Down Came the Blackbird ...

We have a little collection of Nursery Rhymes that we read at night (to our daughter) ... My favorite one to read is "Sing-a-Song of Sixpence" The drama factor with this one is second to none! Try it out loud if you'd like - (read with expression and passion) I add an English accent just for the fun of it!

"The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes;
Down, Down, Down DOWN came the blackbird and pecked off her NOSE!"

What is my daughter doing while I read this? She's hiding under her blankets to protect her nose from the pesky blackbird (that happens to be my hand) and she's laughing until she can hardly breathe.

Sometimes just to spice the story up I'll change the word nose to toes ....
Cheers to the stories that linger from one generation to another!

How does your nursery rhyme go??? .... :)

The power of LOVE …

Yesterday we had a birthday party for our daughter. It was a simple party filled with people we love! We met at Yellow Park (our children name the parks in our town after whatever color it is) and played pin the crown on the angel, ate cupcakes with white frosting and hot pink sprinkles and enjoyed the perfect weather. As we were setting up for the party, my Mother-in-law handed me a little bag and said:
“This is just a little gift for you!”

Inside was a CD called: "Awake" by Josh Groban....I love his music/voice!

I’ve had it on most of the day … There is one song that just really touched my spirit.
It’s called: “Don’t Give Up (You Are Loved)”

Below are a few of the lyrics -

Don’t give up It’s just the weight of the world When your heart’s heavy, I will lift it for you

Don’t give up Because you want to be heard If silence keeps you, I will break it for you Everybody wants to be understood Well I can hear you Everybody wants to be loved

Don’t give up Because you are loved

That's inspiring!!

The message in that song is powerful and one that I try to express in everything I write and create! I think sometimes we underestimate the power of LOVE and how it gives us wings

to do and become. And helps lift the weight of the world around us ...

This week, slow down and take a moment to appreciate the love that surrounds you.

And pay attention to the love that you radiate ….

(Thanks Gwen – for the beautiful CD)

Look Heart – No Hands …

I had the opportunity to hit our county fair twice this week! The first (1) night, we took our oldest son to see Cheap Trick in concert. I knew two of the songs they played: “I want you to want me” and “The Flame.” It was a loud show with lots of guitar jamming – I was amazed at the display of talent and unique guitars. One of the guitars was shaped like a person and it had legs! Another guitar had 5 necks on it and there are only a few of those in the world …Obviously, this group had a passion for guitars, music and rock & roll! For the record - my ears rang for a couple of hours after the show! It meant a lot to our son, Kade, and I was glad we were able to enjoy the night together.

The second (2) time we went, we took the entire family! The kids loved riding the rides and checking out the animals! We were also able to see Randy Travis in concert and enjoyed hearing him sing his country tunes live!

Cheers to county fairs, carnival rides and the music that fills the air …!

A Celebration featuring legumes…
The National Lentil Festival
Pullman, WA
(August 17 – 18, 2007)

Did you know that there was a national lentil festival? When I first heard of it, I laughed (right out loud). A celebration for beans … how creative! So when my friend, Kami invited me to join her for the legume festival adventure … I couldn’t help but WANT TO GO! I decided a little overnight trip to celebrate the lentils would be a nice change of pace!

So I rented a car (I have an SUV so the small car saved me a bunch on gas money). This little rental was very fun - it only had 4 miles on it … I’ve never driven a car that new – have you?

The drive to the ‘lentil party’ was absolutely beautiful! The scene to the left and right was full on hay fields, red barns and blue skies. I found myself humming “America the Beautiful”… Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain… It’s amazing how different a road trip can be when you’re the only one in the car. I find road trips to be very therapeutic … Lots of time to think! When I was tired of thinking, I had plenty of music to fill my mind. The passenger seat was piled with my favorite CDs. Who did I sing along with? John Cougar Mellencamp, Top Gun Soundtrack, Slaid Cleaves, U2, Moulin Rouge, and Sleepless in Seattle. I knew I had reached Lentil Land when I pulled into Pullman and saw a huge pot and men stirring its contents in the middle of the street!
(Again, I laughed out loud).

Kami and I took her two sons to the Festival (I just had to get a closer look at that big pot) – WOW There was tons of people at this event! I had no idea how excited people could get about lentils! We made our way down the crowded street fair and found the GIANT pot of lentil chili. To my surprise, they were dishing it out for everyone! Did I grab a bowl? Yes. Am I a huge lentil fan now? Yes. Oh there is just something really yummy about that lentil chili … It’s almost like it casts a spell on whomever eats it.
I’m convinced that the lentils have power.

PS - If you ever find yourself in or around Pullman Washington (among the amber waves of grain) and you have the nerve to party with the lentils, please do so! You won’t be sorry…

Cheers to lentils!

