Viva La Vida

Watch for Drew and Nathan playing in the orchestra here.  Also, please don't miss the great dancing in the first row of the audience!

Poetry from Nathan

Where I'm From

By Nathan Tagg

I am from kim-chi

From tasty subway deli-man-ju,

Processed milk shakes and

Bul-go-gi

I am from my card that I carried around in my wallet,

Which said who I was and where I was from.

From my trip to the other side.

I am from my first video games

My terrible first skateboard,

My dach-chi collection, which grew and grew with each victory

And from putting 100 won pieces in gumball machines,

As if they were quarters.

(Which was illegal)

I am from the military bases,

From the buildings that were once bomb shelters,

From the south of the boarder,

From the thirty eighth.

The cement step with the word “blessed”,

Permanently engraved in it.

I am from the great and terrible hill that,

Was climbed to get to church,

Every Sunday and Wednesday.

I am from the purple skies,

 The fourth largest city in the world,

The massive amounts of traffic.

The intersection of death.

The grammatically incorrect signs.

The misuse of ingurish

I am from Mr. O

I am from god

I am from Mister Kim

The underfunded school teachers

From troy

I am from “Everything will be over eventually”

From

“Pennies don’t really matter here”

And from

“The small choices you make will affect you forever”

From

“The door of fate swings on small hinges”

And from

“Will you run down the street and buy some milk?”

with our friend Buddha

Q & A with Candace

1.     1. Hi Candace!  What’s happening in your life?  Enquiring minds want to know! Does losing 25 lbs count?? Haha … Um see below?  #2 & #3 & #8 hold the most exciting news. J

2.     2. Tell us about your love life?  Who is that dashing young man we see on your blog? I have been dating the most handsome & incredible guy – his name is Matt Burch.  He is 32 and divorced with 2 kids.  A mouthful I know, but as cheesy as it sounds – totally worth the baggage.  He is a CPA for Ernst & Young and works REALLY hard to provide for his kids, which I find admirable. He has a little boy who is 4 and a little girl who turns 2 this month. They are the lights of his life. He is the perfect Daddy. They are also the lights of my life right now. I just adore them. Really. We have been dating for 7 months, and are talking saying the ‘love’ word so I’m getting pretty stoked to move from the W’s to the B’s.  J

3.     3. What are you doing these days at work? I work at HP and just recently got a promotion onto a team I’ve worked hard to get on. I am a Sales Specialist (which is basically a Partner Business Manager) for HP.  So I support all of HP’s partners/resellers in the West Region. I love it so much – I get to travel each quarter out to California, Oregon, Washington, etc.  I just love being the “go to gal” and that’s precisely who I am for the West.

4.     4. What do you think about the revelation that the writers of Mormon Bachelor Pad were really 40 yr old balding divorced men?  Wacky!!!  I was a little disgusted and just sad that they have such pathetic lives that they can live separate lying lives.  Their stories were pretty crazy….

5.     5. Do you find enough time to play with your kissy face BFFs lately? Nothing is more important in this life than the relationships we nurture with others in this life and with our Lord.  My friends buoy me up and I am proud to call them my BFFs.  I ALWAYS make time for those I love. Always.

6.     6. Are you remembering to be like Arial in the Little Mermaid and “keep singing!”  Though life takes me through the happiest of times and the saddest of times, I always having a song in my heart ~ I just don’t always torture other people by SINGING it.  J

7.     7. Have you been using your floral arranging talents lately?  The flowers you did for JoAnn’s funeral were lovely btw.  Thank you, it was an honor to do flowers for the family.  I recently set up a blog/website for my side biz for flowers (www.candacescreations.blogspot.com) and that has brought me 2 weddings so far for the spring, and this weekend I am swamped with orders for 2 different Proms.  I love doing flowers and foresee it being forever in my future.

8.    8. What does the future hold for you Candace…. Ideally.  If you had asked me this 5 yrs ago I would have the storybook answers of “Married in the Temple, Kids, Stay at Home Mommy, Gorgeous House, Nice car….blah blah”  But now?  Of course I still want to get married *to Matt ideally* and of course I will eventually want kids, but if I marry Matt – I got 2 right off the bat! YAY!!  And the house thing – well, keep it on the downlow – but we are already casually looking…. Just in case we get married. J  I do plan on working and even when I do stay at home (3 kids would definitely warrant staying at home) then I would like to start my own flower business from home. Matt is 100% supportive and I think it would be fun to eventually include the kids in my business. I also plan to FINALLY finish my Bachelor’s degree at Weber and/or University of Utah.  That is another story in itself… No matter what happens, I plan to be happy and always continuing up and up with my knowledge, work ethic, and relationships.

