Harry Potter!!!

Just a little shout out to all of you Harry Potter fans: I really liked the end of the great story. I have to say that J.K.Rowling did a very good job of making the story interesting, which is difficult at the end of a 7 book series. I appreciated the deeper view at the characters Snape and Dumbledore. I feel as if the plot is the same as would be found in an adult book, but the wording is digestible, it slides right down so to speak. There is something to be said for that kind of brain candy. Basically I am a fan. Oh, on another note, the epiloge reminded me of that sickening twist Disney movies always seem to take...the one that makes the watcher/reader want to find the nearest garbage can. I might even warn against reading it. Basically you find out that those you thought would get married do and they continue...I think the presence of devoted people who are more than fans, but are on the verge of obsession influenced this great writer to put that silly addendum... Personal opinion. Yep, now on to homework....

Quilting, my love

So, I finally developed my pictures and among them was one of the quilt I made for a friend of mine. She had a new baby girl and already has three boys and so I made a great little tom-girl quilt for her with jeans and a lot of reds. I also sewed the pockets on so that she could stash stuff in her little quilt when she gets older. Also I just thought I'd throw up a picture of my mom's quilt, the best thing that I have ever made. I really love that quilt!

I am also working on starting another quilt. I have a couple that I need to do. I need to do a mission quilt still and also have a couple of jean quilts still to sew. I really need to get started again. It makes me really happy to make things. Come to think of it, a lot of things make me happy. I do like being happy.

Awwww! (happy birthday to me!)

I was just looking through emails and I happened across the one I had received on my birthday while I was in Africa. Due to the speed (or lack of speed) of the connection in Mozambique I was unable to look at the cards my cute nieces made for me. When I saw them today it really made me smile. It's like getting a late birthday present and extending your birthday across several months.


Dear ellen,

happy birthday I hope you have a happy day
I love you very much ellen
I hope you have a very very nice day.
I hope you have a nice time at madagescar.

Love Alaina

I survived!!

Well, it was kind of a full week and in the middle I was sure that I wasn't going to live...but with a blessing and divine grace I am still here and was able to turn in all of my assignments. I now am trying to do my best to get a lot of homework done so that next week can run slightly more smoothly and less stressfully. I also now have a new phone that plays music because my dad needed a phone and so I gave him mine because I could get a new one for free with all the bells and whistles and didn't think he'd mind my old one with the basics. I thought it was pretty cool. Now I just have to download my Chinese dialogs onto the phone and I can be more proficient soon! Yep, so that's all that's happening of an exciting nature for me this week. I am still standing!

ellen

pulling out hair

My friend Becca who got her hair done at the same time took it out a couple of weeks ago and these are the pictures she sent...

Also my hair...not quite as puffy as I have less hair but still pretty cool. Oh, and so you know the count...I had more than 230 braids in my hair.

Family is Nice!!

I just had a great family reunion! All of the kids and the 16 grandkids in our family got together for the 4-6th of July and had such a great time. Aaron did a great job of planning and organizing and it was just so much fun to play with all of the cute kids and just to be there with all of them. Samuel kept going on about how great all of our nieces and nephews were. He and I are so excited for the time when we can have families of our own and contribute to the children being raised in righteousness. It is quite encouraging to see parents doing their job so well.

On Wednesday we all got together and had a few minutes to just sit and relax and talk at Martha's house. I particularly enjoyed the afternoon because I got to play games with the kids. It was a lot of fun to invent games and just to see the creative juices moving in the young minds. Joseph and Caleb really got the idea of statues and I probably would have chosen them every time. It was really funny to see them hyper extending their legs and cocking their heads and arms at such weird angles. I was excited to get to know Michela, Mekenzie, Madison, Joseph and Caleb a bit better. After dinner we enjoyed a great fireworks show. Mekenzie kept commenting on how awesome the fireworks were and how beautiful. Marah had fun naming the colors, Red and Purple!! Yellow! I thoroughly enjoyed myself.


Thursday started out with a great sealing session at the temple with almost all of the siblings. It was quite a treat to be in the temple together and I always feel like I've gotten a little taste of heaven, even if it was only a whiff. I then took a nap as I had not slept Tuesady night because I had worked and felt just a little out of sync. The others got to go to Temple Square in Salt Lake and enjoyed the grounds and the new Joseph Smith movie. We then met up again at Martha's for a great grill and then against medical advice, we immediately went to the pool for a swim. I would highly recommend renting a whole pool, especially there in Farmington where the pool was just big enough, but just small enough. It was the perfect place for the small kids and the big kids (i.e. Blair, Nephi, Samuel, and Aaron) enjoyed diving off the diving board. The braids weren't too heavy with the extra water, although that could be because I am becoming accustomed to the weight. I can see how the Africans develop their steel necks.

Friday I had to run down for a quick quiz in my Chinese class and then met everyone at the mouth of the Cottonwood Canyon for a nice hike to the waterfall. Those kids are good little hikers and Keturah even caught herself a beautiful butterfly on the way. By the end all of the kids were pretty good at spotting them. We then had a great lunch...great because yours truly was in charge of it...and Keturah's 10th birthday party. Samuel and I also got a chance to share some of the treasures that we had picked up for the family in our travels. We then rushed over to Grandma and Grandpa Jex's where we enjoyed pizza and seeing some of our cousins for the first time in quite a while. We did get a great family picture and it was just great to all be together for our Family Home Evening singing "Ring Around the Rosie" and "Sunbeam". It was a bit sad when we headed our separate ways. I drove up once again to Kaysville with Naomi in tow. (Grandma and Grandpa Jex)

Saturday I drove back down to Provo and had a good nap before work. Although there is no where else that I would rather be than with all of the darling nieces and nephews, it does take it out of you.

Oh, funny thing...today I was put in charge of the stake service committee we will be having on August 4th. This time I am totally in charge...the things I get myself into.

Basically I love my family more than anything in the world. Each and every one of them! I am so fortunate and so blessed to have the family that I do and to be sealed to them for eternity! Sometimes I wonder why I'm so lucky...

Grandpa and Grandma Thompson both of whom died last year.