My sister Tess left Thursday morning.

She’d been staying with us a month.

Before she left we had a little celebration.  She wanted pizza so I asked the NJ King & Queen of Pizza where we should go and they suggested a recent discovery in the Village called,

All hail, the King and Queen – they know their pizza.

Oh, yea!  and there was more than just food at this celebration.

I asked Jan to snap a photo of me and Tess.

He told me that he would like to take another because something funky was going on with my chin. I didn’t know what he was talking about. I mean I do now, looking at the photo. But at the time I was confused.

He tried to coach me, “Look straight in the camera”

“Nope, not there yet, and now you look like you have crazy eyes. Just look STRAIGHT into the camera.”

SCARY-NESS! Now you’re all going to have nightmares, so sorry.

Further attempts were also pretty bad, as you can see.

Cam even got in the mix to show me what I was doing wrong.

Finally when Nikki posed with us I figured out what Jan meant.

“Look straight into the camera, oh! you mean straight into the camera.”

And that was that.

Tess, you thought this party was for you, but it was really for my chin.

(P.S. and a B I G thank you to Uncle Jeff for picking up the tab!)

Seven years ago

you & I

took a leap

(a calculated risk)

with our parent’s blessings

and

God’s promise to help

we gave up

on

the dream, the ideal, perfection, greener pastures etc. etc. etc.

&

we made a choice.

I chose you

&

you chose me

(an excellent choice)

but still as excellent as that choice was deep in our hearts we knew

perfect

we were not.

In fact,

only moments after tying the knot

FORGIVENESS

was needed.

(we can laugh about the Tickled Trout now…)

We chose to sign up for

REAL LIFE,

and come what may

to stick with our choice.

What a gift that forgiveness is at the heart of that choice.

When you’re not perfect (i.e. every last one of us on the planet earth)

you need that pretty bad,

** forgiveness **

and I wanted to thank you for forgiving me every day

&

for loving me

even though I am

FAR

from perfect.

As the days have become years I am so grateful

for that sunny August day,

(MY wedding day – inside joke, giggle, giggle)

when I promised

to be committed to

YOU

&

YOU ALONE.

and you said,

“ditto”

in your charming, reserved English way.

happy anniversary.

love,

Mrs. Jan Dawson

PS Special thanks goes to Tess – “the technical wonder” – this would NOT have been possible without her much needed assistance and expertise. Thanks Tessy-boo!

P.P.S. For anyone watching this who isn’t Jan and who might be worried that there is no sign of a Temple anywhere, rest assured – we were sealed in the temple, the Preston Temple. But the official photographer was not there – and when our wedding day actually finished and we emerged from the Preston Temple it was 9:00 pm. We snapped three very grainy pictures that didn’t make it into this anniversary slide show for Jan.

By English law we had to be married civilly – hence marching down the aisle and so forth.

All Kosher, I assure you.

While you were having important meetings with clients in the balmy Bay Area…we went to the Cloisters. Home of the famous “Unicorn Tapestries”.

We spent the first hour or so enjoying the gift shop…

How do you like your unicorn? On a Tapestry, in a snow globe, or perhaps, like Clara, you prefer it up your nose?

If only you could have heard the bizarre and wonderful world that Millie conjured with the toys while we waited for our buddies to arrive. I snapped the photo of her below telling me ALLLLLLLL about it. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the particulars. But it was SOMETHING SPECIAL!

In case you’re wondering – Clara is NOT a fan of Medieval music.

When we’d had enough of the gift shop we went out side for a snack. And low and behold, there, coming up the hill were our buddies!  Neylan and her bevy of fair maidens…

The poor things! Their car wouldn’t start so check it out: they took several subways and then walked – a fair way – it took them an hour and a half to reach the museum because they live in Brooklyn.

I know.

And Neylan was wearing these!!!!

Unstoppable. Unbeatable. Unbelievable.

That’s my Neylan!

These ladies were in serious need of JUICE BOXES!

Luckily we had some on hand.

