agreed

I agree with Mom - has to be mayo. It's all about the taste. I don't mind low fat stuff, as long as it isn't Miracle Whip.

I noticed that Clarissa's blog died almost exactly a year ago. Her last post was about not watching TV back in February 2009. May I suggest posting on the family blog, instead of pretending to have your own - since it obviously isn't working, and the family one needs a little boost. Yes, I have my own blog too, but at least I post. (And I really do want to hear about your life!)

Aaron is at work today - his first day of work since last summer. He was a little nervous, but we're both very excited for him. He's glad to be working hard, using his mind and muscles and being able to provide for me. We've started looking at apartments online, and have a handful picked out. We've made phone calls, and are looking at the first of them this evening. We are hoping to be moved out at the end of the month, and officially on our own.

Mayo

I can't stand Miracle Whip. It tastes very gross to me, especially on my sandwiches. It has to be real mayonnaise not the fat free or low fat stuff. That's my opinion. (See I do check this site quite often to see if there's anything new.)

Three

Three different blogs. Three different posts. All basically saying the same thing. I'm going to Utah next week to interview for BYU's program. I'm excited. And the sun is shining, which is always nice when you're in the Northwest.

I don't think this blog should die either. I think people need to post on it more often. So here's a question for the day or week.

Which do you prefer mayonaisse or miracle whip? and WHY? Please make your answer a blog post and not just a comment.
-Tawnia

Tawnia's question

Good thought, Tawnia ... and maybe it's time we have a discussion about this entire website - what we want to do with it as a repository of information along with any concerns for privacy/security with kids pictures on it (or not), especially since most of us have our own blogs now and even those have been barely utilized since we all got on Facebook.

I'd like to go on record that I'm really starting to dislike Facebook in general. I could get into a huge rant about how I think it's perpetuating an imitation of communication and Adam's thoughts about how it's a sociologist's nightmare, but I'll spare you. I will say, though, that it's a huge time-sucker for me and it's becoming increasingly disturbing. The only reason I haven't canceled my account is because of you guys. All of Mindy and Aaron's wedding pictures are on it, Jared's pictures of Israel, videos of Eric's and Nathan's kids, etc ... Yes, I've relocated some friends from high school and college, and that's been nice but certainly not life-changing or anything. And if I'd like to continue contact with any of them individually, I certainly have other avenues to do so. And WE certainly have other communication methods available to our family, most of which I need to take better advantage of - like this blog and website.

All this to say ... I hope we don't kill the blog or the website. I'm not entirely sure what we should do with them, but we should talk about it. And I hope we don't resort to Facebook as our family's main form of communication.

Death?

So I was looking back at the beginnings of this blog.... back in March of 2004. Kind of crazy that it has been so long.... and yet, not all that long ago. Now I'm wondering if this blog is dying because there have been TWO posts this year. And one of them was from me. And now there is a third from me. And I'm not really much into blog posting. Or at least I haven't been until recently when I started having way to much free time and decided that posting on my blog would be worthwhile. So are we going to continue posting on this blog or what?

J

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JARED!!!!!

I hope it is a most excellent and exciting year for you!

Love, Tawnia

Insanity Updated

With all the blogs and how easy they are to update, I've switched my link on the insanityinc page to my blogs. Click on "Mindy" to access what was my wedding blog and is now my general blog. Click on "Creates" and you'll get to my art blog. It still has lots of updating to go through, but that's on my list of things to do during the next few months.

Getting Ready for Christmas

This last weekend has been pretty busy. On Saturday, we had about three hours of choir practice. Then Mom and I went to a baptism. And in the evening, we went to the ward Christmas party. Lots of desserts, and Joshua and Henry got to meet Santa.

Then on Sunday, we had our ward Christmas program. For those who could not make it, I put a video on Facebook of me singing my solo: "Would I Know my Savior?" In nursery that day, there were eleven kids.

Today, I made cookie mix. The first batch of cookies is baked. (We need to buy chocolate chips to make some others.) And for FHE, the young single adults helped bag toys at the Salvation Army. There were so many people working that we were done in almost no time. It was still fun.

package inventory

So I know what's where ...

I have received a box from Tawnia, the stockings from Mom, and an envelope from Emily. Emily, you said that it's our exchange gift as well as our card, so I just stuck it in the bag of stocking stuff for the girls and I'll put it in Adam's stocking to open on Christmas.

I put the box to Nathan's house in the mail yesterday (finally) - it should be there by the end of this week. It has our exchange gifts for Nathan and Joshy, and a big envelope for everyone at Mom and Dad's house. That has the moola for Mom and Dad's cruise and for Mindy's wedding gift.

