C.S.I. Wasatch County

The CSI team of Wasatch County (if there even is one) was in need of a new team of investigators. So of course they turned their sights on twelve local girls. These girls would need all their wits about them as they accepted the invitation. They each got a new identity and were divided into teams of three, and then they competed against each other for the post.

The first step was to examine the crime scene and collect evidence:

A Footprint

Fingerprints

The Victim

Once the evidence had been collected,
each team visited six crime labs to analyze the evidence and find a suspect.

The Firearms/Toolmarks Lab:
It was the wrench.

The Trace Evidence Lab
The victim's name was Victor Timothy,
but the e-mail and phone number could not be traced.

This team was mislead by a two-year-old informant
who identified the suspect by only a first name:Dora.
Informants are so unreliable.

The Fingerprint Lab:
Much trickier than expected.
The only prints found at the scene belonged to the victim.

The Morgue

Cause of death: Blunt Force Trauma

The Impressions Lab and DNA lab were too classified to show.

After a thorough review of the evidence, the team of
Nancy Drew, Jane Marple and Constance Dunlap
cracked the case first.

And the guilty party was:
the CSI facilitator, Ruth Kelstern
a.k.a. Danielle Haroldsen
How's that for a C.S.I. twist?

To not take a few mug shots would have been criminal.

After an investigator's favorite treat, doughnuts, all participants received special commendation for team work and...

deep thinking.

Thanks for the great time ladies!

A special thanks goes to our victim:
THANKS DAVE!
Other thanks go to our Nowhere.com contact: Melody
and our extra facilitator Precious Ramotswe/Phoebe.

Of special note:
No humans or animals were harmed in the making of this party,
but we did use plenty of Karo syrup and red food coloring.

13

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Lizzie became a teenager this week. We had a little celebration on her actual birthday that included Sweet and Sour Chicken and Carrot Cake. She got a new camera and some money for clothes (gone are the days of me picking her clothes). The main celebration was with her friends on Friday, but the birthday really did stretch all week.

Its easy to take a good kid like Lizzie for granted. You know, the whole squeaky wheel thing. Lizzie rarely squeaks.

I want her to know how wonderful and amazing she is. Here are some of the things I love and want to remember about my newly-turned-teenage-daughter:

1. Her favorite tv shows are Mythbusters and So You Think You Can Dance.
2. She is an unabashed carnivore. She loves steak, stew, hamburgers, whatever. She also likes all kinds of food from fish and shrimp to curry and everything in between including vegetables.
3. Lizzie is incredibly smart. She has already passed the point of me being able to help her with math.
   
4. She has the ability to get along with everyone.
   
5. Lizzie loves life. She enjoys herself just about where ever she goes or whatever she does.
6. She has a great moral compass. I have confidence in her decision making abilities.
   
7. Lizzie loves learning. She enjoys school. She loves figuring things out. I love to find her eating breakfast while reading the newspaper. She often gets lost in a book and completely loses track of time.
   
8. Lizzie is tenderhearted. It doesn't occur to her to do something to hurt someone's feelings (unless its Sarah). She has a hard time understanding why people treat each other badly. When she was little, Lizzie used to cry when I would get mad a Sarah.
9. Lizzie is brave. She isn't afraid to try things. Whether its running a river or dancing in front of TONS of people, Lizzie will give it her all.
10. She is an amazing big sister. Hannah and Gracie love it when she comes home. She reads stories, colors, dresses-up, or whatever else they are doing. She made a Dora backpack for Hannah complete with a face and a map. She and Sarah don't always get along, but when Lizzie went to camp this summer, Sarah was miserable.
11. She has varied interests. She can go from dancing in her tutu to having a CSI birthday party.
12. Lizzie has a fun sense of humor, and she is a great conversationalist.
    
13. She is talented and dedicated. She is a beautiful dancer and a wonderful pianist. She works hard at both. I love to watch her dance. She looks so happy. I love when she practices. Sometimes I imagine I'm in a fancy hotel lobby with my own pianist tickling the ivories.
    
14. She has good taste. She knows what she likes and doesn't care too much about if its the latest trend. On a recent shopping trip she helped me avoid an argyle sweater mistake, for which I am grateful. (Not that argyle is bad, just this particular argyle.)
    

Happy Birthday Lizzie. You are beautiful in every way.

When I Grow Up

I was very proud of myself today. I stood up to someone who had been very rude, and I did it like a grown-up...I was (relatively) calm and non-confrontational. This is strange for me because I generally just take it and stew over it. Then I think of what I should have said, which is usually what I shouldn't have said since its usually rude right back.

I rarely use the term "grown up" to refer to myself, because I still feel like I'm in college. I feel like growing up means you've got it figured out. Grown ups must know who they are and where they are headed, right?

When I realize that I am actually grown up I'm sometimes a little disappointed. There are so many things I still want to be when I grow up. There are so many people out there I want to be like when I grow up.

I want to be like my sisters who are so artistic and creative. I want to be like my friends and family who are such great mothers, home makers, cooks, hostesses, gardeners, photographers, musicians, athletes, decorators, teachers, and professionals.

I'm realizing that if I am, in fact, a grown up, my definition has been all wrong. Because if I'm a grown up it means winging it most of the time. It means realizing that I'll never have it all figured out. It must mean sometimes (all too often) not knowing where I'm headed until I actually get there.

Let's just say I'm growing up, because I still have so many things I want to be. Just know there is something about each of you I would love to be part of the grown up me.

