A Christmas Hello

I hope this posting finds everyone healthy and happy on this wonderful day. I sit writing this at my in-laws house in South Carolina, enjoying the Christmas tree lights and a fire as the whirlwind morning of gift-opening comes to a close and calm returns. It rained this morning - a good southern downpour for quite awhile. I hear there is snow awaiting us back in Utah, and although the snow holds a magic of Christmas, I am truly enjoying the wet, warmer weather that reminds me of many good things I love - mostly my family.

We have spent this past week with Mike's family, and it has been so fun. The kids have been playing with cousins or as little Michael calls them, his friends. Tomorrow we'll trek down to Aiken, SC, to spend the next bit with my family. On Sunday, which is also our little Becca's 4th birthday, we'll have all of us kids there except Marianne and Joey. I am excited for that.

This year has been a busy but wonderful one for us. We bought our first home in May and now live in Clearfield, Utah. We have a great new ward and are loving making new friends. I am, of course, still involved with the music in the ward, serving as the ward music chairperson and the organist. The organ is a challenge for me, but I am getting better and usually enjoy it :) Michael is the ward Sunday School President, and is having fun training teachers.

Michael and I are also super busy with our jobs, which are both going well, and we are both very pleased and content with our work situations. I also had the incredible opportunity to be hired as the director of the new Clearfield City Children's Choir, which has been a fun challenge to get started, but is going well. I love working with kids and making music, so I'm just having a blast.

I also began composing music towards the end of last year. In April, I was able to direct a performance of an Easter canata I composed. It was an amazing experience. (I am working on a website with my music. www.shurtleffnotes.com. It will also include music arranged/composed by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. It's still in progress, but let me know if you'd like updates once it's completed.)

The kids are great. Becca is learning to write, and she loves to draw faces. She is sure to include all the details, including eyelashes and cheeks. She's also an avid colorer and living room-dancer. I think Becca is also working on her acting skills, as she can be very sneaky and likes to twist around things we say to work for her interests. She is just full of personality, and we are enjoying watching her grow up.

Michael is an amazing helper and is the best of us all about putting his dishes in the sink when he's done eating. He is also a boy through and through. His favorite toys are matchbox cars, which he frequently carries around the house, sometimes even in is pockets. Second favorite toys are balls. Preferably ones that bounce. He is a very routine-oriented boy. He must sleep with all of his blankets (usually 5 or 6) and has to have his cup of water and particular stuffed animals. When we got here to SC, he had a hard time at first, because he only wanted to sleep in his own bed back home. It is cute to see the nuances of personality in both kids.

Well, I think that's about it for an annual update. Please feel free to browse the rest of the blog. Since returning to work at the office, my blogging has taken a nose dive, but there may be a bit there to read.

Merry Christmas to everyone!
Beth

Lessons from Halloween

When I have to shower in the mornings, I put a 45 lb bucket of wheat in front of the front door and lecture the kids about opening the door. I make sure they understand that if the doorbell rings or if someone knocks, they need to come get me and never open the door themselves.

This morning, as I coached Michael on proper door policy, I asked, "What do you do if someone knocks on the door?" He replied with a giant smile, "Give them candy!"

Holidays, Wal-Mart, Costumes, and Candy

So yesterday was Halloween. Melanie had babysat the evening before so Mike and I could go on a date, and she had gotten the kids all excited for the upcoming holidays. So they were quite excited to get up Halloween morning.

After spending a few morning hours doing some deep cleaning in the house (I can't believe we've been here almost 6 months already and that there is any deep cleaning that needs to be done!), I took the kids to Wal-Mart. Little Michael had a blast. I had the kids in one of those kid-carts that has special seats for two toddlers. If not buckled properly, and usually even if they are buckled properly, children love this because they can easily get in and out of the cart on their own. Michael watched me meticulously for a few minutes of shopping. Then, while I was looking at some juice, he hopped down to do some shopping of his own. When I turned around, he had a box of Capri-Sun drinks that he was hoisting up into the basket. It made me laugh, and I even let him keep them. A few minutes later, I caught him shoving a bag of flour into the cart. I assured him we had plenty of flour at home and put it back on the shelf. And finally, I had to put an end to his shopping spree, when I turned around and found about 10 Kleenex boxes in the cart and more on the way.

