The Adventures of an Aunt Babysitting a Niece.

 The adventures of an Aunt babysitting her lovely niece.
Today Sophia and Aunt Carolyn had a fun babysitting date.  We'll narrate this from the nieces perspective.  :-)
When I first arrived to my Aunts house bright and early Sunday morning after the short walk from my parents house next door, I, as usual, got upset that my parents left me while they went out to take care of business and have lunch afterwards.  I mean most children at least get to have a fun ride to their babysitters house, but since my Aunt lives next door, it's a pretty boring trip, and I had just woke up for the day, so I was craaaanky.  Anyway, I got over being left behind, and woke up a bit, had breakfast, and suddenly become happy to be at Aunt Carolyn's.  I remembered that my Aunt Carolyn has a lot of shoes.  I'm a real girly girl, so I really like that about her.  I found her shoe collection and decided to play shoe store.  I made my Aunt laugh when I told her that she had a lot of stuff and that her house is like a shoe store.  Whew, I'm glad she wasn't mad at me for saying that.

 

I really like to dance.  I don't know why, but every time music comes on I shake a leg, so Aunt Carolyn helped me to use that dance energy and enthusiasm up with productivity.  At first, it wasn't as fun as just shaking a leg whenever I wanted, but then I realized she was teaching me a really cool way to dance and I loved it.  She taught me several basic tap dance steps.  My favorite is the stamp step.  I cannot wait to get my tap shoes soon to tap for real with Aunt Carolyn.  We started off by stretching. Aunt Carolyn told me that I had really good stretching posture.  I danced and danced until I got a little tired, and I didn't want to admit it, but Aunt Carolyn seemed to know anyway.

After we tap danced I asked Aunt Carolyn if we could cool down with a game of pool.  I really should have taken a nap, and my Aunt tried to suggest it, but I don't want her to think I'm a baby, and naps are for babies you know.  I respectfully told her I didn't want to take a nap, so she let me play pool. 

 My Aunt's little pool table isn't fancy enough to roll the balls automatically to the end, so you have to use your hands to pull them out of each hole, so I crawled under the pool table and retrieved the balls by holstering them up onto the table.  I can't reach the top of the table by standing on the bean bag chair I use to play on to reach the table...too dangerous, but this works fine..

After a short gave of pool, Aunt Carolyn fed me some lunch as well as herself around noon.  I decided that my stuffed animals and dolls were probably hungry too, so I brought then to the table as well.  My Aunt looked at me like I was nuts, but they are my friends you know.  Give a 2 year a break.  :)  One of my dolls fell as shown in the video below, and I told Aunt Carolyn that she fell because she did not want to get up in the morning.  I was thinking that's how I feel in the morning, but I'm not sure if my Aunt got that or not.  I also randomly told her about potatoes and constipation.  She just laughed at me.  She didn't know what I was talking about.  Daddy told Aunt Carolyn that I could have ice cream as long as I was a good girl, so she gave me some.  It was triple chocolate truffle.  Yummy!!!!  Aunt keeps this in the house just for me since she is lactose intolerant and doesn't eat sugar.

 I then picked up the doll who "fell on the floor"  and told my Aunt it was okay now in the chair, so all is well.

Then, it was time to walk in Aunt Carolyn's shoes.  I'm a big kid now.  My Aunt had this really old and ugly pair of shoes and I told her to "take them off", but when she said those are her house work shoes, I told her these exact words; "This shoe has gotten old.  We have to dye them"  I don't know why, but when I said this my Aunt laughed at me.  I was being serious.  Oh well.  You cannot win them all.

Thought you might want to see her ugly and old shoes.

While my Aunt was busy doing something in the kitchen I played in her karaoke corner in the fun room.  I am so happy my Aunt has a fun room in her house.  Who needs an amusement park.  So fun!