Amanda, are you sending our book exchange here or to Eric's? Where should we be watching for it?

And I talked to Michelle about sending our other book exchange straight to Eric's house, because they also have Stevie.

Did I miss anything?

the Alleluia chorus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU

I don't know if you've seen this little flick on youtube yet, but it is the funniest thing I've watched in, oh, forever. I cry from laughing so hard every time I watch it. Bet you didn't know the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing Handel's Messiah could be hilarious!

Hindsight

So, yesterday, I went down to Salem with Mom and Clarissa. We got hot chocolate for the wedding in lots of different flavors (I plan to try the peppermint white chocolate first). Tawnia, Clarissa, and I unsuccessfully looked in several stores for blouses in just the right shade of blue. And we had a nice little visit with Nathan, Amanda, and those adorable little boys.

Anyway, heading home through the middle of Salem wasn't easy. Mom wasn't sure if she was in the correct lane to turn onto the bridge. And at a red light, a pickup truck started backing up; we don't know why. Mom blew the horn to warn the driver to stop. Then we missed the turn for the bridge because we couldn't get over in time and had to drive around the block.

This conversation followed:
Clarissa: "If we were in the right lane the whole time, we wouldn't have had to deal with any of that."
Mom: "Hindsight is 20-20."
Me: "Unless you're backing up a pickup truck."

giving Jared some flack

Since Jared does not have the comments option on his personal blog, I'll post what I would have posted there here. Is it just me, or does anyone else find it interesting that Jared goes to Israel for 2 weeks - the HOLY LAND, where JESUS lived - and when he comes back, he posts no pictures on his personal blog, tells no stories, just makes a slight mention of it. And then talks about coughing and wheezing and having pneumonia. *sigh*

Jared, when you're recovered from the pneumonia, I hope you will post some stories about what you saw and did in Israel, including Tel Aviv but of course the Christian holy sites in and around Jerusalem. I saw your pictures on Facebook, but there was very little explanation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom! Forty years is a long time, but you made it look easy. I love you and am grateful you're such great parents and grandparents. Laurel, Stevie, Allie, and I are all looking forward to seeing you in Virginia next year. We're sad we can't be there now. I hope everything is going well with you and that you're able to get out and enjoy your special day.

Love,

Eric (and Laurel, Stevie, and Allie)

another blog

Hey family .. I have a new blog. It's a blog for my art. It'll be easier to update than the family website version, and looks a little bit more professional. I haven't linked it to the insanityinc site yet, but I will soon. In the meantime, find it here: mindycreates.blogspot.com. Please go and leave lots of comments .. that's the best part about a blog!

the big ONE!

Happy birthday, Baby Emma!
We love you!

Love - Aunt Trina, Uncle Adam, Summer, and Marnie

2009 gift exchanges

With Halloween done now ... here's the list for the Christmas gift exchanges:

SIBLING GIFT EXCHANGE
Trina & Adam - Nathan & Amanda
Eric & Laurel - Jared & Michelle
Jared & Michelle - Clarissa
Tawnia - Mindy & Aaron
Emily - Trina & Adam
Nathan & Amanda - Tawnia
Mindy & Aaron - Emily
Clarissa - Eric & Laurel

Mindy suggested ANYTHING food related ... cookbooks, cooking utensils with recipes, new dish towels, gift card to a restaurant, even a box of chocolates. (That enough ideas to get you started?) Any opposition to this? Speak up quick, or we're going with food.

COUSIN BOOK EXCHANGE
Summer - Allie
Rosemary - Joshy
Stevie - Bryan
Allie - Emma
Brooke - Henry
Bryan - Summer
Emma - Stevie
Joshua - Brooke
Henry - Rosemary

Happy Christmas planning!

International travel

Well, they finally got my travel arrangements all worked out, and I'll be flying out on Saturday for Israel. I'll be gone for two weeks, getting home on Saturday the 14th.

Marnie's birthday portraits

I don't know who checks which blogs and when ... but Rosemary's birthday portraits are up now on my personal blog. I shot them today because it was a nice day outside. Any thoughts on which one should be THE portrait? Or do you agree with Adam? He really likes the first one in the post.

What's Up with InsanityInc?

Has our time run out again? Are we going to keep it going? What does everyone think?

sibling gift exchange

Mindy's comment on the other post gave me this idea ... she mentioned food. What if we gave our person a card/paper with one of our favorite recipes, along with some kind of kitchen utensil/dish that would be useful in making that item? You could do ANYTHING - a favorite cookie recipe with cookie cutters, an Italian dish with a garlic press, etc ...

Any other suggestions and specifics?