Then it was museum time, baby!

We spent most of our time in the court yard area. Yes, the best museum for a group of little girls under the age of five is one that is actually more like a park.

The light was perfect.

And you know what that means, Jan.

PHOTO OP CITY!

Work it, Auden.

Show me love!

Auden, what happened? You were really working it only moments before.

Eventually we decided we’d better go INTO the museum.

(Ya, think?)

“Oh, my gracious! Aurther Miller.”

No, actually it is the Medeival version of Esme, Auden and Millie.

Those Medieval moms may not have had to deal with car seats, but I am thinking that doing those hairdos must have been a beast to rig up every morning.  The one on the far left looks like she is saying, “WHATEVER! Mom you are so LAME.”

I know that look.

But Jan, it got even better….

Check it out! It is the WANDERING MINSTRALS!!!

(cue “Greensleeves”)

Tess had to get in on this, and you know why!

“We seek only a place to rest our weary heads.”

The light wasn’t great indoors, but the real reason why this is so blurry, is because I was laughing so hard.

So, babe. I am not going to lie to you –  our trip to the musem took it’s toll on me.

But then, I look at this picture. And sense that something really good is happening.

That is your daughter. Right in the mix, with the grown-up peoples, checking out the art, like she owns the joint.

This is the reason I do this.

This and because Neylan says, “Come on! Let’s go for it!” When I say, “Don’t you want to just hang out at the pool?”

Cricket, cricket.

“All right!” I say, remembering that last time Neylan said, “Let’s do something new” we ran into People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man of the Year”.

Good times.

And crazy.

Crazy. Good. Times.

We hope you are having your fair share of crazy. good. times. too.

Cuz if you are not I am not sure your trip is worth it cuz we are missing you like crazy.

So come home soon!

Love,

Your Girls

I had to bring these girls back! They are just “too tremendous”. And besides, I didn’t get a photo of myself, so lets pretend like I am the one in the middle, Millie is the one on the right and Clara is the eye rolling wonder, on the left.

This goes out to Lou and my mom.

Here is the Pasta with Chick Peas Recipe –

I know this is weak sauce of me but I am tooooooooo tired to type this all up.

Mom, just click on the picture, it will get bigger. But it can get even bigger so  click on it again and then it should be legible. If it doesn’t work, call me.

It comes from the cook book that is currently dominating the Dawsons’ dining experience.

Confession: I have a little crush on Jamie Oliver. I think he’s cool. A good cook and he seems to be a really good guy too.

P.S.

I went to our local farmers market yesterday, and got a bunch of stuff without any idea of what I would make.

I came up with this and it was pretty delicious. And healthy. So I thought I would chuck it into the mix. In case you were interested.

In a bowl combine:

artichoke hearts, fresh tomato, sweet onion, garlic & a glug* of good balsamic vinegar.  Heat mixture up in a pan with olive oil until the mixture is warm. Put aside.

take a loaf of crusty bread and cut it in half.  Drizzle with good quality olive oil and a little salt – in same pan toast the bread.

Once the bread is toasted to your liking  put some fresh mozzarella on bread, the artichoke mixture and a little arugala.

You won’t be sorry that you did.

(* that is what Jamie always says – giggle, giggle – I want to be cool like HIM! I’m trying pretty hard, is it working?!)

I wanted Allan to see what beautiful goodness he sent his wife for her 30th birthday.

(This white rose is so pretty – I would like to sleep in it. I could just wrap myself up in those petals!)

Allan sent Sum a gorgeous bouquet of flowers a few days before her birthday so that she could enjoy them while she was here. Wasn’t that thoughtful? And wasn’t it kind of him to watch Lincoln and Atticus for six days while Summy romped all over tarnation with us?

Thanks, boys!

The morning of Summer’s birthday I went to Whole Foods. In search of some tasty jingles and some flowers.

I wanted flowers inspired by the birthday girl’s personality. I was tempted by the gladiolas. They figured rather prominently in a film we made together in our teens: the Kenneth Branagh Fan Club Show, but, alas! I don’t have a vase to accommodate a flower that tremendous.