Below is a link to the Lentil Festival website:
http://www.lentilfest.com/

John Cougar Mellencamp website:

http://www.mellencamp.com/

(Thank you Kami and family for a very fun lentil weekend!)

2,500 miles (oh what a journey) -

The summer is coming to a close and I feel the need to do a little summer reflecting (right here on the blog!) It’s been one of the best summers we’ve had as a family. We learned a lot together and conquered many fears in order to chase down some dreams! Below are a few of the things we did and learned as we enjoyed the ‘summer miles’!

Road Trips:
We learned that 2,500 miles in the car during one month is a lot! We saw a great deal, met many wonderful people and learned new information about dinosaurs, Lewis & Clark, and the power of the wind and rain by the ocean. We experienced the beauty of nature, the importance of family and we gained a greater appreciation for home and our nice, comfy beds! As part of the travel journeys we took along a map of the United States and hunted for license plates for all 50 states. Each time we found one – we placed a sticker on the state. It was a great activity and we bumped into almost all the states and their license plates!

Wiggling like a fish:
Tory (my husband) recorded his first CD for kids this summer. The release date is September 1st. As a family, we spent time helping at his shows, wiggling like a fish and meeting the people. One very memorable event occurred at the Children’s Hospital in Boise, Idaho. I don’t think any of us will forget how special it was to be in the children’s playroom with the nurses, parents and children and sing songs about fishes that wiggle, chasing the grumpies away and how much we love ice cream. We gained a greater appreciation for our health and for good Doctors and nurses that care. Our prayers that night included thanks for so many things and a sincere plea for sick children to be miraculously healed …

Stepping into the unknown:
Have you ever let fear keep you from doing something you wanted to try/do? I think all of us have. As a family this was part of our summer – conquering the fears! Whether it was learning to swim, preparing for a TV interview, playing in front of a big crowd, sharing a talent with complete strangers or just asking for help – all of us in one way or another took it on! And we’re glad we did.

Cheers to summer and all the wonderful things we saw, learned and did.

A Bicycle Thing ...

I absolutely love antique shops! I can get lost in them for hours (sometimes I do). I often wish the items could talk and tell us their stories. Can you imagine what the above bike would say?
I can!

Someday, I hope to have an old antique bike and I’ll make sure to put a license plate on it! I wonder if there was a law in the 40’s requiring owners to license their bicycles. I tried to Google it but couldn’t find any specifics on that one. If you know anything about the olden 'bike days' and licenses for bicycles – please let me know.

Cheers to the old stuff that helps us remember the ways things used to be ...

These are the words I know -

This blog entry requires a little participation on your part. Please click on the link below and listen to the song “Words that I know” by Brady Rymer…
http://cdbaby.com/cd/bradyrymer2

{Then read the rest of this note. }

Did you cry when you listened to that song? I did! As a parent, I remember the first time each one of my children said – “Mom”, “Dad” or “I love you”

That song made me do some thinking about the way our lives change as we grow and develop. When we our little our whole word is simple and our vocabulary consists of - Mom, Dad, love, dog, ball, bird, flower and hello.

And then as time goes by – our world changes and in order to keep up with it …. Our words change too. Before you know it we’re saying: mortgage, leave a message, bottom line, super size it, I'm sorry, and send me an email.

This week, pay attention to the words you know and use – amazing how they make up the world around us!!!

What words do you know?!

Slaid Cleaves

Grew up in Maine. Lives in Texas. Writes songs. Makes records.
Travels around. Tries to be good.

{Music Discovery} - We picked up a copy of his CD called: "Unsung" at a used record shop in Boise, Idaho and I became an instant fan! Bring on the folk music ... :)

Check it out -
http://www.slaid.com/

Slaid Cleaves MySpace -
http://www.myspace.com/slaidcleaves
(Listen to "Flowered Dresses") ... Great song!

3-2-1 .... Recording -

Wendy Christensen and Dana Robinson

After the Spotlight taping
August 1, 2007
Spanish Fork, Utah

Being a guest on Spotlight was a very fun experience! I showed up a bit early for the interview and was able to watch the film crew in action.... I have always been fascinated by the TV/production world and enjoyed every last moment! I'm excited to see the interview and will post it on my website as soon as it is available.

Special thanks to Rob & Kathy Lichfield, Kendall Call and my family for their love and support on this adventure!

Thanks also to Confetti Antiques & Books (in Spanish Fork, UT) and to Willow Creek gift shop (in Payson, UT) for carrying my book!

PS - If you happen to be in Utah and see this interview ....
I do hope you'll enjoy it :)!
Remember: YOU and your little moments matter.