Kim and Sami at the Fair

Dancing with Brady

Fair Pictures

Fair Pictures!

News Flash all Jon Schmidt Fans!! ( if your not one yet.......hold on, you are going to become one!)

You are going to love this experience!!
Breathtakingly amazing! now, this is what music should be: captivating and beautiful!
I have inserted a copy of the email I received just today so if your following my blog you are first in line!!

By the way Jon is coming to Brigham City on Peach Days September 12th at 7:00pm and we are hoping this song in on his list to PLAY!! Don't miss this amazing concert!!

LOVE STORY MEETS LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift Remix):
THE AMAZING STORY BEHIND THE NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO
Thinking clearances were properly handled with Love Story meets Viva la Vida, we were later dismayed to discover when you create a mash-up you need personal permissions from songwriters before it can be sold. Let's just say, getting in touch with rock stars has been harder than it sounds. There still remains the possibility of perhaps having to take the original video down. It has been gut wrenching, to say the least.

As a consolation to everyone, I desperately wanted to create an awesome new arrangement of just "Love Story," to which we could make a new video (permissions were easy on this one, by the way). Unlikely as it seemed, I hoped people would like it just as much.

I guess I'll find out today.

All I can say is I have never felt so helped with a song as I have with this one: the ideas that came out of the blue; the way the film editing came together; and how sound engineer Jake Bowen assembled Steven Sharp Nelson's amazing cello brainstorms into something that made me weak at the knees. I could not be more thrilled!

For those interested, the minus track to Love Story meets Love Story will be available next week. Regarding sheet music, we should be able to secure permission fairly quickly. Watch the website for new developments.

"I am always doing things I can't do-that's how I get to do them." Pablo Picasso

Picasso's quotes have always been some of my favorites. You can quickly see why he was such an innovative artist -he saw everything in a unique way, in a fresh frame, in a new light.

Here is another of my Picasso favorites:

"My mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you'll be a general; if you become a monk, you'll end up as the pope.' Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso."

Both quotes share a common thread. Picasso was pushing past what others "expected" of him. Picasso was true to himself, versus the many voices that no doubt clouded his world.


Monday, I started back to school after 23 years of not having formal education!! This quote, put a spark under me. I have always wanted to be a nurse, yet for the past five years or so I adopted a saying " I am not good at math, I can't do it"! Now I say it differently, " I am going to do math........ and that is how I will become good at it!!

Have you ever made a list of things you can't do? What if you were to listen to yourself? What would you hear? Take five minutes today and listen. Then tomorrow, follow through on at least one thing you heard during your self-reflection. (Want to really revolutionize your life? Do this exercise weekly, if not daily.)

Go Wild Cats!!

85 days of summer -----random pictures keep going post at the bottom!

OH, what do you do in the summer time when all the world is GREEN?



This post is all about the fun that happen in summer of 2009
What a summer! We have all been very busy and happy this summer.......yet we have all been on our own adventures!!

Alex had the opportunity to go to Mexico with his best friend and his family. He had a great time experiencing the culture, climate, food and fun in Mexico! He traveled about 32 hours round trip!! Alex, John and I also spent 5 days in Cedar City at the Summer games. Alex spent another 3 days in Cedar City at a Leadership Conference preparing him for him upcoming term and student body officer for Box Elder High. He also spent a week on a high adventure TREK!! And survived!! He spent a couple days in Bear Lake with Friends, more soccer tournaments and enjoying some free tickets to the REAL soccer games.......he also spent a week at the BYU soccer camp were he improved on his skills as a soccer player. Alex has been very busy with his job as our main technician with Eliminators Pest Control a family owned and operated business!!

Alysa has spent the summer working up to manager at the Yogurt Factory!! As well as having a fun summer attending BYU Idaho EFY, She was the youth leader for our STAKE trek, it was quite the adventure!! She also has spent a lot of time with friends (boys) and had her last week at girls camp!
Kasey spent a long weekend in Yellowstone with s bunch of friends for his birthday, and another long weekend in Oregon with Brady and a friend. Kasey works with John in the carpet business and is currently looking for more work!!

Brady has truly lived up to his name as MR. Adventure!! I believe he had a list a mile long to accomplish this summer and has gone 180 miles and hour to accomplish it!! Brady also works long hours for the mosquito abatement company to fund his adventures and college!! He went backpacking in the Unitas, camping in yellowstone, backpacking in the grand canyon, weekend trip to Oregon, and so many things I don't even now about!!!
It has been a fun summer watching my children grow into young adults and enjoying life with family and friends. They are full of adventure and living life to the fullest!!

So as you can see we didn't have much of a "family vacation" with everyone going so many different direction. John and I have had a lot more together time than we have had in 20 plus years! WE have been bike riding together had a couple weekend getaways and enjoyed setting on the deck star gazing together!! WE also have enjoyed concerts in the park and Music in the Mountains.,........and discovering romance and life after the kids are grown!!

Summer is coming to a close and as always I hate to see it end..............good thing fall fun is just around the corner!!

""Our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, as in being able to remake ourselves. "
Mohandas K. Gandhi

I love the simple wisdom in this quote by Gandhi. Many times we try to remake the external world around us, forgetting that the place we have the most influence is in our own lives. Frustration comes from trying to change the external; greatness comes from remaking ourselves, our attitudes and our reactions.