Goin' Courtin'

Today Jay took me courtn'.

He had a date set in court in another city so we made a date out of it.

We had been pulled over on Labor Day in a small town an hour or so away.

It was one of those just barely going over kind of things. The going over part was not our problem. An expired license was! The officer was as nice as could be and stunned us into nervous laughter when he asked if we knew that Jay's license was expired. No! It was expired by less than a week. We were so surprised. We were even more surprised when he said it was an arrestable offense!
The officer looked around the car at all of our stunned children and asked Jay and I to trade places while he went to write the ticket.

He came back with a ticket written for driving with an expired license with a hefty fine attached. We were thankful to have only have a ticket instead of an arrest. The officer told us we could pay the ticket or appear in court.
We opted to appear in court ... so glad we did! Not only did we get the charge drastically reduced, but we had an amusing afternoon.

It was a very small town courthouse/multipurpose community center.

I so wanted to take photos of the Halloween decor all over the room. But it did not seem appropriate at the time.

I did snap this one on the door.

Picture decor like this all over the cafeteria like room and hanging above the judge.

But don't let the happy holiday decor fool you. It was completely serious business. A guy's cell phone went off and he was taken out by the officers. He came back in looking a little stunned.

As soon as we were finished we got out fast.
We had to chuckle at the old jail outside the building.

It was a great date. Courtin' is fun. But I think I will stick the our traditional dating thank-you-very-much.

What we ate and drank on vacation-2

Given that I already posted about our wonderful Panini's from Jay's brother Paul for my What to Eat, I think I will call that one, this two, and then just hop scotch around in no particular order to the others. I am throwing all order to the wind. This is a big branch out for my chronological thinking mind.

When we decided we were going to go to Colorado Springs to visit for Spring Break, I hoped we would be able to make it to Denver for Jay and I to attend the temple together. We had not been back to that temple since we were married in 1995.

Now here is where we see what truly motivates me. Sad to say, its food.

Jay messaged me the week before we left to say that there was a Cafe Rio open in Denver. It had just opened up this winter. I was ECSTATIC! I went from hoping to go to Denver to planning to go to Denver! We. Were. Going.

For anyone that lives close to one and see's this as no big deal, you can just come back tomorrow. This is where I go on and on about how wonderful Cafe Rio is and how much I miss it.

When Jay and I lived in Provo, UT, we had a tandem bike that we would ride to a certain sandwich shop on holidays. It was what we did.

Then we had kids and we would drive to a certain sandwich shop on holidays.

Then Cafe Rio opened up. And we never went back to the sandwich shop.

It was the place for us to go. If I was going out with girlfriends that was where we went. If we were going out as a family that was where we went. If Jay and I were going on a date that was where we went. If someone was visiting from out of town, yup, that was where we went.

We moved away from Utah in 2002- it has been that long since I have eaten at Cafe Rio.

Here we are 8 years later. Eight cafe rioless years.

We made it to the temple. Lovely.
Then we met friends for dinner.

Even better to share it with friends!
We went. We ate. We were happy.

It was just like I remembered. But bigger. Delicious. Those tortillas, and the lime, and the guac, and those little tortilla strips on top, the black beans, and the chicken. combined with the creamy ranch. Mmm.

I was so happy- I did not even take a photo. Not a single one of the food! I KNOW!



The salad still tastes better when somebody else makes it. I can try and duplicate it, but nothing beats the real thing.

Family Night - 8-17-09

Family Night- a time set aside

Song: Dad- I am a Child of God

Prayer: Mom

Family Business: Dad gave a father's blessings to everyone for back to school.

Scripture: Tucker
&
Lesson: Luke -combined together with help from Dad reading the The Family: A Proclamation to the World and talking about the importance of our Family! It takes work to be a family. We need to spend time together to build love.

Activity: Jack- Monopoly Jr. (sidenote from mom- if playing a board game with these kids doesn't give us practice on working together and trying to be nice to one another then I don't know what does!)

