Let it Snow!

Sorry I left you all hangin' there...yes we did make it out of Portland the next night! We got in to Spokane pretty late Friday night... so late that I have spent the last few days recuperating and haven't been able to blog until now. On Friday it was snowing in Portland, which I hear is pretty unusual. Trying to stay out of the storm, we spent Friday chillin' at the hotel until check out time and then since we were homeless until our late flight, we moved in at IKEA for the rest of the day. We ate lunch and dinner there, along with sitting on one of the display couches for over an hour while Lucy napped in my arms. We pretended like we were watching a really great movie and counted how many people would be brave enough to walk in front of the T.V. to see the rest of the display. I can't believe they didn't kick us out, so I am now a totally devoted customer.

Our 9:10 p.m. flight was delayed a little while and baggage was an absolute mess, so we finally arrived at Dave's house around 1:00 a.m. Lucy slept in the car, but woke up immediately when she heard the dogs barking. I thought she would be wasted after all the travelling, but there was no chance of sleep with dogs around. I don't know if I have ever seen her quite that thrilled before. I finally made her say goodnight to the doggies, despite her intense protesting, at 2:00 a.m. The next morning, bright and early with only about 5 hours under her belt, she went straight to the door and started barking because she wanted to see the doggies again. What a crack up! It's been nothing, but true love around here since!

Well, there's been nothing but snow here in Spokane and I am loving every minute of it! So much fun when you don't have to live in it! Added bonus: my first time in below zero weather! I love breaking my own records...kinda lame...but it thrills me! Oh, and Lucy's first sledding experience...down dave's driveway...on some kind of a tub lid...she loved it! (No it wasn't during the below zero stretch, I am not that crazy of a Mom!)







Anyway, that's our cute little sledding gal!


This one we took for the beautiful scenary behind us. This is right in front of Dave's driveway...how beautiful is that!

The snow has been crazy here. They got something like 30 inches in 24 hours (that was the night we were supposed to fly in). Looks like I am finally going to get my first white Christmas, this being my third Christmas here it's about time! To show how high the snow is in front of Dave's house, compare Lucy with the snow birm in front of Dave's yard:
And to end a perfect snow experience we found out that snowflakes are real! They are not some myth and they are not some thing you have to have a microscope to see and they really are all completely different. The way the snow was falling there were gorgeous snowflakes everywhere (and I can't take the credit for these last two beautfiul pictures...the true photographer in our family, Dave, took these)
This was a tree in Dave's yard. I think it is the most perfect snowflake picture I have ever seen, but then again I am in love with the photographer! Please don't steal our perfect picture and enter it in a photography contest... okay as long as we get the money I don't really care!

Touching Scenes from Every Day Life

Guess where I am posting from right now? Okay, stop guessing already because you never will! I am in Portland staying the night in a swankified (in other words "cheapest one we could find") hotel. To be honest, it was kind of a long day, but it was strangely not that bad. I only cried once, and it wasn't even because of the long miserable sequence of events that transpired (don't worry, I'll tell the details, but I got to build up to it!). Actually, a few minutes ago I was wondering why it wasn't that bad and then I realized it wasn't because my somewhat moody disposition had become suddenly unconquerably optimistic, it was because of Lucy. She was the most optimistic 15 month old there ever was today! She was sooooooo good I can't even explain it! Sure she had her fidgety moments like when she wouldn't stop kicking the seat in front of us on the airplane (sorry to the guy sitting in front of us whoever you are. I tried!), but she was mostly all giggles and sweetness. For waking up at 5:00 a.m. and only taking one 45 minute nap in my arms the entire day, she was the happiest kid you could ever imagine all day. She was stealing glances and sweet smiles from over half the people in the airport because she was running around and skipping and then would get this little bashful look on her face and say, "hi." She kept me smiling all day. One kind man complimented me on my Mom skills (basically he just said he had been watching me and Lucy and could tell I was a good mother and I totally let it get to my head!) and I couldn't fully explain to him that I wasn't always this composed during trying times, and I sometimes get quite frustrated when chasing my little angel around, but Lucy was being as good as she possibly could.

So enough build up already, I will give you the story now that you are completely sucked in! We were supposed to leave for Spokane from San Diego this morning at 6:45 a.m. We barely missed our flight. We weren't that late, but the check in line was unbelievably long. It wound around the entire airport! Too long for my "cut it close" style and so now I guess we will have to go overly early for the rest of our lives, like Dave always wanted to do in the first place. We ended up hanging for a while and then flying standby to Portland, where we tried to fly standby to Spokane, but all the flights were cancelled due to the most humongous storm ever! To make a long story short (and those of you who have kids totally know this really was the short story... 10 hours in an airport or on an airplane with kids is just, well, a long story) hopefully we will be in Spokane sooner than later!

