Here are a couple of books I've been reading. Again. I read these several years ago and decided to start over. They are murder mysteries, involving a caterer--so she gives great recipes--a little romance with a green-eyed cop, a rich friend and a rotten ex-husband.

I read the last of the Twilight books for Moni, Hook for Dante, several books for Jake, and now I decided to read these again, for me. They are fun, easy reading and I like the cooking info.

I finished the Book of Mormon at the first of the year, as well as finished the Illustrated BoM with Dante and Jake, but haven't picked it up again. I know that's terrible, but at least I'm honest. Why do I have such a hard time reading scriptures regularly? Sometimes I get going on one of the books (I almost finished the New Testament and then basically quit), but then I take a huge break. It's not like I can't read scriptures as well as a novel. I've read these books before and am reading them again. I love it when I do read scriptures, but when I get started on a novel, that's all I want to read until I finish. In fact it drives me crazy when I get to the half-way mark--I don't want to do anything until I'm done. But I'm just not that diligent with the books I should be reading.

I've never read the Old Testament all the way through. I know President Kimball did when he was just a kid. I guess that's why he ended up being prophet. I have read the other sets, more than once, but right now I'm just not. I should be a better example to my kids. My big kids read for Seminary, and that's wonderful. I'm glad Seminary motivates them--it's so much better than it was when I went to Seminary. I hated it. We had early morning, old, unenthusiastic teachers and met at the church. I admit I did like it my last year--and yes I am a Seminary graduate, but I didn't want to go when 9th grade started. I wasn't given the choice. Now I'm glad that my parents made me go--I'll never forget the shock on their faces when I informed them that I wasn't planning to attend Seminary. That's what I thought. My dad was up at 6:00 every day, made sure I was, too. He drove me to Seminary. Arlene was diligent--she was up even earlier because she had to be at school at 6:00 for drill team. She was always so good. Another thing for which I admire my big sis. Good thing I didn't have a little sister--she'd have been in trouble, I'm sure. I don't think Arlene ever did anything wrong. But, I digress.

So, I've rambled on. Hmm, where to go from here?

Read a book!

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??