Its not easy being cheesy!  It is great to have a cheesy Aunt.  She taught me that being cheesy is better than being corny, because corn does not digest as easy.  LOL

I told my Aunt totally randomly that "I use to know, but now I'm lost."  She told me that sounds like I've heard the song Amazing Grace somewhere, only I said it backwards, and she started laughing again.  I was like okay, I thought I was being profound.

Aunt tricked me into playing nap time for a bit of time before I caught on that she just really wanted a nap, and then we played some more, and before I knew it Daddy and Mommy were back to take me home.  Aunt Carolyn has to babysit me again in one week while my parents are at ladies night, so I'm looking forward to that.  I hope Aunt Carolyn will be ready for me because ready or not here I come again in one week!
THE END

 



Thanksgiving!

 

Our Thanksgiving toast was being thankful for our lives now and especially for an even brighter future to come.

I personally reflected on the many blessings in my life.  All trials and tests aside though those are blessings too, I have been super blessed in life so far.  Everything good that is in my life is definitely not because of me, but a much higher power.  I'm grateful and need to step it up a lot in gratitude to live up to my life expectations.  Cheers to a brighter future!

Thanks to my brother and sister in law for a lovely Thanksgiving dinner.



 

Sophia took the below pc of Deepika.  Natural toddler photographer.

 



 

 I tried a new jazzier green bean casserole with everything in it made from scratch.

Turned out so much yummier, I thought anyway, than the traditional.

Recipe is posted on my recipe blog:  http://culinaryelegance.blogspot.com/2016/11/jazzed-up-green-bean-casserole.html

Cheers!



FULL SONG FINALLY!!!

FINALLY here is the full song, play time 4:17 minutes, to Chopin's Waltz Opus 69 No 1.  I have NOT been practicing, but this past week one night could not sleep, and went ahead and finished learning and memorizing the entire piece.  It only took about 2 hours...not too complicated and it is not perfect, but a start to get me back into the swing of things when piano lessons start hard core in January to learning the song with the sheet music and then memorizing it during that same time and playing it from memory without the sheet music.  I'm no expert, just a student in training hoping to get much better.  Piano really helps develop discipline in character.  No practice, no play.  :)  Piano also shows the players personality good or bad....I tend to be a quick person, and I played this rather rapidly....if I was playing in a recital before an audience I would try to slow it down.  Enjoy, hopefully!  Once January comes, I will start posting on my YouTube channel new songs that my instructor will be teaching me for your enjoyment if you want to listen.  Its going to be an intense thriller ride, but I should be able to keep up with practice and discipline.

A Fav Quote

Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.  --Scott Adams

Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/scottadams393470.html?src=t_fix

Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet. Scott Adams
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fix.html

Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet. Scott Adams
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fix.html

Post FOT Get Together - Extended Family Fun!

 

 \My brother and sister in law hosted a nice post FOT party in their home.  It was great to get together with extended family as a nice weekend break from the daily hustle and bustle of "life cramming" for a bright future.  ;)

ABOVE:  I really like this pic of Tonya and Ariel.  So happy to have Ariel back at HQ with her new hubs Jessie! As always, they both still classically rock!

BELOW:  Sophia loving the attention from Tonya..  Tonya is really great with children.

 BELOW:  The Rouzer's and Jessie.

 BELOW:  Sophia gave Aunt Carolyn a big ole smile!

 ABOVE:  Mary is now enjoying the attention from Tonya. 

BELOW:  Sophia with her Mommy

 AB|OVE:  Sophia taking up the whole couch

BELOW:  Melinda smiles

 BELOW:  Conner and my brother.

I took a picture of Mr. Heyer and Harley who were also in attendance, but the picture came out super blurry.  ;(  I thought I had the camera in focus, but apparently I was wrong.  So sad I didn't get a good pic of them. ;-(

Now, back to the character building daily until another break arises.  ;)

2016 Serving at HQ Journal!

I usually keep a FOT journal every year, and this year decided to still keep one even though my feast will be more of a service one which is the best!  Keeps it busy and fun.  ...so here is how life is when you're serving at HQ during the feast from my life's point of view!