In the midst of my airport wanderings I witnessed a very touching scene that, as I mentioned earlier, brought me to tears. I don't know if it will have the same affect on you, but I thought it was worth sharing with all of you. While in line at the women's restroom, the lady ahead of me exclaimed under her breath to me "Is that a man in the women's restroom? He shouldn't be in here." I looked up to find that her statement was true, but it was completely different than what I expected to find. A sweet, feeble old man was helping his very disabled wife from her wheelchair into the handicapped stall. I responded to the women in line "Oh, well it looks like he is helping someone, so I am sure it's okay." She rudely answered "I don't think he should be doing that. I am sure they could have found someone to assist her. That is just wrong." I stumbled over my words and never really answered her, which is my common response when I feel strongly about something that involves my emotions. I wanted to say something to her, whether it be "Hey lady, lay off" or " well I hope my husband would care enough about me and not what other people think, to do the same thing for me someday." I wouldn't want to ask random airport people to help me go to the bathroom. He was old and feeble and rested in her wheelchair while she used the restroom. What a touching scene. I know some people might think it was wrong like the lady I talked to, but I felt like it was very chivalrous to put your wife above all else. I came out of the bathroom in tears thinking about how sweet that man was. I wanted to say something to him, to compliment him somehow, but that would have been kind of awkward. I was crying because of his sweetness, but also because of how judgmental some people can be. I just didn't understand how anyone could accuse such an act of kindness (that is a little hypocritical... I am judging someone for being judgmental, ha ha). I laughed at myself as tears gushed down my cheeks while trying to explain to Dave that I was crying because there was a Man in the Restroom. Anyway, I guess the moral is that it is all in your perspective. Everyday occurrences can be beautiful eye opening experiences and long airport journey's can be somewhat enjoyable. All we really have is the moment we are living, so why waste it being miserable when things don't go as planned or criticizing people for things that really don't matter or affect us at all? There is beauty all around... in the faces we see every morning and those we only see for one fleeting moment our entire life. There is a story behind every face you meet and rest assured that if you knew that story you would love them, so why not love them anyway?

I am in no way saying I am perfect or have this down (as I just mentioned, come on I judge people for judging for crying out loud!), but for today at least, this is the message ringing in my heart. Let us Love one Another this Christmas season as our gift to humankind in honor of Christ's birth. As we are so often asked the question at Christmas time "What do you want for Christmas?" let us Love one Another, which is surely how Christ would respond to this timeless question.

Christmas Cheer

It seems to me that I haven't put enough Christmas Cheer up on the blog lately, so why not have a photo shoot at the tree lot? Actually, we took all these tree pictures a week and a half ago, but I kind of checked out of the blog world the last two weeks while practicing for the play my family was doing, "Annie." I played the Police Officer (it sounds weird, but just picture a tough New York woman cop from the 30's. Doesn't make sense, but turned out great. When the video goes up on U-tube I will post) as well as a Servant (no pictures in my sweet cop getup! Sorry, camera ran out of batteries!)Sierra played Lily (Rooster's dumb blond girlfriend. She is absolutely hilarious and I can't picture anyone playing the role better) and my Dad played President F.D.R. himself (and yes he shaved his beard off)! Good times! Unfortunately as I mentioned in the last post, Lucy wasn't in the show. We were planning on it, but the directors seemed stressed toward opening night and I thought coordinating a dance number, including parts where we were supposed to freeze, with a 15 month old would have put undue stress on them, so we opted Lucy out! It was fun anyway, just to get out of the house and on the stage again (we practiced at least 4 hours every day last week), while Dave played Mr. Mom with Lucy, but I kind of had Lucy withdrawals being away from her every day and now we are stuck like glue (really she won't leave my side!)

Anyway, nothing like a good family trip to the Christmas Tree lot.

Gorgeous sunset, huh? We were trying desperately to get Lucy to smile and keep her elf hat on at the same time, an impossible feat as you can see! She hates hats and cute hair bows and her days of endless posing for photo shoots are definitely out the door! After about 10 seconds of posing she is on the run, so I just take what I can get these days! Luckily Sierra and Heidi like posing, so I can still take pictures of someone!

Welcome to our family photo shoot...here is what Lucy thinks of it:

"If you think I am going to smile with this stupid elf hat on your kidding yourself!""Seriously guys...take this thing off" "Wow, Heidi and Sierra really are funny. Ha ha Mom, trying to put my hat back on...your too slow and you missed my only smile!"

And that is the end of our awesome family photo shoot!