After Wal-Mart, we came home for naps. Melanie came up, and then it was time for costumes. Becca got dressed and made up and was super excited. Michael, on the other hand, absolutely refused to wear his costume. He was going to be a knight in shining armor, but ended up just wearing a black turtle neck and slacks. We all tried, but he never would put the costume one.

We went to the church for a chili cook-off and trunk-or-treating. Then when we got home, we took the kids next door to trick-or-treat. Then we came home for the night, relaxed and tried to keep the kids from consuming their candy in one night.

Peaches at Grandma's

Went to Grandma Shurtleff's today and canned peaches for the first time ever. It was really fun, and much less scary than I thought it would be. And now we have yummy peaches for the next year!

We also watched the USC vs UGA game. *sigh*

Life update:

It has been a busy summer, and life is proving eventful and busy as ever. But all is well, and we are healthy and happy.

We took the kids to Disneyland last month. The video is in the last post.

Michael and Becca are growing up so fast. Michael is catching up to Becca in his talking, and it makes for quite the conversation in the house. Becca told me the other day that Daddy and I were going to get married in the temple. I told her we were already married. She said, "Yeah, and I'm going to marry Michael!" So she's half-way there - we just got her to stop thinking she's going to marry Daddy. But it's so cute.

I am getting ready for a couple of exciting things. First, I get to sing in the choir for the general RS meeting at the end of September. We had our first practice last week, and it was amazing - it felt like a singing, grown-up version of girls' camp. Sister Allred was even there - just to be there! So it's fun and exciting. I'm also getting to start and direct a city children's choir for Clearfield City. Here is the chain of events that led to that: Mike volunteered me to sing in Sacrament Meeting for ward conference; a counselor in the stake presidency heard me and told his wife, who is the stake choir director; she invited me to sing in the stake choir; I went to practice and told her about myself and how I enjoy conducting choirs; she told the mayor about me; the mayor talked to me at stake choir (he is the stake organist) and asked me if I'd like to start an auditioned, city, children's choir; I said, "Of, course!" and am now working with the city activities department to get the information out and hold auditions in two weeks! The mayor even bought a new piano for us to practice with :) And he showed up at my house last Sunday just to talk things over. It is really exciting to get to do it, and to get to know the city officials. We are all hoping for Carnegie Hall in a couple of years...

Mike continues to work hard at work and many other projects. He has a long list of things to help friends with on top of our own yard that still has a long way to go. But he is working hard and is sweet to help me around the house, too.

Thought for the week ahead: Sister Allred spoke very briefly at our practice to us, and there were a couple of neat things she said. First, she explained how picky they are about the music they sing at general church meetings. She said they try to pick hymns that are familiar to all who will hear them - and some countries have only a small number of hymns. Hence why we hear the same hymns a lot at General Conference. She also said because they do choose familiar hymns and the Spirit of the music, it is often the only thing that is understood by those in other countries - the meaning of the spoken words may be lost in translation, but the Spirit of the music is felt by all who hear it. She also really encouraged us to up our scripture study and prayer in preparation for Conference, and talked about how Satan will be working extra hard on us in the coming month. I think that is applicable to everyone. So watch out for Satan this month and put up your guard!

Disneyland

I know this is long overdue - but here is a video of us at Disneyland last month. Hope you enjoy it!

Painting Becca's Room

Erin was here visiting a couple of weekends ago, and we painted Becca's room while she was here. Becca took a nap while we painted, but when she woke up, she wanted to help, so here is Becca putting the last finishing touches on her room.














And after she had painted a while, I told her the paint needed to dry. Well, Becca immediately insisted on getting the blow dryer, because she know that's what we need to dry things!