      9. Tell us an embarrassing moment why don’t you?  Embarrassing moment of the week: I was talking to a work associate that I admire for his hard work. I took my ring off and noticed my finger was green under it (while he’s talking). I decided to use spit to clean it off but instead of just wetting my finger like I had thought, I had this long spit string that attached from my mouth to my finger.  I was mortified when the associate just stopped talking and stared at me.  His face seemed to say “REALLY?”  It was way embarrassing      
     10.You are super pretty Candace.  I hope you know that.  But you are also nice on the inside which my mother taught me was the most important. Thanks Aunt Kelly, your mom is one of my most favorite people that has Ever lived. (definitely in the top 5)

Candace and Matt

Happy Ides of March Griever

Or is it spelled Greever?  I googled and went with Griever.  Although I am not sure if when we gave Chris that nick name that we meant "a term in Final Fantasy VIII; the name of a lion's head crest commonly associated with Suall Leonhart." We'll have to consult Roland on that since I think he was the one who gave him the name that stuck.  Probably he meant something more along the lines of "one who grieves" due to Chris complaining so much on a long hike.  Whatever it means, Chris will always have the alias name of Griever to me.

Chris was the sibling just older than me growing up and since he was 5 yrs older I had a difficult time keeping up with him.  I am sure that most of the time he saw me as a the pesky little sister always trying to tag along.  There are a few times I recall that he let me into his inner circle.  Like the time when he and some buddies were filming a western home movie and they let me be the 'saloon gal.'  Even though I was flat as a board I tried to live up to the part.  I was seriously flattered (although I was probably their only choice).  I dressed up in a old dance costume that was red satin with black lace and used one of the kitchen's metal pitchers to pour drinks for them.  I'm sure my role of bar maid will be remembered forever.  I remember being giddy with the excitement of being included.  Secretly I knew Chris really wanted me around because when he built the fort up in the side of the foothills across the street from our house he made a bathroom facility with two places to sit "boys" and "girls."  Who else would be using the girls potty but me?  Another time he included me was to let me into the pitch black piano room while he and some other brothers were shooting rubber bands at each other in the dark.  He was right to be hesitant about letting me in there.  It was traumatic.

Another childhood memory I have of brother Chris is his candy store.  Since sugar was pretty much off limits in our home the thought that Chris had huge stashes of it made me salivate just walking in his room.  I must admit to sneaking in there and helping myself on occasions.  He had a great money maker idea when he purchased a bunch of candy at the store and then sold it to desperate neighbor kids with lots of pocket money to throw away on priceless a priceless sugar fix from the neighborhood supplier- my brother.  I think his big mistake was selling a candy bar to Joey Covey for $5.00.  That brought down the hammer of justice on his sugar gig.  I also think the fact that Chris got a large number of cavities that year was a bit of a giveaway.  He had to give up sugar 100%.  No more jello-brand cheesecakes on Sundays even (lucky him).

Chris has always 'walked to the beat of his own drummer' so they say.  I really admire that about him.  The more I learn about mainstream people in life, the more I want to be different.  I want to be my own person, just like Chris.  Chris is super smart.  We always knew this.  Remember when he got straight A's and Dad had to buy a pool table for the entire family.  That was awesome!

He was the one who warned me all about the Russians who all wanted to kill us.  He was the one I listened to Dr Demento with on Sunday nights.  He was the one who took me to dollar movies when we were both in our 20's living at Dad's house still.  Sorry you had to miss Joe vs the Volcano Stephanie.  It wasn't really a great movie anyways.  I don't think she forgave Chris for taking his little sister to that one instead of his girlfriend for a few weeks at least.  Luckily she got over it and Stephanie and I get along great today.  She is really something too.  I really missed Chris's companionship when he moved out of the house.  He was/is a good brother.  He's a good family man and an awesome science teacher.  Too bad he lives so far away and we never see too much of Chris and his family.  Maybe they will take that East coast trip they have been trying to plan for the past year or so.  Hint hint : )

We hope Chris has a wonderful birthday on the ides of March (tomorrow).  Beware the ides of March Griever.  Each time it passes you will only get another year older!!!!!

And possibly a bit grayer....

Happy Birthday ROLAND BABY!

Which one is the bigger turkey?