Treat: Savanna- mini sundaes with crumbled cookies and sprinkles

Annual Beach Week

"Its that time of year- its Beach Week!
We have a fun week planned including Jay having some time off of work to do things with us.
We are relaxing and we are having fun, and most importantly we are spending time together."


I wrote this last week. I started a post and then I got sidetracked. I could either be on the computer or with the family. So I made the choice to step away from the keyboard a bit. We have beach week every summer, but this year I found I had to kind of disconnect with the outside world in order to fully enjoy the week! I missed blogging. I missed twitter. But I would have missed my family more.



We read a book aloud. This has been something I have wanted to do for so long! We read to the littles out loud all the time, but never a book for the whole family. We finally did it and have loved it. (one more chapter to go!)


We played card games together. Game after game. I usually have such a hard time playing card games with the age range- cards are flying everywhere, 1 child is frustrated because they can't hold all their cards, another is frustrated because they don't understand the rules. But not with this game! Savanna and I learned a new game from our friends- 7-11 played with skip-bo cards. So fun for all of us.

We stayed up way too late watching movies-we watched every version of Witch Mountain. We laughed at how funny the kids were in the original version but of all 3 movies that one is our favorite.


Although our intent of our families beach week wasn't to pack it all in, we sure did this time!
Jay took off a few days and we included part of our "staycation" into the beach week. We had so many coupons and prizes from the kids summer reading program that we jokingly said,
"beach week sponsored by the public library!"
We used the coupons to go to a baseball game, and to the water park, and out to eat.

We also went to the lake for a day, we went swimming at the pool. We went to the lego store. We went to the Aquarium. We drank sodas at Pops.


I am always so glad that we take the time to have Beach Week- every year it goes a little different. Its worth every bit of work ahead of time to clear our schedules and get things done that need to be tended to. Now our schedule is filled with back to school things- and last-time-of-summer outings. So-so thankful we had last week to be together and slow down for us.

What did you do on July 1, 1995?

I have many things that I look back on and wish that I could re-do/change. Or that I regret.
But the one thing I have never-ever wished that I had not done or wish that I could change was marrying Jay.
He tweeted :
What'd u do July 1, 1995? I married @alisaspear ~ 14 yrs, 4 states & 4 children later it just keeps getting better!
I agree.
Happy Anniversary!

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

We knew that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was coming. We did not purchase tickets.

One must understand that our "normal" meetings when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings, (during our bi annual church wide general conference) are not filled with applause, or shouts of praise. But quite reverence. We don't stand up and sway to the music. Our hands don't clap at the end of a song. It's not a perfomance. It's praise and song to combine a feeling, a prayer turning our thoughts to the Savior. So while my experience with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been enjoyable and spiritual, I would not put it into the category of entertainment.

I had spent the weekend away scrapbooking with my friend Kristie. I mentioned that Jay was going to go usher for the choir that night. She asked why I was not going, and don't you think you want to go? I gave an answer of sort of- but I hear them often and its alright. A while later I got a call from Kim saying she had extra tickets, would I like to go. Then again later on I got another call this time from Julie offering another couple of tickets. I took the opportunity and started making the calls to co-ordinate my mom to watch the boys, and arranging with Jay & my friends about transportation Between the 2 of them we took 3 tickets so that Jay and I would be able to sit together and Savanna could go too.

I was excited to go. I figured it would be a pleasant evening filled with song, and I would come home glad I had gone. The evening far exceeded my thoughts of what I would experience.
I had no idea that the orchestra would be accompanying them. I had no idea how awe-inspiring it would be to hear them in person.

To try and write what I felt- seems hard to re-create. I felt the music. Normally we watch/hear the choir 2-4 times a year. Over satellite broadcast, over the internet, and we listen to their music countless times. But nothing can compare with sitting in front of them live. The choir combined with the orchestra moved my body and my spirit together into one fantastic movement.