So I went with these –

Bold, exuberant and colorful – to me, these flowers say – S U M M E R!

The original plan was to bring Summer breakfast in bed. But when the bed happens to be an air mattress, I don’t know, that just doesn’t seem right.

Besides Summer was up before I could get breakfast organized.

Writing.

So we had her special birthday breakfast around the dining room table.

This was supposed to look more parfait-ish, but I guess if the yogurt is organic it doesn’t have any of those nasty chemicals to give it that perfect  fake creamy texture.

Our breakfast was continental: Lemon yogurt, mixed berries, crusty bread and hot chocolate.

There is something so inexplicably right about hot cocoa and bread. What it is? It is the perfect combination!

Summer had two requests:

1. She wanted to blow out candles.

2. She wanted to write.

(She makes Beauty’s request for a rose, in the classic tale, seem extravagant, no?)

I made sure that she got her candles right out of the gate.

Following breakfast she opened her gift.

Then we headed off to fulfil the birthday girl’s second wish.

Write!

Four hours we worked away on our screen plays. We had fights, we had had fun, we had high fives. In fact, at one point I was so excited when Summer figured out a solution to a problem in my screenplay I high fived her so hard I almost hit her in the face.

We are Kelly women.

This means we are passionate, enthusiastic and OPINIONATED.

It was a lot of work and a lot of FUN. Now that we are in our 30s I feel like we are better at collaborating, maybe?

I hope.

What do you think, Sum?

At any rate – we both enjoyed working on the each other’s projects – why is always so much easier to work on someone elses writing?!

We were edified by the whole experience – mucho.

Meanwhile back at the ranch Tess was holding everything together. (Bless you, Tess!)

We scurried home, had dinner and got everything ready before the rest of the fam arrived.

(more Italian feastings for Sum’s b-day din din)

Cam, Niks & John arrived first.

Then Ian and Allison followed.

With them they brought several important boxes from La Renaissance.

Which contained Summer’s birthday cakes.

Happy birthday was sung –

Wishes made, candles blown out –

carbohydrates consumed!

Summer wanted to take a photo of everyone.

We took a million, but here is a sampling of my faves,

straight forward.

everyone looking at Eno.

I call this one, Sisterly Affection…

Nice legs, ladies!

HUGS and GOODBYES

(BTW, Bette, Ian is a reformed weak hugger – just ask Tess.)

the end.

& happy birthday to you,

Summer Pixton

P.S. I don’t ever watch other people’s movies – but I am putting this up because there are some inside Kelly Family jokes that I KNOW my family will love. So here is us singing happy b-day to the b-day girl.

*Just to keep you from thinking I am the worlds biggest dingbat I had Jan give me a  little refresher course on my old roman numerals – I knew it was something about subtracting and adding, I just couldn’t quite remember how it all worked.

I was going to write XXX for Summer’s age, but it looked…well…it looked nasty. Like the rating for a dirty movie.  So I didn’t. But if we were all living in ancient Rome -you better believe I would have been showing off my mad numeral skills.

Is needed by me.

I just put this mirror up in Clara’s room.

It has been playing musical rooms for the past while.

First it was in Millie’s room and never looked quite right.

Then it took a little hiatus to our bedroom and made friends with the dust bunnies.

Now I have put it in Clara’s room and I am just not sure it works.

So, honestly – what do you think?

Here it is a little closer up.

The other place I was thinking it would look good is above the crib.

It is looking a wee bit monastic in this corner. But there is something soothing about a monastery, no? I kind of like that look sometimes. I’m always torn between leaving a wall blank or putting something on it. A blank wall can be really, well, soothing. Or it can look down right naked.

Clara really enjoys the mirror here. She loves to gaze at herself, but she can paw at it, which makes me a little nervous.

HOLY GUACAMOLE! I love that kid!

Would love to hear what you think, about the mirror, not the kid. I am definitely keeping her around. No doubt about that!