Roland always calls me KELLY BABY!  (Yes in all caps- that is the way he says it).  So I have to title this post that way too.  I admire our brother Roland.  I really do.  He has a huge heart and even though he's a rough, tough, hunting, spitting, dog owning, gun toting, cave dwelling, ice fishing man he has no problem telling sentimental stories and tearing up.  The last time I saw him (at IHOP- in a public place no less!) he did just that.  He told of a time when as a teenager, he once took our mother on a motorcycle ride up in the canyon.  She was testing the safety of such a thing and asked him to prove it to her I guess.  She absolutely loved it he said.  She was a nature lover to be sure, but I am sure the peace and quiet away from 13 kids probably had something to do with it : )  As he told this story he teared up over his pancakes (or possibly his omelet) and I thought 'that Roland is sure a nice tender-hearted guy.'  I also remembered fondly a time he once took me on a long motorcycle ride while just a few years back.  He probably saw the 'weary-from-motherhood' look on my face that day too.  Later that day there was an accident with his son running into me riding down a hill on a big-sized Tonka truck.  I wasn't seriously hurt but more concerned that his son was feeling bad about the accident.  I hugged him and assured him I was okay (I'm a softy too).  Roland told me later how much that touched him.  He's really a big teddy bear that Roland...

Over the years Roland has been one of the siblings I have who has reached out to me and kept in touch.  He will call me out of the blue just to chat.  That really means a lot to me.  More than he knows.  Especially since I am living farthest away from all the family.  He has made efforts in the past to mend things with me that he was feeling badly about.  Things I never even had a second thought about.  He is thoughtful.  He is a Whatcott- in the best possible way.  Randy has told and re-told me how great it is to be partners with Roland because he gets things done.  All Randy has to do is mention something once to Roland like "maybe it's time to replace that 4 wheeler that is going downhill" and within the week it's sold and a new one is on the way.  Randy tells me this would never happen with Marie in charge.  I am sure Marie brings all kinds of good stuff to the table in her partnership with Randy though : )

Roland is a good father and a good husband.  I have noticed that as well.  He has a wonderful family to show for his good work there.  He is smart and fun to be around.  He takes care of people and he is kind.  I can't say enough good things about my brother Roland.  He likes to joke around and have a good time.  He makes time to spend with those he loves and me makes good root beer.  Just ask him and he'll be sure to tell you.  Teasing is a great delight to Roland.  I remember, as a child, being teased to tears many many times by my brother Roland.  I think he may still need to clear that up with me FYI.

A nice memory I have of my brother Roland is that he had a lot of dates.  He was ever so handsome (still is) and he used to bring a different girl home to play pool or hang out at the house every weekend it seemed.  If I got to hanging around taking it all in as a pesky younger sister will do (lets see I must have been about 8yrs during this time), then Roland would whisper in my ear to go down to his room and get a bar of chocolate he had hidden in there and eat it somewhere far far away and promise not to come back.  It was a sweet deal let me tell ya!  Candy was pretty rare in our home growing up.  I totally remember that with fondness.  I also remember the large amounts of Brut cologne he used to use before one of these dates.  He would wear so much that he'd leave a trail of scent behind him where ever he walked for about 10 solid minutes.  That is how I would know that Roland had a date and there was possible Hershey's chocolate in my future.  Good memories!  

Well I better sign off but not before wishing Roland BABY the best of birthdays today.  Hope it's a good one bro!  You rock!  And your a big brut!

Audrey on the Piano

This was her favorite song for some time.... I tried to learn the duet with her but alas my piano skills are all under a bushel these days.  She is playing with her AMAZING (and famous!) piano teacher Molly S.

The song she's playing is called "Quiet Night"

Q & A With Marcel W.

     1.     So hi there Marcy…. What is new with you these days?  You must be pretty excited to have passed your big test.  Tell us about it!

Yes, I passed my national board exam! I spent many long hours studying during the month of November and I took the exam in December. I think I was becoming a permanent fixture in the school library. I would arrive at 8am and stay until 11pm every day for a the whole month. The janitorial crew started getting to know me by name, and it was nearing the point where they started just cleaning around me. Yet despite the stress, the news that I passed makes it all worth while. Now onto state boards and after that you can call me “Doc”.

      2.  How are the wedding plans coming?  Do you have a date set yet?  For those who may not be informed, tell us all about Jeremy please (limit 10 pages).