Lucy really loves playing with Grandpa Bob. If you don't know him you can't possibly imagine how much fun he is. She used to love going to him, but after he cut his beard off for the show, she isn't so sure. The first time he came home with it off, she heard him and started running toward the front door. When she saw him she ran away from him, crying, toward me. After 5 days now, she is starting to accept that he is still the same person, but she still exercises caution.

Well, just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! My address book is in the process of being shipped across the world in a box right now, so I am not going to get to the Christmas cards this year... this will have to do! Love you all!

Beauty and the Beast

My Sister and Father starred in "Beauty and the Beast" the last couple weeks as Belle and Maurice. They are both incredible actors with even more beautiful singing voices! I posted a few videos of the performance for your enjoyment at the bottom of this post, if you would rather just scroll through the pictures and watch videos, not that me blabbing about Lucy's every mortal experience isn't thrilling! They are so talented and very worth watching!

Lucy and I watched 5 of the 6 shows they performed! Wow! Lucy even made it through one full show (because she still had jet lag she slept half the time, which is very unlike her during an exciting event). The other 4 shows she made it through most of the first halves, but couldn't resist getting up and dancing in the isle for the second halves, so we migrated to the lobby.

During a rehearsal Lucy got to go on stage with her Grandpa and loved it, so she was confused why she couldn't go up during the real show. When Grandpa would come on stage she would put her arms out to try to go to him and then try to get down and go up to the stage herself. I guess you are never too young to get the theater bug, in fact Lucy has been invited to perform with me, my father and sister in "Annie" next week. I am going to be a tourist in New York with my baby, pointing everything out to her. The director is a little worried about Lucy upstaging the singers, but I can't blame anyone for wanting to look at her! I couldn't be more thrilled to perform with Lucy in her Theater Debut!

While at the shows we taught Lucy that the Beast was scary, and now whenever we talk about it she puts the most dramatic look on her face and pats her chest to sign "Scary." Although the show was over two weeks ago, Lucy still wants me to read her "Beauty and the Beast" book to her. As we read it she signs "scary" for the beast, "grandpa" for Maurice, says "Burg" for "Burger" when she sees Belle (it's a ridiculous and long story why she calls her Aunt Sierra "Burger") and when the beast changes to a prince she has to give the page a kiss (she just started doing that one on her own and I wonder if she thought of it herself or if one of my sister's taught it to her to be funny!).

Here's is my Dad showing some of his fans what Lucy thinks of the Beast. Sometimes she gets it mixed up and does the scary sign when we talk about Grandpa. I believe Lucy says "Scary" whenever there is anything dramatic!

Here is the whole Poppleton Gang after one of the shows (minus Brian who is stranded on a deserted island with incredible surfing waves! Poor Boy!) As you can see, my Dad is a little outnumbered these days!

I bet you wish you were there to see the show now, huh? Well, next best thing...watch the video!


Here is the Father/Daughter song Belle and Maurice sing together called "No Matter What" They are adorable! I completely teared up while watching them sing this. Both so talented and having way too much fun playing this kind of a role together (I will admit, I am soooooooo jealous Sierra got to do this with our Dad! This would have been my absolute dream come true to perform this with him!):

(Before watching scroll down to the "Prop 8" post and hit pause on the video. Sorry it's so annoying that it automatically plays! I will work on fixing it!)

Hungry for more? I know, it's pretty good! If you didn't get enough, here is Sierra performing my favorite song "Home":

So proud to be related to her!

If you still can't get enough here is one more clip of when Maurice enters the castle and meets the Beast:



If you absolutely love watching my family perform you can find some of their previous roles by searching "bpoppleton" on Youtube. We have put everything from my Dad playing Fagin in "Oliver Twist" singing "You've gotta pick a pocket or two" (which is by far the best character he has ever played), Sierra in "Sound of Music," and my Dad playing FDR in "Annie" last year.

I love my family and am so glad I grew up on the stage! It couldn't be more fun and I am excited to be on the stage again next week after almost 7 years (I did audition for one show at BYU, but that is a seriously talent overcrowded University and I gave up on ever making it on the stage there a long time ago)! Now if we can somehow get Dave on stage...hehehe

JOY

Joy, in the most full way it can be expressed! And I have to add Hallelujah since it is the Christmas Season! It's official, Dave bought his flights and everything! He is coming home on Saturday, much sooner than I had anticipated! I can almost feel my heart becoming whole again already! That will put our record at 31 days apart and will hopefully never be broken again! I feel like breaking into a chorus of "All I want for Christmas is You," but luckily since I have no one here to videotape me at the moment (although I'm sure Lucy would happily try her best with the ever so coveted video camera) you have been spared. So I will end by shouting one last "JOY."