Names, Names, Names

Amy, Ashley or Ashleigh, Abby, Autumn, Amanda, Alexa.
Bailey, Brittany, Bridgette, Brianna, Bree.
Candice or Candy, Carmen, Chloe.
Daisy, Daphne.
Erin, Emily, Ellie, Emma, Elle, Eden.
Fawn, Francie, Fabiana (one of my favorite Italian names).
Gloria.
Hanna, Hillary (I liked this name until you-know-who showed up on the scene), Holly, Heather, Hailey.
Isabelle or Isabella, Ivy.
Josie, Joni, Julie, Janet, Jaynie, Jolie, Jacqueline or Jacquie, Janessa.
Kella, Kelli.
Linda (means pretty in Spanish), Lucy, Lilly, Laura, Lauren.
Millie, Mandy, Michelle, Minnie (saw this recently on a headstone and love it!).
Nancy, Nellie.
Olivia.
Pansy, Paisley, Patty, Pearl (this is my grandmother's name--Moni looked it up and said that Margene also means Pearl--kind of cool).
Quincy?
Randi, Rosie, Rochelle.
Suzanna or Suzie, Shelley, Sadie, Shawnie.
Trisha, Tawynie, Tayna, Tabitha, Teresa, Tami, Tori.
Ursula!
Venice, Veronica, Vanessa, Victoria.
Wilma (I had to put that in here), Wanda, Wendy.
Xanadu, Xena.
Yolanda, Yvonne, Yvette.
Zora, Zoe, Zuki (of course).

Ode to a Name

Okay, this is really in response to Niki's request for baby girl names. But, really, in response to what some of her friends said--I guess I'm still thinking about it! I know, kind of crazy, but I just have to respond.

I have a cousin with my same name, first and last. She was a few years older (3 or 4?) and lived in another town, but I always thought it was cool to have a cousin with the same name. I met up with her at Grandpa's funeral, and she commented to me--I always loved having a cousin with the same name! And this last weekend, I was in Idaho visiting Grandma, and saw her again. She said the same thing, again.

So, to all of you who think you can't use a name because somebody else already has--poo-poo on that silly notion. Use it! If you like a name, use it. There are millions of people out there with your same name (okay, maybe not you sweet Dwynne, but there has to be somebody else with that same name!).

Names mean something to the person giving the name, and then as time goes on, to the person so named. (Way too many "names" in that sentence, sorry.) I always hated my middle name, mainly because I'd never heard it before (Afton), and I had a friend who always called me Sally Afghan. And then there were the people who always came up with, isn't that a town in Wyoming? Did your parents live there or something? Whatever.

Like I said, I never liked that name until I finally came to a reckoning--I knew that my mother had a friend named Afton Nisson and I was named after her. But it never meant much to me until just a few years ago. I was typing my Dad's autobiography and he told the story of Afton. He said that they were living in Bountiful and their neighbors were the Nissons. My mom made a great friend of Afton and evidently they spent a lot of time together. I know Afton was quite a bit older than my mom and she worked alongside my mother doing many things, like canning. Dad mentioned eating ice cream, too (but then ice cream was always a big part of what made my dad happy). I don't remember the whole story, but it finally hit me that Afton was a very important person in my mother's life. I was born a few years later, but she still loved that neighbor enough to want to honor her by giving her new baby a dear friend's name. Wow. I finally got it. I may not even like the name, but that isn't what is important at all. It is special to me because it came from a very special person, so of course I like it.

Sally came from my big brother Ron. He was in the first grade and had a girlfriend named Sally. He was very insistent. Mom thought that maybe someday I wouldn't want to go by Sally, but that I'd want to change to Afton. Well, that's not going to happen, but I am thankful to my mother that she thought enough of me to name be after her sweet friend.

Okay, now for names. I was thinking of the little girls in Primary (as well as others)--Lilly, Kailey, Jessica, Rachel, Emily, Katrina, Cassidy, Cambria, Cierra, Jaelene, Kiana, Shanna, Julia, McKenna, Kelli, Autumn (she's a mom), Paige, Peyton, Sara, Sharolyn, Moira, Kella, Brooklyn, Brianna, Jeni, Erin, Daphne, Amy, Eve.