Wedding plans are coming along. I've been doing things in small bites because of my hectic schedule with school. The date is narrowing down to  October 8^th, 9^th or 10^th at this point. We'll have to pin it down once we decide on the venue. I expect to have more time to plan once I'm done with state boards, finding a job, moving, and graduating. As for Jeremy, he's my rock. I probably could go on for 10 pages or more, but I'll spare you the sappy details and just say that he is fantastic. He's been very supportive of my school schedule and helped take care of my dogs while I've been away for months at a time on rotations. He's my partner in crime-I mean- partner in life, and we often laugh until we cry. What more can I say?  

3    3.  Do you have any big graduation party plans? 

Hummm, graduation party plans; well not really. Graduation is in May. Don't worry, everyone will get an announcement, which doesn't in any way obligate you to come to California to a long boring and drawn out graduation ceremony that I know everyone hates (including myself). I figure I'm having two memorable events this year, and if you can only come to one, let it be the wedding. As far as graduation is concerned, I'm excited of course, but would rather keep it low key and no pressure.

4.    4.  What about moving back to Utah?  What does the crystal ball hold for you there?

Moving back to Utah, well, that's the plan; but if you have a crystal ball that wouldn't mind telling me where I can find a good job, and where I can find housing, that would be really helpful. Right now, I'm headed to Utah for my last month long school rotation. This was planned so that I would be in the area to look for jobs and housing. It's a bit up in the air where we will land, but Jeremy and I are both in agreement that Utah has more advantages than California at this point. The disadvantage is that we would be leaving his family here in Cali; and I have to say that they will be sorely missed. I have never felt so at home in California until Jeremy's family took me in and graciously accepted me into their flock. I've planted the seeds of hope that they will someday retire and follow us to Utah. That and I've practically convinced them that the streets in Utah are paved in gold...can we keep up that premise, just until they move?

5.     5.  So Marcy, do you remember when you were very little and you had a crazy dream about being attacked by a tiger and instead of being afraid of the tiger you just leaped on his back and used him as your ride?  Do you think that dream may have been somewhat prophetic when compared to your position right now?  You know, graduating from vet school against all odds?

Well, I've got to be honest and say... nope I don't remember that dream; but obviously you do. So, sounds prophetic enough for me; I'll go with it. But does this mean that I'm not scared of tigers? Because I'll have to tell you that I'm scared of mean domestic cats, so I can't see me riding off on an actual tiger. Maybe I'll have to brush up on my dream interpretation skills before I truly consent to this one.

6   6.  Do you think that riding tigers (literally) will be a part of your future in veterinary medicine?

Um, no! I don't like zoo medicine, too many politics involved. The closest I'll ever get to zoo medicine is the Giraffe that I helped necropsy (autopsy) in Idaho.

7   7.  What will the colors be at your wedding?  Have you considered black and orange?

Not exactly black and orange. But I've been thinking about having fall colors since fall is my favorite season, and we're having the wedding outdoors in the fall. Earth tones is the current consensus since both Jeremy and I agree that those are our favorites. Plus Jeremy wore a tan shirt on our first date, and I wore a brown shirt that day, so tan and brown are our colors.

Humm, what do you think?

The jury is still out. Shauna suggested that I wear my silky Cinderella dress, do you think it will still fit? If not I can always bring it for show and tell.

(for those who don't know the story of Marcy bringing her silky Cinderella dress for show and tell in pre-school here it is: She used to wear the same silky dress to school each day because she loved it and Mom would let her.  Then one day everyone made a huge fuss over her when she wore another outfit only to find that she had brought her dress that day in her canvas bag for show and tell- classic!)

     8..  Do you think a dramatic reading from the epic puppet production Cinderrabbit might be appropriate to recite at your wedding.  If not I can totally prepare something else : )

Uh, unless you want to dress up like a pig and announce “soup's on” then I may suggest you work on something else. Perhaps a monologue from Gone with the Wind “Where shall I go? What shall I do?”...

9   9.  What is your favorite thing about California (where you are currently living for those on KGC that may not know).

Jeremy is my favorite thing about California, and he's portable, so I don't know if he counts. Other than that, I've gotta say the weather. It's nice and sunny practically year round, but I do miss the snow.

1  10.   Lastly tell us your hopes dreams and fears for the future. 

Hope for love, dream of happiness, and fear of failure. Isn't that pretty much universal for anyone? I've found that life is full of surprises, and it never ends up the way you plan. So, part of living is learning to keep the heart open to love, happiness and even failure when it happens; and keeping your spirit resilient by never giving up on your hopes and dreams in spite of your fears. (woo-sap)

THANKS MARCY and CONGRATS ON EVERYTHING!!!!!