAVE discovered a few outlets for our love of going out to eat; chicken fajita pitas at Jack in the Box, the Thai shrimp lettuce wraps at BJs, the shrimp or chicken speilini at Macaroni Grill, the Ultimate Chicken Grill sandwich at Wendy's... You'll note that there are no hamburgers on the list. Neither of us have had a hamburger in two months. Snacks are sugar free popsicles, pudding, and Jell-O, 100 calorie bags of smart pop popcorn, and unsalted, raw nuts.

I have also devised some tasty home-cooked meals that fit into our perameters. Clare inspired one of my favorite lunches; 1/2 Cup of fat free cottage cheese mixed with a whole, chopped apple and a handful of raw almonds. We enjoy sandwiches made from thinly sliced deli meats, low fat swiss cheese and raw baby spinach leaves on Orowheat's new sandwich rounds which are whole grain rounds of very, very thin bread. And this weekend I tried a recipe that I found online and tweaked to suit us. It was DELICIOUS!!!

Mix one pound of ground turkey with one peeled and chopped apple and 2 Cups of cooked brown rice. Add 2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce or Yoshida sauce and fresh ground pepper. Form into patties and fry for 4 minutes on each side in 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. The apples made the turkey moist and the rice gave it a wonderful texture. We served them as is with cantalope slices and green salad. But if you're craving carbs, you could slap a patty between two buns to make a very acceptable "hamburger." But enough about me...

I have been asked to post photos of my finished kitchen and I would if my kitchen was finished. The ceiling is done and looks fabulous. The appliances are in and are beautiful and work perfectly. The new handles have been installed on the cupboard doors and are fun and a little funky (like me). We are still missing two drawer fronts and the new hinges. I have great hopes that all will be completed this week.

Sarah and her doctor have pencilled in October 26 as the date for her to be induced. Interestingly enough, that is also Alvie's second birthday. If all goes according to plan, we will drive over to St. George on Friday, the 23rd, attend an early birthday party for Alvie on Saturday and greet our new grandson, Ezra Michael, on Monday.

Finally, sad news to report. Charley and Alison's son, Hunter (who is in the eighth grade) was playing in a football game yesterday and broke his femur. He had surgery last night to install a titanium rod through the marrow channel of the broken bone. The surgery went well, but I know they would appreciate your prayers and good wishes. Maybe Hunter and I can start a club...

Horsing around, STDs, swine flu and visiting teaching...Not in that order

I have the BEST visiting teachers! Joy dropped by on her way out of town to leave me this little "conference gift." The tag reads," Just POPPING (popcorn) by to wish you a meaningful conference weekend. Sit back, relax and SOAK (lotion) it all in. Hope you learn something EXTRA (gum) and take NOTE (notepad and pencil) when you feel the spirit. Enjoy!" It's not too late to steal the idea for your own sisters...

We heard today from Laura that her grandson, Josh Bacon, has fallen victim to swine flu. He is the first person with whom I am actually acquainted to become thus afflicted. We wish Josh all the best and know he is in good hands.

Aubrey made a very successful appearance at the county fair. This was her first time showing her horse, Beau and she won two ribbons--a fifth place for something horsey that I can't remember and a third place for western pleasure riding. She was competing against a whole stable full of talented 4Hers, so we are very proud! Finally, Carl reports a strange (and inappropriate) fair occurrence. He, Heather and the three kids were in the commercial building when someone from the County Health Department started passing out free pencils to the kids. It wasn't until Spencer (age 6) read the slogan which was printed on the pencils that they realized what was being promoted--"Chlamydia...it's not a flower." If you don't know, ask Spencer.

Newsy Little Tidbits

A few updates from Reedland...

Aubrey got braces (top and bottom) last week! She wouldn't let me take her picture for this blog because she had a Kool Aid mustache, but she looks quite a bit like this:

In other Aubrey news, she and her horse, Beau, are competing Thursday in several events at the County Fair. Good Luck!

Liza is on the planning committee for the annual Walk for Awareness for the Psoriasis Foundation in Dallas this November. She is also getting a team together for the walk itself and Jake has been named the Junior Ambassador. If you would like to sponsor Team Jacob or just read more about their story, go here:

http://walk.psoriasis.org/site/TR/2009Walks/2009Cure?px=1123801&pg=personal&fr_id=1430&et=7Jko43XhENXs1mhLqgOIFw..&s_tafId=4310

The kitchen remodel is coming along. Here's where we were on Wednesday:





















We have made a lot of progress since then. The ceiling is in the process of being re-textured and painted and there is still some cabinetry to do, but I can use my new appliances now. It is quite humbling to stand alone in the kitchen and realize that you aren't the smartest thing in there!

Clare has nearly finished Simi's nursery and promises to post pictures when she finishes the mural. You can check it out here:

http://rossettoreport.blogspot.com/

Livvy had a wonderful birthday and is now five. She is a very animated, funny child and highly entertaining. You can see her in action in two recent posts on Emily's blog:

http://web.me.com/ericcwhite/emerican_made/Home/Home.html

Finally, I have saved the biggest news for last. It is not every day that a haircut makes front page news, but when it HAS been SIX YEARS...

Drum Roll, Please...

And in closing, may I suggest that there is quite a similarity between our family rock star and the rockin' star of "Psych," James Roday?

Hmmm...Separated at birth?