Hmm, I had more, but now, well, you know how it is. When it comes down to the minute, you just forget!

Music soothes the soul

Simona has been playing in the Granite Youth Symphony, which is a group chosen from all of Granite School District. The kids in this clip are all in Jr. High--7th, 8th and 9th graders.

Mojo has played her clarinet with them for two summers and two school years. During the summer the kids practice very early in the morning for one month, put on a couple of concerts and then go to Lagoon. All that practice makes a huge difference in their playing. She jumped leaps and bounds, or as Grandpa would say, "tooted her horn." During the school year, the kids play one afternoon a week and have a few concerts. Sometimes they get to go places, although that didn't really happen for her. Maybe only the senior group tours. I guess we'll find out next year.

This summer she'll be working at scout camp so she won't be around for those early mornings. Hmmm. Darn.

You can't really see Moni in this shot because the clarinets are buried, but they sound pretty good!

I love hearing my kids play--Taylor plays trombone, valve and slide. Because of the valves, he can also play the baritone and a tuba, and I think something else, but I don't remember. He just had his last concert this week. I got some good pictures of him--perhaps I'll remember to post them!

Dante has been playing a cornet. Next year in Jr. High he'll be so much better--I love when they move from elementary to Jr. High where they have band every day. And the teacher there is really good--she actually teaches music! And--hello--the kids have to practice. Makes such a difference.

Moni also plays the saxophone--tenor. She loves that and wants her own. One of these days perhaps she'll earn enough money! We saw one a week ago that she fell in love with. That didn't help.

Jake keeps changing his mind on what he wants to play. It was drums for a long time, but I think I've talked him into something he can actually carry. So, now he wants a bassoon. Can you carry that??

It's a race!

Oh yea oh yea, it's the great Pinewood Derby! Our boys worked hard and had a blast. Jake came in third place and was very happy with his car. He has a good dad who helped him out. Jake's car was the Punisher--painted sleek black with a a "Punisher" skull. If you don't know who the Punisher is, ask a comic book fan. (Not me--I only know a little bit about him. Corky's the guy.)

If you're wondering why everyone is always looking up in these pictures, it's because the information was projected on the wall. It's a great deal--we have the boys' pictures with their cars, and then we can see who is next in line to race. Below is my comrade-in-arms, Emily. She was the "wrangler" for the upcoming race.

I love being a Cub Scout leader. This is my fourth go-round. I was over the Bears and then the Webelos when Taylor was just 3, so when he turned 8, I knew what was going on. That was nice. I volunteered to be his leader (I told the bishop I had my own shirt and an 8-year old--took them 9 months to get the hint). I was leader for his Bear and Webelos years. And then for the next year I was the Cub Committee Chairman. That was interesting because our ward hadn't had one, and nobody could tell me what I was supposed to do. I did a lot of digging, asking, reading and finally doing. It can be a big job! I liked that calling, but took a break for a year before it was Dante's turn.

Then with Dante, I was Den Leader for his Wolf and Bear dens. He had had enough of me and had a good leader for Webelos, so I stepped out. But here I am again with my baby. Jake turned 8 in August, but there were only about 3 things marked off in his book from August to December, so when I took over in January, we really started working to get things done. We've had a great time. We've been to the fire station, pounded nails in wood, and just this month we have made pine cone bird feeders, pop bottle terrariums, had the pinewood derby and tomorrow we're going on a picnic and will pick up garbage in the park. Part of that will count toward their Outdoor Activity Patch--a great one that they actually get to wear on their uniforms. I love that. Saturday is Scout-o-rama--we are having a booth where the kids will get to paint bug neckerchief slides. I'll take a picture! I'm actually getting good at remembering to take my camera, and then actually take a picture. How about that.

Oh, and next week, well you'll love this--we get to go to the dump. We are learning about recycling and they give tours and will tell us all about it. Being at the dump--could you possibly have a better day?