Chuck's 28!

Happy birthday to my superhero of a husband . . .

Is it any wonder I can't keep Clyde on the ground?

Two week round up!

So, long time no see . . . I really wish I could say that I've been somewhere fabulous for the last couple weeks - preferably Disneyland or New York - but it would be an absolute falsehood. I've actually just been at home, at school, at home again, at school again, and so on, too tired to upload pictures and summarize events. So what has pushed me out of my laziness? Two things:

1. It's officially THANKSGIVING BREAK! Because Boise State loves me, they're giving me an entire week off from school. Aren't they wonderful? Granted, I have a five-page paper due tomorrow for my online class (haven't started yet) and a whole mess of stuff due the week we go back, but that's okay - I get a week off from school!

2. Chuck's birthday tomorrow! Friday, November 21st my most favorite husband ever turns 28 and I want to put up darling pictures from when he was little and write about how much I love him and I can't do that until I've posted about the last couple weeks, because although it apparently doesn't bother me to share recaps a week and a half after the actual event took place, it does bother me to post them out of order. So I'll post this blog tonight and another, Chuck-filled one tomorrow.

The big highlight was Saturday the 8th - Chuck and I went on a fabulously fun date to the Boise State-Utah State football game! We had a really great time, although sitting in the student section made us excited to someday not sit in the student section (we're would-be season ticket holders, as in, 'we would be if we had the money'). We were bummed that it will be the only game we make it to this season, but we've enjoyed watching the other ones at home. Scarily, I've actually watched some of them alone while Chuck's been at work!

My mom was out of town on a debate trip so we had a cute girl named Brooklyn from the ward come over to baby-sit the little boys. Clyde fell completely in love with her and she did a great job. I was nervous since we were gone all afternoon, but everything went fine and she left us the cutest note on the easel:

Isn't that adorable?
Here's a shot of the game; if you squint you can see my friends Garcia and Cedric on the field.

The crowd thinned considerably after halftime and even more so after the third quarter, so we had room to move around and take pictures.

It was REALLY cold. Yay for hats.

Other highlights from my absence:

* Saturday the 8th was also my sweet mother-in-law's birthday - happy birthday Terri! Of course, I love her the most for raising such an incredible son for me to marry, but she's really wonderful in a host of other ways as well!

* Melissa, Kevin, and Lily made a quick trip up here to I-da-ho and stayed with us! Melissa and I got to stay up late chatting in person, instead of online :)

* Our ward had our Primary Program, where the cute 3-11 year olds summon all their courage to mumble through their line of text into the microphone on the stand in front of the whole ward. I teach the 5-6 year olds, and they did amazingly well. Clyde wandered up partway through and sat on my lap the rest of the time, the little goof.

* In an effort to become more like her beloved Dr. House, my mum got a cane! Last week at debate some of the kids rolled up the carpet to prop open a door and my poor, unsuspecting mother came along and tripped (it's okay, I laughed a little at first, too, it's a funny visual). She landed on her left knee all funnily and bruised? tore? something in there (I obviously should have listened more carefully). It was in a brace for a couple days, and now she's rocking the stylish-cane-as-an-accessory look. She hasn't hit me with it yet (although she might after she reads this!) but Clyde thinks it's pretty cool. She really only uses it around school when she'll be walking a lot, but now she has it for when she gets old - and the school district footed the bill!

* Will has become a definite army-crawler! He's also eating more and more food; it's so cute when he sees the spoon and opens his little baby mouth :)

*Elder Braden was transferred to a new area where he'll be speaking Spanish!

Hmm, that's all I got right now.

G'night!

Vote? YES WE DID!

Tuesday night, we elected (get it?) to make voting a family affair. We hit up McDonald's first for some dinner (um, can you get any more American?) and then headed to our polling place, a nearby elementary school. We waited in line for a bit, first so Chuck could register here with our new address (I had already taken care of this, the patriot that I am) and then in the line to actually vote. Besides the cold (we didn't get there until around seven) it was a really neat experience to stand in line and see democracy in action, particularly after reading about the REALLY long lines that other people around the country stood in to vote. The only bummers were that they didn't have 'I voted' stickers, and then the "So-and-so has voted" lady called me "John-uh" but, eh, I've been called worse.

Aren't Clyde and Will so darling in their patriotic get-up?

Mommy voted, yay!

Clyde took this picture, can you tell? :)

I was obviously thrilled with the outcome of the presidential election, but I am equally thrilled by the sentiments of cooperation and bipartisanship from a number of conservatives. I was also impressed by Senator McCain's concession speech.

I'm very excited about our country's future - how can you not be after hearing President-elect Obama's speech that night? Here are some of my favorite parts:

"This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other . . .

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long . . .

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."