Doll House Dreams

This is the doll room of my dreams. It will be auctioned in New Port Beach this next month. The woman who owned it, collected for over 30 years. She devoted the fourth floor of her Vienna mansion to her more than 1,000 pieces of antique German and French dolls, doll houses, and miniature rooms. This one is a porcelain shop. I LOVE IT! I bought the hardbound two-volume book set so I can drool over them for the rest of my life! LOL! Isn't it the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?( As far as doll stuff goes.....) I even love the little drawers and shelves!

Okay....the auction was last Sunday.... I looked on Monday and it sold for 4,000 dollars! WOW!

Family Christmas Party

I had the idea to make a miniature Christmas Tree Lot, since the trees take about 15 minutes, each, to make. I knew they wouldn't have enough time at the party...so Lara and I decorated the sugar cones to look like trees and Mark helped me make a little lot complete with "snow" (coconut) and battery operated lights and miniature garland. We had so much FUN doing it! That's my beautiful niece, Kiersten....can't tell who is cuter....the trees or her!
I am a dumb blond.....that's why I only have a "dummy" camera with one button....actually...my camera has TWO buttons....one is for indoors...so that people won't get red lights in their eyes.....OH, YOU CAN SEE THE RED LIGHTS IN THEIR EYES? Enough said.....
I think everybody had fun...isn't that what parties are for? This is Sonia's husband and children.
Here are Larkie and Jon....Dan and Keira with Kristin's girls and Kristin.
Dan is creative and so he put a whole row of suckers around the outside of his little house....I know what that means Dan......you can have a sucker everyday for about a week.....CLEVER!

My Darling Grandchildren

Thanks to our talented daughter-in-law...Keira...we have a nice picture of the grandchildren all dressed up for the Nativity. They will act it out again at the Family Christmas Party tonight. In the original picture you could see the neighbors' roof top in the background. Keira photo shopped that part out. Nice work Keira! Lara is due in June of 2010..so we will have yet another Infant Jesus next year!! Kristin's children are: Joseph, Jesus and angels. Sonia's children are: Mary and the three Wise Men. Dan's are: Shepherds and smallest lamb (in his Boppy.) Lara's baby is the larger lamb on the right Sure wish we could have all of our Utah and California cousins here....we miss you guys!

Family Christmas Party Preparation

The Elves are busy at work helping Grandma Gigi get ready for the Family Christmas Party. Moochie handles the candy canes while Andrew sets out the gumballs. Juliann just closes her eyes and takes in the aroma. Boy...does my house smell good right now. Who needs candles when you have 14 freshly baked Gingerbread Houses? We are almost ready for the party. It will be tonight. Must take lots of pictures!! Merry Christmas everyone!

Prelude to Christmas

We got the tree up at the cabin...but no tree at home yet...Mark had to speak in Stake Conf. so things will start happening this week...finally!
Found the Gingerbread boy in California..he had hideous colors of red and blue and green. This is me..changing his eyes from green to black. I added copper and gold glitter paint as well as some 3-D buttons and nose, etc..

Festival of the Trees

My talented friend, Linda, does all the set-up decorating for the Festival of the Trees. She always invites me to do a tree. I did one the first year and skipped last year. She called again this year and the theme was "Storybook Christmas" ...could I refuse that? No!! This is her daughter, Shelly's, peacock tree. It sold.
Here is one of my favorites....Hansel and Gretel. It hadn't sold when I saw it on Saturday. They were asking close to 2,000. Maybe that's why...
Here is a sample of Linda's talent. Some people just buy stuff and throw it out. She designs and BUILDS it herself. I have used her one of her back drops for a mutual activity. She designed and built a New York City skyline out of cardboard complete with night lights...she is amazing!
This is my entry...Gingerbread Baby...including the book...sweets imported from the U.K. ( a shop in San Francisco) and a freshly baked Gingerbread House. I loved the yarn I found in Phoenix at a fabulous shop called ...."Knit Happens." I crocheted the tree skirt to fit the colors of the gingerbread and added some filament so it has a sheen to it. Found the luscious tree at a Designer's warehouse in Orange County California. I love to go there and get their wholesale prices...thanks to my sister-in-law and her card to get us in.