ABOVE:  empty parking lot!

Thursday, October 12, 2016

The office was so quiet on this day.  Most HQers were either already gone, or using this day to travel out of town.  It was so quiet I was sad and the stillness nearly drove me nuts.  Eerie is a good word to describe the empty feeling of this day.  :-(  :-)  I was feeling a bit icky on this day too, but I survived and tried to enjoy the peace and calm as best as I could.  I never know how much I actually like the busy life until it's gone.

ABOVE:  Friday had a few more cars in the parking lot.  By this time....people had come into HQ some.  Not so empty anymore.

Friday was a different story all together!  BUSY, BUSY, BUSY......woke up super early to get my house ready for my Aunt who would be staying at my place during the festival, and I wanted it to be FOT quality for her....it is one thing when house guests come in at a different time, but you want it to be super nice feast time as that is their feast accomodation.....so that was wild....then went into the office, and totally the opposite of the previous day.  HECTIC and BUSY was the word of the day....MANY, MANY.emails coming in to answer, phones ringing, running around the office like a chicken with its head cut off because Jason C. had headed out town this day...he is like the backbone of it all.  Yeah, that is no exaggeration.  The ironic thing, I loved it!  I like busy times.  With God's help, Friday was a success!

BELOW:  Friday also marked the day of the first feast gift that I was blessed to receive from Ms. Vejil!  Awww, how sweet of her!  I've gotten kind of bad about getting people gifts, so this was a reminder to do better.  It's a physical thing, but it's the thought behind gifts that really counts. I didn't get a pic of it, but later on during the feast the Wakelin's also gave me a lovely feast gift from South Africa that is authentic. I really like it. Thanks!

Friday night my Aunt arrived.  Dad went and picked her up.  She is a little camera shy but.....

 ...a niece always has a special place in her Aunt's heart, so she agreed to show her face.  ;-)

The next day on Saturday was busy....most of the Edmondites were gone, and the FOTers had arrived.  The business office staff for the feast this year in Edmond is blessed with great leadership.  Mr. Defee and Mr. M. Szabo.  Their family including their kids and myself handed out the new and updated literature for this years FOT.  It was so fun doing it as a team.  I don't think I've ever seen such a long line to the coat check room, but it was a success.  We worked in assembly line form.  Extended family fun is what I'd call it.  It was great how the kids helped too!

Below are pics of the Defee family and the Szabo's in action that day.

The proper word to describe Sunday is wild, very wild, but in a controlled manner.  Busiest day of the FOT career by far!  Wow!  Sunday morning.....woke up super early and headed to the office to print off some things, then went to department head meeting at the auditorium, then had a small meeting with the lovely two ladies working under me this FOT....Mrs. Karen Trowbridge and Charity Trowbridge!  They are great ladies and super smart and helpful!....then helped get organized in the business office to make it functional, then had the fun four hour choir practice that turned more into a 3.5 hour practice thanks to great directing, then ran and checked into my hotel, then ran back and worked more in the business office before services, then ran on stage for choir.....I hated it....felt like I did an unnecssary holy walk....everone else was already on stage, but I had to wait until the business office shut down, and on opening night, the choir pretty much sings special music right after the hymns, so I had no choice.  Horrible, and people saw me b/c a few friends commented, but the good news is that I made it...then services....aweome to hear it live unexpectedly instead of the DVD...that was a treat...and then....back to the business office for about 30 minutes, and then FINALLY to the hotel for sleep.  If you are thinking that I forgot to put when I ate in this summary, it is because I didn't have time to eat all day....but that is how it goes....and to be honest, I didn't mind.  It was nice to be able to help, and the positive is that I didn't gain any weight.  There is always a positive point of view to things.  :0-)

Below are pics of that busy Sunday....with cars in the parking lot for the meetings and the emptiness of the Hall of Ad since the business office shifted to the auditorium during the FOT.

