Bunko

Spent last Thursday helping Sonia prepare for her yearly hosting of her Bunko group. That's my old Christmas tablecloth (25 + years old.) My crystal castle beverage server is always a hit. I picked up the red and green bread bowls at the bakery and took the kids for five hours until Sherman got out of school. We found the most darling Snowman cookie jar at the Gingerbread house in Pinetop. Sonia loved it so much that she got one for a Bunko prize and I bought her one for her birthday. LOVE those pre-Christmas sales! Too bad the sleigh is blocking the view of the cookie jar on the counter top behind it.

Presley Ruth Poulsen

Here she IS!!! The long-awaited little girl. The three boys are elated! Here is Kale on Sunday Dec. 2nd.
Grandma Gigi gets a few minutes in before the boys take over. They LOVE their baby sister. Presley was a whopping 8 lbs. She beat out her brothers' birth weight. We attended Kale's Christmas concert tonight at his school. Just got my hair cut and my hair is now a darker blond. Presley reminds me of little Eli. This picture just doesn't do her justice. She is a beautiful little girl. Looking forward to taking her on our family trip to Florida before we leave on another mission. Harry Potter....here we come!

Half Marathon

We headed out to Hohokam Park for the start of the 13 mile run at 7am. The kids were cranky so we took them to breakfast while their mommy ran the half marathon called Shun the Sun.
Here is Larkie having entered the stadium and approaching the finish line.....GO LARA!
Yup! That's our Strawberry Blonde with a very beet red face. PROUD OF YOU, Larkie! Her first marathon run. The other runs that day were for 3 and 7 miles. I was amazed that she chose the hardest one for her first time. Ryder loved playing on all the free jumpy castles they had around the field. Kendra just wanted her nap. We followed her when we could in the car. It was pretty exciting to watch her pass the check points.

Shower and Reception

We had another backyard wedding and reception. This time our friends used our yard and had to do all the work. Well.....we did a lot of flower-planting and yard work to get ready. I obviously don't have my new camera figured out yet. Still thinking I can just pick it up and shoot...like the old camera.....WRONG!
Still setting up the food and guests are arriving.
Can you see my chocolate babies on top of the cupcakes? Joyce made chicken salad sandwiches. I made cookies and tarts and cupcakes. Larkie decorated the cupcakes and they looked just like Anne Geddes babies all naked and decked out with flowers in their hair....SO CUTE!
Joyce and Sonia still working on their strategy in the kitchen. I learned how to "flood" a cookie this week....I made baby "onesies." LOOK OUT CHRISTMAS cookies....here I come!

Sandy Rios

Sandy Rios is a Christian guest columnist for ONE NEWS NOW and other Christian-based websites. She recently attacked Mitt Romney and Mormonism.

It was the usual ignorant stuff that appears in most anti-Mormon websites. YAWN! If only these people would do their homework and not rely on other ignorant, biased, so-called Christians who won't read the Book of Mormon for fear that it might be a waste of their precious time. They obviously don't think reading uninformed opinions on the internet a waste of time.....

Her attacks....

1. Mormons think they are going to become Gods and rule other worlds and be equal to Jesus Christ.

Okay just that one alone will take pages and pages to explain (with scripture, of course.) But really? Who is interested in reading explanations when they won't even go to the source? If they won't read the Book of Mormon.....why would they bother with the books of Abraham and Moses? Anything that wasn't included in the Bible by that pagan council held way back when and run by deceitful, conniving men bent on political gain....they don't want to read. TOOOoooooo bad. They preferred to let the people deify Mary. Now go figure? Why does SHE get to be considered GOD-LIKE while the rest of us are relegated to .....what? I don't know. Read the New Testament....just ONE verse alone states: "God gave men the power to become the sons of God."

OOHHHHH wooops! Somebody forgot to read that part.....or just skipped it....like they skip all the verses about the temple. Just read an article by Billy Graham at the Dr. office this morning. He quoted an old testament prophet exhorting the people to put their houses in order and serve God first. It was totally related to the rebuilding of the temple....but.....YAWN.....too much trouble for the Reverend to explain that part away....so he SKIPPED it.

These people ( so-called Christians) make me SO TIRED!

Going Home

Baby is on the mend after Grandpa Poulsen gave her a blessing. She had the E Coli. It did not spread throughout her body. She will go home on Wednesday. I am so blessed and grateful for the Priesthood.

I can't get anyone by phone. One brother is in Boston on business. Go Cloud2Mail!!! Morgan doesn't answer at home or at his nursery. I am feeling so lighthearted with such good news at the hospital that I decided it was time for a long-overdue prank. Left a message on the Nursery answering machine in Illinois. I put in my order for the Christmas Tree that I want this year and asked them to let me know when they can deliver it. The tree that I described doesn't exist..... of course. I will check back tomorrow if my brother doesn't call me up laughing his head off today. I'm sure he will recognize my voice...

Anastasia

A sad day for us. The baby wasn't doing well and we took her to the Dr. on Monday. They blew us off and said she is fine. Her diaper smelled funny and strange color. Today she burned up with fever and I drove over and brought her to our urgent care after trying the ones near Will's house. They were all locked up and CLOSED? It was like being in the twilight zone. Took her to urgent care. Temperature was 102.8 they gave her pain reliever and she vomited it all up. They said get her to emergency QUICK! They called ahead for us. They did a catheter and spinal tap and blood work. She has infection in her body and they will keep her for several days. POOR BABY!

They have her on an I.V. so she should be on the mend unless her spinal fluid shows meningitis. If that is the case we will be visiting the hospital for weeks. She laid in my arms exhausted after it all. I stayed with her and Will came from work. The others (including Grandpa Poulsen and Costea Grandparents) couldn't stand to watch any of it. I held her little head and gave her the syringe in her mouth for pain relief. I am good during the crisis and very composed....but now.....I am ready to go to bed and have a good cry. After more than five hours of phone calling and texting....my phone is completely dead. Note to self.....start carrying an extra charger in the purse!