Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do.

Sunday was Lucy's blessing ceremony. It was such a wonderful day! For our family the day began a bit earlier than usual at 5:30 when we rolled out of bed. Several of the boys didn't open their eyes while I dressed them and then walked to the car and laid down and continued to sleep. We drove the 1 hour 53 minutes to the Coldwater Ward. Lucy looked like a beautiful angel in her handmade-by-Grammi dress, bonnet and blanket. The name and blessing ceremony left all but Lucy wiping away tears.

My favorite girls looking beautiful.

The children enjoyed their visit to a new ward. Every time I visit a different ward or branch, I'm thankful that the Church is the same everywhere you go. After church, we were treated to a nice luncheon at Tony's parent's home. The food was delicious, the children were well behaved and the conversation was enjoyable. It was such a nice day!

Emily helping Marta in the kitchen.

Cameron on no sleep.

I love being an aunt to Lucy. She is a lovely little baby. The thing I love best about her is how she has such bright eyes. She always looks like she is taking everything in. I look forward to watching her grow up and seeing the wonderful little lady that she is certain become.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Weekly Top Five 1/6/2008

Top Five Favorite Classical Works of Art

1. "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Seurat

Started out as my favorite because of it's moment of glory in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Now I really love it and hope to see it someday in person at the Art Institute of Chicago


2. "Vitrana" by Dominick Labino

I can remember staring at this as a child on tours of the Toledo Museum of Art. I would sit on the floor as the docent talked and try to choose my favorite square. I have loved Labino since my parents took me to his studio/workshop to meet him. I hope to have a very large collection someday. Currently, I have 1 piece by him that I inherited from my parents.

3. "The Bear Dance" by William Beard


My dad gave me a print of this for my birthday one year and I love it. I had it in the children's room when Emily and Christopher were little. Christopher took a nap one day, took it out of the frame and ripped into little pieces all over their room. What a stinker! I haven't replaced it but I hope to someday.

4. "Girl Among the Hollyhocks" by John Hafen


This painting is hanging over my desk and in the bride's room at the Toronto Temple where Chris and I were sealed. I love it.

5. I don't know the name and artist of this one but it is two girls in a boat on a little river or maybe picnicing by a little river. One has brown hair and one has red hair. It was hanging on the wall of my best girlfriend's room when we were girls. I used to imagine that it was she and I. I wish I could find it but I just don't know the name or artist.

***Thank you to Suzy for finding this for me by accident! The painting that I love is called, "The Nut Gatherers" by William Adolphe Bouguereau. The original hangs in the DIA. I was obviously the girl on the right and my friend, Eliza, was girl on left. There don't appear to be any rivers nearby them so my memory isn't as great as I thought it was. I'm going to have to get a copy of this for Emily's room someday.

"Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city." --George Burns

Today was the Platte Family Christmas Party. This event happens every year after Christmas and is part Christmas party, part family reunion. The Platte Family is comprised of my grandmother, her children, her children's children, and her children's children's children. Someday in the near future, i bet we'll have her children's children's children's children. My grandmother is 90. You can read about her here. She has 10 daughters living. They are Aunts Judy, Pat, Katie, Bernie, Mary, Linda, Annie, Jackie, Susie and Tina (born when my grandma was 50). My mother fits between Mary and Linda. There was one son, Tom, who died before I was born, in an accident. His wife remarried and they and their children come to the party too.

A photo of them as children. My mom is peeking out just to the left of my grandma. Anna looks just like her.

The Plattes 2008

My aunts are amazing women. I look up to each one in a different way but mostly I look up to them because they are all such outstanding mothers. Six of them have over five children, several over 10. I have 61 first cousins. My cousins range in age from 18 months to (I'm guessing) 45. Sorry to my oldest cousins if you are younger than this. Many of my cousins are married with children. These children range in age from 22 to newborns. I don't know how many children there are. I would guess somewhere around 90. This brings the total number of people including spouses and significant others attending the party to somewhere around 170. 170 people all attending because of two people who married over 70 years ago and built a strong family with a determination to weather any storm and stand steadfast and immovable.