Halloween 2009

HALLOWEEN
EXTRAVAGANZA
2009

This year Halloween seemed more like a weekend extravaganza than just any old Halloween.

It started on Friday when Mark went to Sarah's class to help with the Harry Potter party, which was orchestrated by an amazing room mother, so you know it wasn't me. Sarah came home with a wand, a crystal ball, and a sugar buzz from the candy "feast."

The Harry Potter theme carried on that night when our neighbors invited us to help with their "brilliant" Harry Potter party. I didn't get any pictures because we were too busy having too much fun as our house became Platform 9 3/4, and Mark became the engineer of Hogwarts Express. I'm hoping they post about it (hint, hint).

Saturday brought pumpkin carving. It was nice to not be rushed. We ended up with some pretty sweet jack o'lanterns.

THE COSTUMES

As the hour approached, we donned our costumes. Lizzie, who is getting a social life, had a party to go to. It was weird trick or treating without her. Plus, as a mom, there wasn't nearly as much candy to choose from, sigh.

The Jelly-Fish

The Coffin Bride

The Elephants

Gum on the Bottom of a Shoe
(I know...its a stretch...but it was very last-minute)

OUR PUMPKINS

Gracie

Hannah

Sarah

Lizzie

Danielle

Mark

Sunday brought one last party with Nonni and Grandpa Moh. We were able to get some pictures with the cousins (except Noah). I use the word "we" loosely, since I forgot my camera so I'm at the mercy of others for my copy.

Now its time to move on to the upcoming birthday of my soon-to-be-teen-age daughter.

A Halloween Note for the Future

Dear Self,

Here are some notes for Halloween in the future. This should help you avoid some of the pitfalls in which you find yourself every year.

1. Make the kids decide on Halloween costumes by October 1st and then get them made by October 15th so you can enjoy the week of Halloween and do "cool mom" stuff like wear a costume yourself.
   
2. Avoid going to the fabric store the week of Halloween AT ALL COSTS! If you have to go don't take any kids.
3. Ask around about costume stuff. You will be surprised what people have, and your check book will thank you.
   
4. Kids aren't really going to eat a healthy dinner on Halloween, so don't bother making it. Papa Murphy's pizza will do just fine.
   
5. Remember where you put the door hanger (in the back hall closet), so you can hang the skeleton on the door before October 28.
6. You do own Halloween decorations which are in the garage near the Christmas stuff, so you usually don't remember them until around Christmas.
   
7. Don't buy the candy too early, or you will eat it. Realistically you should just buy it on October 30 and buy stuff you don't like, like Smarties or Dum Dums.
   
8. Mark likes to dress up at the last minute, so make him decide by October 1st too.
9. No one at your house really likes roasted pumpkin seeds, so don't bother. Its not wasteful to simply throw them away.
10. Don't try to talk Sarah out of whatever grody thing she has chosen to be. It's a waste of time and energy.
11. Don't be too vocal about your dislike of Trunk-or-Treat. Some people really enjoy it.
    
12. Remind yourself that Halloween is supposed to be fun, not stressful.

Okay, self, this should make next Halloween a much more enjoyable holiday. You're welcome.

Fall Break-The Final Chapter

Warning: Final travelogue and trip photos. Again, here are the cliff notes: Canyonlands=we'll check it out next time. Dead Horse Point=unimaginably beautiful.

Here we are on Day 4. Since we were in Moab, we decided to go to Canyonlands. By the time we got there, though, we were feeling a little "parked out," so we had someone take our picture at the first overlook and started for home.

CANYONLANDS

(sort of)

On the way back from Canyonlands is a turnoff for Dead Horse Point.
Mark has always wanted to see it,
and Sarah was intrigued by the name, so we made one last stop.

DEAD HORSE POINT

All I can say about Dead Horse Point is...
SPECTACULAR!

Once again, pictures don't do it justice.

360 degrees of amazing views.
If you are ever in Moab, go see for yourself.
There's no way you could be disappointed.

Silly Faces 2,000 feet above the Colorado River.

One last mom shot.

I've tried to put my finger on why this trip was so fun.
I guess it was having absolutely no expectations,
which made for many, many pleasant and lovely surprises along the way.

THE END

Fall Break-Day 3: Goblins & Chickens Galore

Warning: More travelogue and trip photos. If you're so over reading about our trip here's the gist: Goblin Valley=Super Fun/Nicky's Chickens are awesome.

Hannah and I woke up and opened the curtains to see this:

I took this through the window. Sunrise on red rocks is hard to beat.
We left lovely Torrey behind with its tree lined main street and beautiful sky.
We headed for our next destination:

GOBLIN VALLEY
Any description of Goblin Valley must begin with the fact that it is in the middle
of the middle of nowhere (sorry, Hanksville. The truth hurts).
But once we got there it was amazing, and totally worth it.
There are no words to describe it and no photo can do it justice,
but we took some anyway.

King of the Mountain

How do I look?

There's no such thing as too much climbing,
and don't forget to accessorize.

YEE HAW!

Once we peeled Hannah off her "horse," we headed for Moab.
Actually we headed for:

NICKY'S FARM

Mark's sister, Nicky, lives just south of Moab
along with Andy, Bailey, 11 chickens and 4 ducks.

Nicky promised Sarah she could name one of the chickens.
Introducing: Cruella DeVille

Those chickens got a lot of loving attention.

Hannah just wanted to splash in the duck pond.

Sarah is quite the chicken chaser.
Thanks Dave & Heather for letting her practice on yours.

Coming Next:
Fall Break-The Final Chapter