The Adams Family (snap, snap)

 Emily participated in The Musical "The Adam's Family" 

They musical had just a few lead parts and a great big ensemble of ancestors.   Emily joked that her dress looks just like a temple dress so she decided she was the ancestor that died peacefully in the temple reading her scriptures.   

She and Alix worked hard one day during rehearsal on this poster and enjoyed bonding as a cast.

I signed up to help with the Gala (a special event right before the first show where guests pay to interact with the cast in costume and eat yummy food).   After I signed up I realized I had a Relief Society Gratitude dinner I was in charge of so I volunteered to make 8 big sheet red velvet cakes for someone else to turn into Adam's family wedding cakes.  Here is the finished product and a picture I snapped of the Gala right before I headed back to the church to finish setting up the the dinner I was in charge of.  

The show was really cute.   I loved how interactive the ensemble was even though they were mostly dancing and singing in the back. 

Cast party after the finale at Leatherby's (can you spot Emiy?)

Behind the Family picture..........

It's November and Jane is on my case about getting a family picture so we can send out a Christmas Card.   My surgery is set for November 22nd and I'm overwhelmed getting everything ready for Christmas before I can't walk so I try to put her off.    Good thing I've got Jane in my life because she was not going to let me go two years in a row without sending out Christmas Cards .    At the very last minute  I talk Emily's friend Alix into coming with us to take a quick picture up the canyon.   Emily says she knows the perfect spot and I trust her because one afternoon in October when the leaves were at their prime she and Alix took some pictures that turned out gorgeous.    

It's a Sunday afternoon and the girls help me quickly pick out outfits for everyone.   We change into them pick up Alix and are heading up Little Cottonwood Canyon chasing the sun for the perfect spot.     Bart's been pretty chill about the whole idea of family pictures and taking time away from his Sunday nap.  This soon changes as we continue up the canyon and Bart asks Emily exactly where we are going to take these pictures.  Emily hesitates and says ummm..... maybe just a little further up.  It becomes apparent that Emily is just playing it by ear.   Chill Bart becomes not chill Bart and lays into Emily.   Emily becomes defensive about why she has to be in charge of finding the perfect spot.   I lay into Bart about getting mad and why he can't just relax and go with the flow.   Soon Jane is furious because she realizes she may have to stomp through snow in her new shoes and get them dirty.  The boys join in and the whole car is mad and arguing and Alix has a look like "I wish I was anywhere but here in this car with all these crazy people."    Each member of the family turns into opinionated Chiefs.  Some suggesting we hike through the snow to some far distance grove of trees.   Others think we should go back down the canyon and hope we find a tree that hasn't dropped all its leaves yet.   I see the turn off the Tanner Flats campground and I suggest we drive through the campground and find a spot.  We discover it's closed for the season and Bart zooms by.   The further we drive up the mountain and the snow continues to get deeper everyone's tempers roar and Bart slams on the brakes and says "forget this we are going home".   He turns the car around in a rage and we silently descend back down the canyon.  We are nearing the turn off for Tanner Flats again and I timidly (knowing it's best not to cross Bart when he has had it)  suggest we try walking into the campground and maybe find somewhere and take a quick picture.   Bart stops and we scurry out of the car and climb over a huge snow bank and thankfully discover some hardened snow shoe tracks that we follow that takes us to a winter wonderland.    

The short cold walk calm all of us down and Alix takes over like a professional photographer.   The pictures turned out so amazing!!  Far better than anything I could have expected.   I've never gotten so many positive comments about a family picture before.   I graciously thank them about the compliments but deep down I am snickering thinking if only they knew the not so perfect story behind the perfect family picture!!!

Red Rodeo

When Henry got asked to a dance from a girl on the tennis team (if you ask me it's pretty daring for that girl  to ask a guy who is already dating someone and just plain rude for Henry to say yes) it rocked Emily's world for half a minute and then she decided to get back on the horse "pun intended" and decided to ask Oliver's hilarious freshman brother Ren.     

I loved this poster that showed up on our doorstep one night. 

Alix and Emily planned a fun double date.  They started out going to Immersive Gamebox near the Fashion Place mall.  They came back and got all "dolled" up in their best western attire.  She now owns her very own Wranglers.   The fashion inspiration came from a fancy Mexican shirt Ren's dad owns.  Off they went to take pictures with Ren's horses.    Texas Rhodehouse filled their bellies and off the cowboys went to the dance.