As long as I can remember, we have held the party at a hall because we are too large a group to fit in anyone's home. When I was little it was at the Westphalia Fire Hall and also at the Westphalia old hall that featured a rather scary basement. The party has been held at the new Westphalia Hall and finally has settled at the Pewamo Hall. As a child, the party involved seeing cousins and playing with toys. My sister and I were almost the only cousins that didn't live right in the same community as everyone else. There were times that I felt like an outsider because these people all knew each other so well and I was felt so different from them. Not only was I a city girl but I was also a different religion from everyone. It would always take me a few minutes to warm up but pretty soon I was running right along with the others. Sometimes we had Santa at the party and sometimes there were movies and pinatas. The party was always a highlight of the year. The current party involves eating the most incredible food on the planet, dodging basketballs, opening gifts and having to thank someone you might have never met for them, singing Christmas carols, keeping your 18 month old from drinking from random cups in the room that may or may not contain beer, talking, laughing and having fun. In addition, many people play cards and this year we took a group photo. The party lived up to all expectations.

I got to spend time laughing at my Uncle Dave's dry wit, marveling at the beauty and slenderness of cousins and aunts and wondering why my dad's genes are so dominate in my genetic makeup, singing favorite Christmas songs that I only get to hear at the party, eating glorified rice, talking with my grandma even though I don't think she knows me anymore, listening to all the complements on my beautiful children, proudly standing by Anna as everyone oohed and aahed over Lucy and just loving being with these people who represent the one person I miss more than anything.

As I listened to my aunts sing, (they are amazing) I could hear my mother's voice and see her standing there clapping and laughing. I was once again reminded that I am never going to stop missing her. She was there with us today and I will always cherish the Platte Party because at it I can feel that much closer to her.

Anna and Lucy, Me and Grandma Platte

Cameron having fun on a riding toy.

Uncle Sam with Anna and Lucy

Spencer or Michael Jordan?

Anna looks a little too excited about Lucy's first Platte Party toy.

Spencer gives a hearty thumbs up to his Assault Machine Gun. Maybe they figured since we live near Detroit...?

Cameron was fascinated by the guitars and music.

He also got in on a poker game.

This is an interesting crucifix sculpture outside the hall. Calvin and Spencer got into a big argument over whether or not it is Jesus. I think I might have to agree with Spencer. That's not the Jesus that I know.

This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm gonna have fun and you're gonna have fun.

On Tuesday, our family was treated to the most fun thing we have done in a really long time. Looking back, I can't remember having so much fun almost ever. We haven't had a vacation in years, we've been so stressed about finances and jobs lately and we just haven't taken the time to have fun. Growing up, I went on several vacations. They were few and far between due to my parent's health and finances. One year we went to Mackinaw Island. That was fun but I really wanted to see Skull Cave. (Or is it rock?) We couldn't afford the money to take the little carriage ride up to it and no one was healthy enough to walk me up there. Oh, the disappointment! One year we went to Florida. We spent two weeks in my grandmother's trailer. We actually did some fun things like go putt-putting and swimming in the ocean. I really wanted to go to Disney World but, again, no money. My second choice was to go to Miami. We didn't go there because my grandma said there were too many Mexicans. Or maybe Cubans. Too many of some ethnic group that she didn't like. As a consolation, we got to go to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers. It didn't quite measure up.

My friends growing up went to exotic places like Cancun, on cruises, to Germany, Disney World, etc... I don't feel deprived or ungrateful. I just know that there is a whole world out there having fun vacations and I haven't really tasted of it yet. I've had a few bites but I want to eat the whole apple. I'm waiting my turn...I know it will happen someday.