Thanksgiving at the Cabin

We enjoy the park near our cabin. It was fun having a family kick-ball game. I can still see little Tatoe running the bases. Here is little Ryder getting the attention.
DANG! I have the most talented kids...don't I??? Can you tell who this is?
Just sitting and waiting for the food...it was a glorious sunshine-filled day.
I bought some 3-D turkey cookie cutters online. The kids all loved painting them.

Another Grandchild is coming....

Yes...let me be among the first to announce that Lara is going to have another baby! Due on June 14th. That is my nephew's birthday, Brian Wilson.
I am hoping for a girl...but we'll accept a boy graciously. We are all so excited!!! More fun on the way. Congratulations to the Stowells. Bubba....your days are numbered for being the baby. Make the most of it little buddy....

Christmas is HERE!

My brother had a Jim Shore cuckoo clock mailed to me for Christmas....I LOVE it! Everyone should have a brother like mine....

OH...BTW...my OTHER brother sent a box on the same day and it had a darling pumpkin and figurines for Halloween....plus other cool stuff....

Does anyone else have brothers like this????? Gosh....who needs sisters? LOL!
Christmas has arrived at my house! We are all the same in our family...we just can't wait. If we see something...we just send it. We usually get together in California and just got shopping crazy and buy each other stuff. My sibs are the BEST!
Thank you Morgan and Perry...I love you without all the gifts! Can't wait to see you next week in California. Downtown Disney....here I come.

911

One picture can bring back the sick feeling I felt when I turned on the news...randomly...one early morning. May we never forget the innocent victims. I got the same sick feeling when I visited Pearl Harbor and when I see those images again.

With the way Obama has his Muslim and liberal leanings....I tend to get a sick feeling in my stomach all over again. If his health care reform passes in its current state.....I'll have to wait six months to be seen by a Dr. for my poor sick stomach....

Labor Day Week end

We headed out on Saturday morning to Dalton's first football game. It got rained out...so we headed to the Paradise Bakery and all had breakfast amidst the pouring rain, thunder and lightning. Very exciting morning....
Sunday night...after Beck William Poulsen got blessed....we headed for the cabin. Dan, Keira and boys plus Kristin's girls all went along. Guess what? We now have a street name posted...finally....after almost a whole year! Sitting up on the hillside..we really do have a far view.
We hauled the new air hockey game up but Grandma couldn't get it up the stairs so Uncle Dan helped Grandpa. It is no longer sitting here in the great room....
Everyone enjoyed the storm and we sat out on the deck the whole time. The kids loved posing on Uncle Sherman's beautiful swing. Grandma showed him a pic from A.D. magazine with Diane Keaton sitting on one in front of her home...nice copy....with a few minor changes...now to buy a foam pad and make a cushion (this is where Grandma whips out the sewing machine.) Next project is to hang it up.
Grandpa helped entertain the grandchildren with card games...Old Maid, etc.... after a VERY short time...Chloe said, "I don't want to play anymore..this too hard."

Welcome Home

I just happened to be browsing the web and discovered the Bella Fine blog. It talked about making the entryway to your home....inviting. It talked about picking a theme and color, lighting, etc...
Since the wood floors needed to be redone ...I chose the theme...Halloween.....
NOTHING says "welcome home" like plastic sheeting and tape....
Since Kristin has been IN the hospital more than OUT of the hospital, it was an opportune time to redo the floors. Not able to cook for a week, bring the grandchildren over, or walk on the floor?...no problem.
Thank goodness I have a solar oven. Those pork ribs turned out real nice last night.
Can you tell that I have been Bella Fined! It's all covered in dust right now....sawdust, that is...I should have bought TEN HUNDRED MILLION times the plastic sheeting...
What's all that crap on my dining room table, you say? Hey...that's EXPENSIVE crap! But...I did get it on sale....Thanks, Bella Fine for all the advice and especially for having great sales! Welcome home, everyone! Six days and still counting....fast food has gotten really boring....even the restaurants have lost their appeal...I can't believe I am saying this....fortunately, hubby does not read my blog.