 Emma, Nicole, and I took a pic right before the feast dept meeting started.  Love my girlies!  One of the saddest times of year for me is AC grad when they move on, but it's all for the best.  So proud of them!  There are some great parents out there for sure!

My hotel accommodations.  It's not like the Hilton, but for where I"m at, it works well.  I'm typically only at the hotel to sleep anyway.

The two lovely Trowbridge announcement business office staff ladies.   I couldn't have better help probably!  Mother and Daughter.  I love the family theme! 

Oh, I should mention that I dropped my iPad on my big toe...bruised my toe....still hurts as I type this nearly one week later....yeah seriously it really hurts....pretty much wearing open toed shoes when I can.....and cracked the screen on my iPad. A few people thought I was joking until they saw my screen....I did a good job of cracking it.  I plan to hit Dan. A. up when he returns if he is willing to fix it.  AKA....genius who can fix iPad problems.  My brother is the PC genius and Dan A. is the Apple one.  It's great to know them, but for their character really.  ;-)  Two great guys with smarts on them as an extra bonus!\\

One of my regrets from this day is forgetting to put the do not disturb sign on my hotel room door...I dislike the fact that the maids came in and cleaned on the 1st HD. Totally forgot about that!  Oops!

Ms. Seward helped with the extra ticket sales.  Love the new system this year of selling them all at one time.  It rocks and so does she!

 Business office fun pics!  It's a lot of work and is a sacrifice to fellowship time, but it is so worth it!  Fair trade.  I had forgotten how enjoyable it is.  You have to stay focused at all times prepared to answer whatever questions hit you, but that is kind of my job throughout the year anyway, so it's not that stressful and I've done this kind of thing at the feasts before.  I'm happy that God gave me another opportunity with this.  That is what is all about anyway.  This feast I've been thinking on God's blessings and how I need to really step it up more.  ...so undeserving, and I sincerely mean that, but very appreciative!  Still a lot of overcoming to do, but grateful for God's patience and direction and blessings where you get to serve with wonderful people.

 I am so happy to have Mr. Burns here as the F.E.  He is wonderful!

 The lovely Mrs. Defee

 My daily morning routine of logging onto the computer to check emails, feast folders, type up announcements, forms, printing feast greetings from the F.E....etc.  

My mom made it to services on Day 2 of the FOT!  Her first time out since she fell ill.  It was a big shocker!  I think Dad was super happy!

I had to take my new Jeep to the car dealership that I bought it from to get something put the back lights that they had ordered two weeks prior.  Good thing I was in town....I just popped down there, and they had put in on in about 10 minutes.  I think God worked that out for me....they told me it would take an hour, but something made them push my vehicle to the front of the line.  I think it was a FOT blessing.  ;-)

Oh, I forgot....going back to Day 1....after services we had the singles mixer.  I was soooo tired at this point that I don't remember much except taking these photos and finding a nice comfy chair and practically falling asleep in it, but everyone said they had fun.  Don't worry, there weren't any guys there that I could date, not that that is why you go.....but anyway...so my falling asleep episode didn't hurt me at all...and I needed the rest!  :-)!  I am generally not a shy person as most people know in that way anyway, but I was just too tired to serve in fellowship that night which is the whole point.  Trust me, I did everyone a favor by just chilling out.  Thanks to Jason C. for arranging this at swanky Boulevard Steakhouse!  Great place for royalty. Even the sleepy royalty!

 All of these lovely ladies.  Little sisters!  They are all so beautiful inside and out!

 I have to give a shout out to Cory.  He is such a young gentleman.  Neat little brother!

 This gals first FOT ever and first year of AC too.  Big year for her, and she is soooo friendly and sweet!