I live two thousand miles away from my mom. But even from this far away I could see that something very, very special was happening in the Edgemont 11th ward. For the last three years my mom presided over what seemed to me the Camelot of Young Women’s programs.

I talk to my mom AT LEAST once a day (some times more depending on if I chance to meet handsome movie stars in the park). So I have been privy to almost every last detail of what has gone down with these fine young ladies and their lovely leaders.

Some of it was radical – for example tossing the manual out and teaching RIGHT FROM THE SCRIPTURES! Can you imagine?! I know, shocking!

Activities that were 100% run by the young women themselves. I went to one such activity and was blown away that the girls had organized every last detail. People, that is a big deal.

Love, love, and more love every where you turned.

Honesty, openness and at all costs, working her hardest to make sure it was NOT boring.

And NEVER going through the motions just for the sake of going through the motions.

I just wanted to jump in and be a part of it.

Once my mom, very kindly,  told  me that she thought of me as her unofficial 3rd counselor. Oh, if only I had been official! I would have loved to have been a part of the last three years. You girls shared some seriously GOOD TIMES!

Mom loves Robert Frost, and so when I heard of her release I couldn’t help but think of this very well known poem by dear old Bob,

Nature’s first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Although it is true that these golden times may not stay forever, we can still let them shimmer on through remembering and celebrating them.

I have no doubt that the angels have been keeping careful notes these past three years. How I wish I could have a glimpse of what they’ve recorded about what you darling humans have been up to.

I have a sense that Heavenly Father is very pleased.

I wanted to create a little place for your golden time to SHINE ON. This post is for all of the young women and leaders of the Edgemont 11th ward YW’s, but especially for the lady who was blessed to be your president.

P.S. If you didn’t spell check your contribution, neither did I, SORRY! (I am not the world’s greatest editor, especially when small children are tugging on my sleeve).

P.P.S A special thanks goes to Michaela for providing the lion’s share of the photos.

P.P.S I just want each of you to know that I think you ROCK!

– if you didn’t get your contribution to me and wish that you had, just email it to me and I will tack it right on. As editor in chief I can accommodate such last minute additions. It is the beauty of a blog!

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That was the estimated arrival time for my on-line purchase.

The first seven days I tried not to notice how much I wanted it to arrive.

But after we hit day 7 I started counting down!

On the evening of day 13 I had already decided if it didn’t come, as promised on day 14, I was going to send an email of inquiry.

I WAS EXCITED. VERY, VERY EXCITED.

On day 14 our mail man came and dropped our mail through the letter box.

Then I heard Millie say,

“What the heck?”

I knew it must have come!

It had! All the way from Down Under!

Check out the awesome stamps! My fave is Queen Elizabeth in her chartreuse dress, matching hat – and please note, the white cloves. That isn’t a guard sitting next to her – it’s good old Prince Phillip, also in white gloves and a massive, crazy, black hat. I guess the palace guards are not the only poor souls who have to sport those bear skin jobs.

I digress.

Actually, may I digress even further?

I was putting a lot of stock in this package. I was hoping that it would solve a decorating problem that has stumped me for some time.

Millie’s bed room poses a serious challenge to a person like myself. A person who really feeds off the symmetry of any given space. The best placement for the beds is here – and it is not symmetrical. I blame the darn window. I just wish it would inch over a bit to the left.

But it wont.

This makes hanging anything above the beds really tricky. Just ask Jan how tricky – he has spent hours holding stuff up in different places while I “hem and haw”.

If I could I would just ignore it, but I feel like the room is a bit naked without anything above the beds.

Then I stumbled on a really neat etsy shop called Mae, Charmed I’m Sure. It sells pretty fabric decals, perfect for kids bedrooms.

Wanna see just how pretty they look above Millie’s bed?

It took me a while to get them all up, because I had little helpers.

One of my helpers just wanted to be held.

The other helper was a little too eager. (Welcome to my world! In essence this is what I deal with all day long, every single day!)