Zander Francois Coppee

Well here he is...after a very long day for his mother. He had some trouble, the cord was wrapped around his neck twice and he came out pretty blue in the face and not breathing. The Dr. worked on him for awhile and the nurses gave him oxygen. His heart had slowed considerably at the end. Another woman giving birth shortly before Kristin had her heart stop. Dad talked to Dr. H. in our stake, who delivered the baby. He was pretty shook up, he told Dad he couldn't get his own heart to stop racing. We met the grandfather in the waiting room. We are so blessed to have everything come out okay for us. Zander's face is bruised up and his forehead looks a little raw but he will be fine. This was a tough delivery for Kristin, she says she is done LOL!

Cabin News

Swings always entertain...no matter where or what kind...Thanks Uncle Sherman!
Our new road to the cabin....$3,500 later....just think of all the furniture I could have bought with that money. My bird headboard....MY BIRD HEADBOARD...gets trumped again!!!
Just taking a morning walk looking for bugs...okay we just found some ants...Mark just called from Heber...up golfing with friends. Apparently there was a note left on our front door. People are making an offer to buy the place....Hmmmmm.....if the price is right should I sell it?!!!!

Barack Obama

I do not normally have anything positive to say about the President. However, after reading the Parade article on Sunday, I have a new found respect for this man. The article is by Bill O'Reilly. The subject is titled, What Pres. Obama can teach America's Kids.

* Lesson One: Forgiveness
Pres. O was just 2 when his father abandoned him. When he was 10 his mother shipped him off to live with his grandparents. This kind of situation can ruin a child. However, Obama states that even though his mother was somewhat, "reckless", the void left him motivated to succeed. He doesn't sit around wallowing in pain or harboring bitterness toward his parents. He forgave his parents and embraced a positive outlook.

*Lesson Two: Respect
Even though his parents put their needs ahead of his, he speaks of them in affectionate tones and does not demean them. Patricia Saunders, a clinical psychologist in N.Y. says: "Barack dealt with his family situation by understanding it. He put his own ego aside and made a decision to act respectfully toward his folks. That MATURITY has served him very well throughout his life."

*Lesson Three: Persistence
Psychologist Ruth Peters, who counsels children in Clearwater Fla., believes that all the hard knocks Obama took in his young life prepared him for both victory and defeat. "Some people shrink when faced with adversity, others seem to gain momentum and are challenged when they fail. The President did not use his difficulties as an excuse to quit."

*Lesson Four: Hard Work
Children need to understand that work is very important and will ultimately define their lives. Your life is determined by your choices and your own efforts.

*Lesson Five: Anything is possible
The man had no fatherly guidance, is of mixed race, and had no family connections to guide him in the world of politics. Whatever dreams you may have can happen in your life. It all depends on lessons learned.

I thought that this was a great article and that we can all learn from this example. Dealing with other people is never easy. It takes time and patience and lots of effort. Showing kindess, brotherly love and more especially...living the gospel. People are usually very aware of their own shortcomings and don't need others to point them out. Christ is the supreme example of that. May we all be more Christlike in the coming months and years. My ward RS is having a Sisterly Love month. Random acts of kindess are to be performed. If everyone participates...just think what a difference it will make in my ward. Think of the difference it can make in a family. Try serving those you don't like (King Benjamin was a great example of this), maybe you will learn to love them. At the very least...try showing them some forgiveness and respect.