Anyway, on Tuesday, we were treated to an afternoon at an indoor water park called Splash Universe in Dundee, Michigan. I had never been to a water park before and this was exactly the kind of fun I needed. The only drawback was that I had to be in public in a swimsuit, but oh well. I endured for the fun. There were super tall water slides that were completely dark and took my breath away when I went down. There were medium water slides that were twisty and turny and so completely exhilarating. There was a lazy river and a wave pool. There was a complete pirate ship-like climbing structure that dumped water on you constantly. It was so fun. I really have overused the word "fun" but that's exactly what it was. We got to eat pizza and play in the arcade too. All compliments of Chris' uncle, whom I just can't thank enough. It was such a wonderful day. I highly recommend it to any family looking for a day of uninhibited fun.

The kids with the Splash Universe beaver mascot

Pretending they are Zac and Cody and having a "Suite" life!

The whole gang, sans me: Back row: Jay, Brette, John, Keili, Kristie, Uncle John, Aunt Barbara Front Row: Aiden, Maya, Conner, Spencer, Calvin, Christopher and Emily

Spencer in some goofy glasses he won at the arcade.

Thankful Thursday 1/3/2008

1. Nintendo DS and Super Mario game

2. Project Runway

3. FHE ideas in the "Friend" magazine

4. Dr. John Howard, Pediatrician extraordinaire

5. Fun board games and fun friends to play them with

What does this song mean? For my whole life I don't know what this song means.

I have set some goals for myself for the New Year. I am reluctant to call them resolutions because in my experience, most people break their New Years resolutions. I prefer to consider them to be "Personal goals set that coincidentally coincide with a new year." That makes me feel a little better.

1. To clean and organize my basement, garage, closet and Cameron's room. Typing those 11 words made me feel sooooo tired. I just hate thinking about those 4 areas of my home. They are all disasters. I am unorganized and busy. In addition, I have inherited a disorder from my father called "Ballard cleaning." With this disorder, if you need to put something away and you do so and can't see said item anymore then it is put away and organized. This could include putting item under the couch, in the couch cushion, shoved in the cupboard, under any of the beds or thrown in the garage or down the basement stairs. My husband has been trying to cure this disorder for 13 years and has had no luck. Maybe this is the year I can lick it!

2. To cultivate a lovely yard and flower garden. I am pleased to have a goal that I can procrastinate for 4 months at least. It doesn't require immediate attention.

3. To always be honest. President Medley gave a great lesson on temple attendance on Sunday in which he listed each question asked during a recommend interview. I have chosen honesty as one which I can most improve upon. My own husband's talk reminded me to be "steadfast and immovable" in this principle.

4. To attend the temple every other week. I know I can do this and I know it will make me a better person.

5. To find something that I can do to make money for my family. I'm not sure about this one yet. I don't want to work outside the home but I want to contribute to our family's income. I am not sure if I could make something and sell it or if there is something else for me to do. I really want to do this though. It is going to take a lot more thought on my part.

6. To write the children's book that is rattling around in my head. Maybe this is the answer to #5.

7. To not snap at nor be impatient with my children. As I type this, Spencer is standing next to me asking me the same question over and and over and over again and it is driving me crazy! However, I am not going to snap. I will calmly help him with his issue of great importance. This is going to take some practice!

8. To read all the RS Lessons before class and not just the ones I have to teach.

9. To recycle. I know have really missed the boat on this one. Here's my lame excuse for not caring about Mother Earth...I don't have a convenient spot to hold my recyclables. I am going to figure out how to make this work in my life.

I know you are thinking..."Um, hello? Where's the weight loss goal?" *sigh* I have been overweight for so long that I am at a point in my life now where I don't believe that I could lose weight. My attitude is "why bother?" I know all the answers: because you'll be healthier, because you'll live longer, because you'll feel better, etc... I just don't think I can do it. Am I happy so overweight? I'm not. But I have resigned myself to it. So I'm not even setting it as a goal. I don't want to set a goal that I'm sure to fail.

I feel pretty positive that I can achieve these nine goals that I have set for myself. Not only will the achievement of them help me personally, but they will also benefit my family, friends and the world around me.