But after several of Millie’s outbursts (both elation and devastation were expressed, sometimes in the same moment) a little yelling from mom and some tears from Clara.

WE GOT THE STICKERS ON THE WALL!

It is hard to capture it. I took several million pictures and none of them have been able to fully capture how it looks. But you get the idea.

I think I need some more branches on the tree. What do you think?

What I would really love is for my sister Summer to come over and paint me a tree, now that would be super cool. But until she can I will love up the old Aussie decals.

I tell you what, if you are renting, this is such a cool way to spruce up your kid’s room. Ask Karen how I feel about this, she very kindly listened to me go on, and on and on and ON about it last night. BTW, I would like to dedicate this post to my pal Karen. Thanks for listening to me sing praises to the decals for a good 20 mintues. You are a true friend.

Here is the address for the Mae website, if you are interested in learning more.

As a teaser, and just so ya know they have lots of wonderful goodies, I wanted to show you a few of them. BTW, they are having a sale right now. I got 30% off my purchase!

We got the tree and the woodland birds, Millie and I both like the deer, so it may come to live at our house eventually.

I also LOVE the paper dolls. These are so cool!

They have the woodland creatures for the little boy in your life.

Or dinosaurs..

They also sell a bunch of other cute things.

Here is a link to their etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7005142&order=&section_id=&page=1

I had a moment of quiet this fine rainy morning.

A rare thing for me these days.

In this moment I decided to eat breakfast.

Also something that doesn’t happen on a regular basis.

I poured myself a bowl of frosted mini wheats – I love frosted mini wheats, do you?

Then I remembered that we have a few raspberries…and I wanted to consume them before they go the way of all the earth.

For some reason I was struck by how beautiful these raspberries looked. Like gorgeous jewels. The amazing configuration of tiny balls stacked together perfectly. Their sweet flavor. They are remarkable!

Sometimes I think that when we isolate just one of God’s brilliant creations it is striking – that all that perfection in one tiny creation is for US! For you and me! Right there in front of us. And there are so many of them -these beautiful manifestations of God’s genius and ultimately, his love for us that we DON”T EVEN SEE THEM!

Walk out your door and have a look – they are everywhere, all around us, even in our cereal bowl, made for us.

It makes me teary!

I thought, if God had only given me raspberries that would be more than enough. And yet he has given me so, so, so much more!

As I prayed over my bowl of cereal I asked God to help me do what was most important with my time, and the first thing that came to mind was to read my scriptures.

So I did the reading out of the Sunday School study guide. Check out what the assigned reading lead me to,

Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;

And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used…

Then I thought of this wonderful poem that I read recently call the “The Net of Gratitude”,

Giving thanks for abundance

is sweeter that the abundance itself;

Should one who is absorbed with the Generous

One

be distracted by the gift?

Thankfulness is the soul of beneficence;

abundance is but the husk,

for thankfulness brings you to the place where

the Beloved lives.

Abundance yields heedlessness;

thankfulness brings alertness:

hunt for bounty with the net of gratitude.

— RUMI

This little heart of mine is feeling full!

Right to the brim, full!

I truly do.

Going to church. Such a good thing.

Eating a nice meal together. Part of my Sunday policy is that I make one meal. Hence the birth of our family tradition of Sunday Night Nachos. Poor Jan was starving and had to do something.

The one meal I made this Sunday, you might be wondering? Breakfast for lunch. (As a full disclosure blog I have to admit that it made us all a wee bit gassy, but it sure tasted good and looked pretty).

Coming home and enjoying being a family. Such a good thing.

Jan had a priesthood meeting, so I put the girls to bed. Came down stairs and had a long talk with my mom. She was released from her calling as Young Women’s President. She was still feeling tender about it. It was so neat to hear about her final weekend as president. And now she has passed the baton. The church is so awesome!

When Jan got home we talked and talked.

When God commanded us to keep this day holy, He knew what He was doing!

I, for one, would like to thank Him for it.