 On Day 3 we had the Singles activity.  I really like how they split the singles into two groups...the younger singles age 18-40 and the older ones, age 41 and up.  The older singles went to a swanky restaurant while us younger singles went to Paint your Art Out which is the one I obviously went to.  Happy to still be considered a younger single for a few more years anyway. |-) I have been wanting to do this on my own, so I was so happy to get to share the experience with fellow singles and paint.  I don't think I'm gifted in painting like my mom, but a few friends said that I have more talent than I give myself credit for, but that is what friends are for....to cheer you on.  It was soooo fun and so unifying!  Here are some pics!

These two pics were taken by our Singles leader this year, Paul S.  Thanks for the pics bro!



 Jesse was feeling good with all of the food in front of him!  We had a lovely BBQ meal before we begin to paint with a glass of wine for those over 21...then the instructor walked us through the painting step by step.  So fun for the art lovers!

 Added the CC "jane hancock" at the end!

 Day 4 was Family Day!  Food Trucks on campus!  So fun!

 Spent some time with the lovely Hester's and of course my dad!  When your parents get older you begin to wonder how many more Family Days you will have together, so I treasured it though I know it is a really bright forever future ahead, but you know what I mean....for right now anyway!

 Callie C, just a lovely young lady joined us!  Sweet gal!

 Spending time with the Browns!  Lifelong friends!...literally!

 More business office work and fun with Mr. Cocomise!  He's our wonderful assistant F.E.t!

 Day 5...Mom made it to services again with my Dad!  Such joy that brought!

 Loooong time, since we were teens, friend Paul S. took Charity and I out to eat.  So sweet of him!  Thanks Paul!  What a great and thoughtful brother!  Charity was a camper in my dorm back when I was counselor so it is great to reconnect with the old friends.  To friendship on into eternity!  That's what I'm talking about.  ;-)

 Campus Tours!   So the new Music and Dance building was probably the hit, but quite a few showed up for the Hall of Ad tour.  It was fun giving it.  I love shooting pics of tourist in the classroom.  That way they get to sit where the students have sat and know where their online classes have been broadcasted from in the past if they have taken any..

 ...and a BIG thank to Mr. Turgeon for loaning us the key to his office while he is gone so that the people could see it.  They loved it.  We took a group shot there for him as a thank you and the people will love it as a memory too I'm sure.  Great group!  It was a real blessing to be able to give it!  That is something that I know I can take for granted, but being able to show people around God's property for now is really a blessing and seeing how they take it in makes me realize that I can take that blessing for granted.

 ...and the last HoA tour pic was taken in the conference room.  Little buddy posing in Mr. Armstrong's old chair!  Great day!

INTERMISSION!
My bro and sis in law are somewhere out of the country...won\t say where online.....too many nutcases out there....but sent this pic of my niece wearing sunglasses that mom and I bought her.  Cool niece!  Miss her!  Can't wait to see all of their adventure pics!

 Back to where I'm at........Day 6 through the LGD to come....To be continued.........

Day 6...a fun gals sleepover.  Totally truly love these gals.  They are special jewel princesses.  They have great parents and it shows in these jewels.  We went out to eat, then shoe shopping, then to the grocery store to pick out a fun dessert, and then back to the hotel for more fun.  Here are a few memory highlights for the girls and others.  Great little sisters!

Day 7 - visited with family but didn't manage to take any photos and I won't bore you with my what I did without photos for your enjoyment!

LGD!!!---The DeFee took me out to lunch!  THANK YOU!  This was my first year getting to actually know them.  They are a beautiful family who set a lovely example for many!  So happy for the opportunity to know them better!  Just a great strong, loving, and solid family!

 For LGD dinner, Debs and her son Alexander wanted to go out to eat so that is what we did!  Love this lady and her son!
Twas a great FOT and LGD...busy and a working one for me, but the best time truly are when you are serving so it was great.  Thanks to all those who gave me gifts and cards too.  Wow, I loved them all!  What a blessed gal I am with such great friends.  Thank you!!!