With a peep peep here and a peep peep there . . .

Did you know that Paul always has to have a project he's working on? Did you further know that he loves to try new things and is incredibly successful at almost anything he does try?

He decided awhile back he wanted to hatch some chicks. A few weeks ago he borrowed an incubator and we collected eggs for a few days. 21 days later . . . TA-DAH!

What follows is what we woke up to yesterday. It took about an hour for this little guy to hatch. As of this post we have 5 little chicks and about 12 more that will be hatching today.

The heat lamp we use to keep the chicks warm, is red.

Robin

Did you hear Robin's news?!?

Photojojo

Did you see the incredible pictures on photojojo? I love getting there emails. They have really clever ideas and really practical advice for both professional and novice photogs. Click here to see more.

Warning!! Some of the pics are really disturbing.

Grandma Stanley

Daisy passed this morning at 3:56. She was peaceful and I think was finally ready and not fearful or scared. I was with her holding her hand.

Mark

20's, 30's and 40's

Another thing my mom did right was to not get caught up in the idea of age as bad. My mom is the first to admit that she doesn't always look at the bright side of things but as far as age goes she always seemed to appreciate where she was.

My mom and Roger (in their 60's) last summer.

I couldn't wait to be 20 because my mom said things like this:

"Your 20's are so fun! Everything is an adventure. All those healthy juices are flowing. You're young, you have energy and a zillion ideas and you get to have babies. "

I looked forward to my 30's because she said things like this:

"The most beautiful women in the world are 30 . . . great, high, cheek bones, no middle age spread yet, and in your 30's, you're smart"

I'm going to be 40 next July and it sounds great to me because she said things like this:

"I like being 40. There's a confidence that comes in your 40's that you just don't have when you're younger. You know what you want and what is important. You feel comfortable in your own skin."

I was at a Relief Society dinner awhile back when a woman at our table confided in us, with very real panic in her voice, that she was almost 40. She cried as she explained everything she was doing to stave off her birthday; everything from plastic surgery to self help books to wrinkle cream. I was just heart sick for her and so thankful for my mom.

Happy Birthday My Sweetheart!

Straight No Chaser

This makes me happy. Thanks Mindi!

Understanding

The Christmas I was six years old, we went to the ward Christmas Party. Santa was there. In those days, I don't think there were quite as many Santas as there are now and they didn't tell you that the extra Santas were "helpers" they were all supposed to be the real thing. Well, that's how I remember it anyway.

. . . So back to the ward Christmas party, Santa showed up but there was problem, it was totally Brother Weatherman. When I questioned his validity, I was told that this not Brother Weatherman but was, in fact, the real Santa. What were these people trying to pull?? Well, I was going to have none of it!

I was on a mission! I made sure everyone in the line knew it was Brother Weatherman and then I made sure that Brother Weatherman knew that I knew. I spent the rest of the evening making sure everyone in the gym that night 1~knew that the Santa was really Brother Weatherman and 2~ that I was not fooled.

On the way home (we must have left early) I was retelling my saga and declaring truth to my parents and brothers and sisters (who included Jake, Sara, Josh and baby Gabby).

Finally, Jake looked at me knowingly and said, "Rachel! Shut up!". . . . It took a second but suddenly I understood. "Oh!" was all I could squeak out. That was when I knew. I tried to hang on to the fantasy for a couple more years but it was over.

A week or so ago I had a conversation with Gloria that went something like this.

"Mom, I know who brings the presents at Christmas."

"Who?"

"It's our moms and dads."

"Who told you that?" I said, thinking either Sara or Dan were in big trouble.

"Nobody," she said, " just my conscience."

I couldn't really argue with that, I tried, but it was pretty half hearted effort.

He will always have my vote . . .

AL Franken is still fighting (probably a losing battle) for a U.S Senate seat. I have a hard time listening to his politics, he can be sarcastic and mean when he is talking to someone who disagrees with him politically, but I have an affection for him that I don't think I can ever get past.

I loved him on SNL, our favorite skit was on Weekend Update (I couldn't find an actual clip) his report from the first Iraq War. The one where he is wearing the satellite dish on his head. THE BEST!!

But the undying devotion from me comes from Christmas 2005. Paul had just arrived in Iraq and because I still hadn't received an address for mail he celebrated his 40th birthday as well as Christmas in that horrible place, alone, without even a card. And there was nothing I could do about it. It was such a terrible feeling. You can ask Sara about the phone call from the Target parking lot one night, it wasn't good.

Paul called me about 2:00pm on Christmas Day (about 11:00pm in Iraq). He told me he had just come back from a USO show put together by and starring Al Franken. Paul sounded happy and not so homesick and told me about the show, how funny Franken is and how great it was for everyone there.

Not only did he perform but he signed autographs, talked and joked with the soldiers one on one without hurrying or trying to get out of there. He stayed until every single soldier who wanted to talk to him had had his say. . .

I will always love him for that.

A treat for all our BYU friends . . .

Thanks Salem!

Do you know all the words?

Years ago, when I was still a Stanley, we delivered 12 days of Christmas to people in the ward, or maybe we just talked about it. Nevertheless, this idea of delivering something small but wonderful to someone's house for the 12 days leading up to Christmas has seemed magical to me and I plan to do it almost every year.

I have a hard time with two parts of this project. First, coming up with all the stuff. I've tried to follow the lyrics of the song closely with ornaments or something like that I've tried follow the numbers and I have tried meals that didn't really follow the song at all, but was needed. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. Second, I seem to lose steam about halfway through. Getting something together and delivering it everynight get to be more than I bargeined for. I am very afraid to report that I have delivered 7 days of Christmas more than once.

This year we are doing the 12 days of Christmas (again) for some ladies who are without family closeby. We are almost done putting it all together. We will deliver a basket to each, full of 12 pretty, happy things for them to open. (Sara's idea to deliver it all at once) This fixes the "7 days" of Christmas problem.

And starting in October (and bugging Sara and Robin until they were sick of it) I put together a really cute and simple list that I am really excited about. Here it is. I am only using one idea for each day.

1st A partridge in a pear tree (1 beautiful pear, Jones soda has pear tree flavor)

2nd Two Turtle Doves (2 choc turtles, Dove candies)

3rd Three French Hens (French ribbon, Mc Donald's gift cirt, French milled soap)

4th Four Calling Birds (Christmas Cards , pine cone birdfeeders)

5th Five Golden Rings (can of pineapple rings)

6th Six Geese a Laying (breakfast cookbook, gift cirt. for a restaurant or a quiche)

7th Seven Swans a Swimming (bubble bath)

8th Eight Maids a Milking (hot cocoa, mugs)

9th Nine Ladies Dancing (DVD ~a musical, pedicure set or mani-pedi gift cirt.)

10th Ten Lords a Leaping (toasty socks, slippers)

11th Eleven Pipers Piping (bag of Bugles, ornament)

12th Twelve Drummers Drumming (Christmas CD)

If you have any other ideas, please comment so I can add them to my list.

This is my list for single ladies, I have another for young families.