The music was broken down into 8 sections-

Hymns of Praise: Alleluia fanfare and Praise to the Lord the Almighty
Morning Has Broken
Hymn of Praise

Music of the Masters: Gloria in excelsis, from Mass in C Minor, KV 427
O Lord God, op. 15, no.11
Cum Sanco Spiritu

Music of the World: Ah, el novio no quere dinero!
Danny Boy
Betelehemu

Two American Fold Hymns: Amazing Grace
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

intermission

From the American Songbook

Songs of the Land: Saints Bound for Heaven
Homeward Bound
Cindy

Songs of Faith and Hope: I Want Jesus to Walk with Me
Organ solo: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Rock-a-My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham

Songs of Inspirations from the American Theater: Come to My Garden
You'll Never Walk Alone
God Bless America

Music and the Spoken Word (celebrating 80 years of broadcasting): Come, Come, Ye Saints
Battle Hymn of the Republic

with an encore of This Land is Your Land (conducted by "guest" director)
and God Be with You till We Meet Again

I was moved and astounded from the beginning and had several favorites and discoverd a favorite song of Jay's. I Loved hearing the section Songs of Faith and Hope. Reminded me of my Nana- and it brought happy loving memories. (especially the organ solo Swing Low, Sweet Chariot) Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing was a favorite before, and remains still.
We clapped and shouted after the song Betelehemu- and wanted to get up and move during many.

But one moment will stand out- that was totally unplaned, but a reminder and a blessing to me. Down on the floor a young girl twirled and spun and danced gracefully arms outstretched, uncarring of what anyone else around her thought. Her movements were so unhibited, reminding me of a little girl I used to know, who will be turning 12 this next week. Her dance along with the music gave me a fresh perspective into the changes and stages we experience with our children. How fleeting really, the time is. How unknowingly we wish the time away. How we need to enjoy each stage, find the good in each one. They will end. Sometimes quicker than we would like.


We tweeted a bit during the event:
(jay)At the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the Lloyd Noble Center ~ woot

(alisa)In norman listening to mormon tab choir and orchestra. No one said anything about needing to bring tissues. So moving.

(jay) The motab is getting it's groove on #tribal Betelehemu

(jay) The choir was amazing. The little girl dancing off to the side of the stage on the floor in her party dress was unforgettable. Ahh youth !

(alisa) after the MOTAB concert Savanna and both exclaimed at the same time "wasn't that amazing?"

(savanna) MOTAB concert last night was amazing!! Makes me wish I could be up there on the risers singing with the choir!

I am extremely happy that we went. I am thankful for the shared tickets from friends. I am thankful that my mom watched the boys. I am thankful that Savanna got to go. I am just thankful. And to those who may have wondered why I did not offer to get them tickets. Please accept my sincerest apologies. I sat through the evening in awe and more than once I felt remiss at not purchasing a ticket for every single person that I knew.

what i loved about this weekend

jay meeting the pioneer woman

scrapbooking with Kristie

going to a 10:20 movie with Jay

semi sleeping in

going grocery shopping alone

getting an email from the pioneer woman

out to lunch with Jay

shopping for the kids without the kids

getting my eyebrows done without a child on my lap

out to dinner with Jay

going to a church meeting with Jay

sitting next to Jay and singing

sitting with Jay

being with Jay long enough to smell his cologne

listening to music loud after 11 P.M.

late night ice cream cone run

dancing in the kitchen

turning the sofa around to watch shows on the computer

knowing we get to totally sleep in tomorrow morning

SPT

Lelly's challange -tuesday, february 24th i am saying "i love you" when i...

*I say "wait, let's take a photo together" even when we have other things to do,
or are running late

*I take a years worth of self-portraits with you and post them on my blog-






























also i am saying "i love you" when i...

*get up to go to the ladies room at the restaurant and leave you with an enevelope telling you where to meet me

*say we are going on a walk to the library- but we go to a bed and breakfast that has a library

*iron your shirts

*meet you outside with a kiss and a cold drink and enjoy a few minutes before the kids see you are home

*surprise you with a vw bus

*fix my hair just the way you like it

*arrange places for the kids to go so we can sneak in a midday "date"

*call you multiple times a day for no good reason other than to say hi

*go along with what you say (even when you think I give in too easy)

*argue with you when I really have an opinion on the matter



Looking forward to saying I love you in many more ways ...