Independence Day 2009

We all couldn't wait for this week-end to get to the cabin and try out the new zip-line. We were excited for the fireworks as we haven't gone in years due to the heat in the valley. Here is Sutton (cowboy boots and all) trying out the line.
Grandpa had a brilliant idea. We have an old car seat just sitting around in the garage. He brought it along to provide a ride for the wee ones. Here is our "baby" (Ryder) trying it out. He just looked around like nothing was happening. I expected some screaming...or something. They all wore helmets...just to be safe.
The parade in Heber was the best. I have never been to a parade where people are just waiting with super-soakers to shoot the parade participants. Believe me, there was water coming both ways and from all sides. The fire trucks (of course) soaked everyone. Here are Ashton and her cousin, Macie ( hope I spelled that right) just waiting for things to get going.
Sunday...we painted cookies after church. I found some new recipes for sugar cookies and an icing that gets "painted" on with paint brushes. I found a sale on some really nice brushes at Hobby L.. I had been over to AJ's and their cookies were $2.50 each....not THIS Grandma...I don't pay that for a cookie. So we made our own. We used a cutter for the small ones and made a pattern of our own for the big ones. It kept everyone quiet for about 45 minutes. What a fun holiday! We ended the day by playing SARDINES....you know...hiding all over the cabin in the dark. There was a lot of screaming (thanks to Sherman.) The kids loved that mom and dad and grandma played too....

Happy Birthday Beck!

Well look at that...looks like a press conference for a celebrity! An early birthday present arrived for me....thanks Dan and Keira. Baby weighed in at 7lbs. and 9 ounces. His brothers are pretty excited. That is the Dr. in pink looking on. She was so sweet to sit and pose the boys and help them hold the new baby brother. Start humming the theme song to "My three sons."
Little Ryder is no longer our resident "baby" ....sorry Bubba! These little boys are all so fun. Now we get to wait for number 12 grandchild to make his appearance.
Mom, baby and biggest brother....so sweet! July 6th is now, officially, a very special day! Grandpa and I are so thankful for another safe, healthy arrival! We are truly blessed as a family and thankful for the Lord's tender mercies.

It's STINKING HOT outside!

Why do I say it is STINKING HOT outside? It's because it is that time of year when you walk outside...you can smell your trash cans over on the side of the house. It really is too hot to be alive....
When it is too hot outside...we just do outside activities...inside! Like blowing bubbles. Just stand in Grandma's tub and blow them so they don't get away from you...and more importantly...they don't get on Grandma's floor.
Uh oh....it looks like some of those bubbles got away.....
Caution: If you do insist on going outside...then you MUST stay in the pool. Keira got bad news at her visit to the Dr. today. No baby in sight. We decided to splash our cares away. We have to wait until Monday for Beck.....unless.....he decides to show up over the week-end. Sorry Keira...I could have told you not to be pregnant in the middle of the summer....but .....nobody asked me.
Did I mention that I am getting out of this STINKING HEAT by going up to the mountains? Sherman has built me a beautiful porch swing. Now the question is...where to put it? Happy Fourth of July everyone...I am going to the Fireworks in Heber.

A Day at the Poulsens

Somehow, Will always ends up helping us with our computers..
Sonia demonstrates that she can still play the hymns.....
Dan's boys like to attack him when he is horizontal....Ryder contemplates joining in.....
It ends up being the usual WWF.....nonstop.....almost...until someone gets hurt....every time.....and cries.....
We had a great time being together today to celebrate a belated Father's Day at P.F. Chang's. We found our favorite waiter from another restaurant had relocated and welcomed us with open arms (literally.) We love our Dad...he is patient, kind, hard-working, is a great banker (Bank of Dad) and takes real good care of all of us. Most of all....he magnifies his priesthood. We appreciate the good example...but definitely do NOT appreciate the vegetarian lectures... We also do not want to give up sugar...Dad.....or soda....or junk food....or closing the door behind us when the air-conditioning is on...or hanging up our towels after swimming. We love you Dad...we REALLY do....