Lately

I've been neglecting this blog a lot lately, haven't I? But I have been justified in this neglect. I wrote scene six of my book, which may seem to be an insignificant accomplishment, but when you've been working on a book since you were nine and you're finally on a draft that will actually stay and the whole world keeps getting in the way of writing it... then you can complain about my complaining.

I will make up my neglect now by posting a long update of everything I have been doing in the last long time.

1) Sarah's jaw surgery - True, I didn't actually do this. But I was helping her in the week or two after that when she was a total wreck. You can read about all this here. (And I really hope that link actually works because I have never tried to do something like that before.)

2) Lizzie's Birthday - (I didn't do this either so let's just pretend it said, 'everything that has been happening' instead of 'everything I have been doing'.) My Lizzie turned 12, an age of increased privileges. Not nearly as many as she would wish, she fervently wants to be allowed to wear makeup at twelve like the other girls in our ward are, but it is not to be. Some pictures (and, yeah, I know the cake dominates, but I really liked that cake):

The delicious lemon angel food cake. Unfortunately, I can't claim ownership of its exquisite delights, Mom made it.

Our family has a 'special' way of blowing out the candles. It involves snuffing the flame with our fingers. Some - Sam - find this a very exciting practice.

The last candle...

And the cake is pounced on by children eager to lick the candles.

And the present opening begins! I gave Lizzie a beautiful outfit and stayed up until midnight wrapping all her other presents the night before.

However it may appear, Lizzie is not trying to smash the Anne of Green Gables movies Mom bought her. She is, in fact, shrieking with joy. (And don't tell her I posted this, she probably wouldn't approve.)

Devoured.

3) Josh's Birthday - Josh turned 10 this Thursday. I did make this cake. Unfortunately, I didn't make it very well. We were out of icing sugar so we had to do whipped cream frosting, which is not my preferred medium. And I didn't have the tools I wanted. They mysteriously disappeared. And I was in a hurry. Anyway, here are pictures:

I made him freeze while I took pictures.


Taken just as the candles went out. Personally, I think this shot it so cool because I can still see the little dots of light. But that is just me. You are not obligated to look at this picture.

Josh is very glad that he has no girlfriends and can eat his cake now.

My hastily made cake. (And Erik's arms, removing the candles.)

So those are all the events that have been keeping me busy. Besides those, I have been doing schoolwork, cleaning, writing, talking and daydreaming. (And taking totally awesome pictures of peaches that I will post someday because they are important.)

Perfect Poses

I enjoy taking photos of people when they don't know they're being observed. (That's why it's so nice to have the zoom function on cameras.) Lizzie is the most fun in the family to photograph. One reason is because she's photogenic and the other is that she is constantly posing. Seriously. I will stand in the window and watch her sitting on a bench, amusing herself, and she keeps switching glamourous poses.

So a little while ago I was looking through my pictures and I saw that she had all these unsuspecting pictures in which she was in practically the same situations. (Sarah says they aren't but she doesn't understand this. No one else ever captures in nearly the same positions.) Here are a couple pairs:

Would you ever guess that this picture was taken through hole where the doorknob ought to be? Like I said before, the zoom function.

Kind of funny, isn't it? Or maybe it's nothing to do with her, maybe I just happen to take pictures when she looks the same. Or maybe they aren't the same positions at all and I'm just imagining things.

Anyway, this post is relatively short so I'm just going to add some more pictures of my beloved sister:

That is all for today. Arrivederci! (Yeah, I'm learning Italian.)