Plautz Family Adventures

Poor lonely blog! or.....What We Did Last Summer

2012-01-13T18:00:00.001-05:00

So, I know that it has been 6 months since there has been any action on this, the family blog. I know this, because my Blogger dashboard reminded me while I was updating the Cake Dreams blog in preparation for the termination of the Cake Dreams website. (only a few more days and the business website will be gone)

.....I digress....

So, what has been going on since the excitement of new baby blessings? Well, the first thing I can think of is the trip that Douglas, Daniel, Benjamin and I took to the Midwest at the end of June last year. Our travels took us to Fishers, Indiana; Highland, Indiana; Pontiac, Illinois; and Nauvoo, Illinois.

INDIANA - Camille and Josh's Wedding
This was a fabulous, albeit, very fast trip. We left on a Wednesday morning and drove all day long arriving around 9:00 p.m. in Fishers, Indiana. This is a suburb of Indianapolis and it is where my sister Ruth Ellen and her family have lived for many years. The occasion of our visit was for the wedding of their first daughter, Camille. Also, I was bringing the wedding cake.

Well, that's not entirely accurate. We did bring the cake, but not assembled. On Monday and Tuesday of that week, I baked all the layers of cake for this three tier square cake that would serve 150 guests. I wrapped the cake layers in several layers of plastic wrap, and let them freeze overnight so they would be nicely chilled by the time I needed to work with them. I also tinted all the fondant a lovely shade of the classic "Tiffany Blue" that has become so popular with brides in the last few years. Also made ahead of time, was the large white bow that would adorn the top tier of the cake.

The goal was to keep the cake cold and undamaged for the 13 hour trip. Douglas "invented" a small refrigerator out of two layers of sturdy corrugated cardboard. I wish now that I had taken a photo. It had a door, and notches for the shelves created by the cake pans. It also had a place for the dry ice to keep everything nice and cold for a full 24 hours.

It was a masterpiece! It worked fabulously! No damage, the larger tiers were actually still a little frozen. Mad props to my super husband.

The hotel where the reception would be held allowed me to use their kitchen to prepare the cake on Thursday. I spent about four hours filling and assembling the layers and giving them a nice crumb coat of delicious buttercream icing.

On Friday morning, I went back and covered the cake in the fondant, and stacked the tiers, and add the white ribbon bands.

The wedding was in a quaint park that was adjacent to a small lake. They had their ceremony at the gazebo. It was a lovely ceremony and Camille was a beautiful bride.

We had crazy delicious food at the reception. It was catered by the restaurant where Camille's husband, Josh works. If I remember correctly, this is where they met.

It was fabulous to spend time with Ruth Ellen and Tad and their family. I wish we could see each other so much more often. I actually had seen Ruthie more in the year before because of the funerals for dad and then mom.

We got to meet Orrin, Carson's new husband. They were married the month before out in Utah, but sadly due to a massive wedding cake schedule planned long before their engagement, and my unfortunate leg injury from when I fell during a wedding cake delivery just two weeks before, I was unable to go their wedding and make their wedding cake for them. I really wish I could have. Maybe I can do an anniversary cake for them some day!!!

Back home to Highland, Indiana

On Saturday afternoon we left my sister's house and journeyed about three hours to Doug and my hometown of Highland, Indiana. Doug's mom still lives in the house where he grew up. We spent the evening with Grandma Plautz and got to visit with his sister, Alexis and her son Tom, who were in town for a graduation. It was really great to visit with them. We had a delicious dinner together.

After dinner, we went to the Veteran's of War memorial park. It starts with the the first wars of our nation, and tile by tile it chronicles the events of every war, and the events leading up to the wars and significant events in between. There were wonderful full size displays created associated with each war, starting with World War I. There was recorded audio describing the events.

We spent the night at the Plautz home, and went to church the next morning to the Griffith Ward, which is the ward I grew up in. (although the name was originally the South Shore Ward until the late 70's)

After that we got on the road to Illinois. We stopped for lunch in the little town of Braidwood, Illinois which is just off the interstate and ate the best place ever!!! It was called: Bill and Bob's Good Table Restaurant. There was so much great food for a great price. Doug had the best French Dip sandwich he ever had in his entire life. I concur that it was FABULOUS!!!

PONTIAC, ILLINOIS

When I looked at the map, I saw that not too far off our path was the quaint little town of Pontiac, Illinois. This is the town where my mother was born, and where she spent most of her growing up years. I just couldn't NOT stop there. So, without too much convincing, my family agreed that we should go see the town. I don't have too many memories of going there as a child, as I was quite young the last times mom and dad took us there to visit family.

I do have vivid memories of park that is located in Pontiac. It is one of a very few parks that have "Swinging Bridges". I Googled what I knew about the park and found directions on my phone's mapping system. On the way there, we drove down the streets where my mom used to live, but I didn't know the address to see the actual houses. We arrived at Chautauqua Park and walked around the entire park. It was a spectacularly beautiful day. We walked both bridges, where my husband and boys took great delight in rocking the bridge enough to scare me. Such fun they had!!!

NAUVOO, the beautiful!!
Late Sunday evening we arrived in a very sleepy Nauvoo. NOTHING was open. We were SO hungry, and there isn't even a McDonalds in town. So, we had to drive down the banks of the Mississippi River and cross over into Iowa to Keokuk to get to a Wendy's for dinner. Problem was, it was one of the worst lightning storms I have ever seen. It was awesome on the one hand, to see the river light up so bright in the dark of night. Yet, it was frightening as well. It rained so hard that by the time we were done eating, the police had to direct us off the main road due to flooding. Problem is, WE DON'T KNOW THE ROADS beyond what the GPS told us. With the rain, there was no reception for us to be rerouted. We used my masterful navigation skills and returned to the road and home to our little Motel Nauvoo for the night.

We spend a marvelous day on Monday seeing the sights. We took the wagon tour first to get our bearings of where everything was in town. Then we ventured out on our own. It happened to be the anniversary of the Martydom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. There was a special commemoration in Carthage that we attended. Much to our surprise, we saw Brennan Volpe and his wife there. Small world.

After the program, we went inside the jail for the guided tour. Douglas has never been there. It was a marvelous experience to go again, and I enjoyed living the experience with Doug.

That night we went to the outdoor stage and saw BYU's Vocal Point perform. They are an a capella group of about 15 guys who are just amazing and so fun to watch.

The next day Douglas and I attended the Nauvoo temple and participated in an endowment session. I cannot even express to you the feelings that I had in that sacred edifice. I will never forget it.

The rest of the day we did the "walking" tour of all the homes and shops and walked the Trail of Tears. It was really touching to get to the point where we, like the saints of the day, turned back and saw the temple on the hill in the distance. This is the view my ancestors had and wrote about. In that moment, I really understood it more completely.

As a side note, we ate at at Grandpa John's Buffet for breakfast each morning. I gotta say, it was FABULOUS!!!! No, I mean really!!! Douglas just said that he would go back to Nauvoo just for the food there.

My only regret is that we were not able to do this kind of vacation when all of our children were younger. It is great to make memories as a family.

We left around 5:00 p.m. and drove all night to get home by Wednesday at noon. Doug was incredible, but I was really nervous through the mountains of West Virginia as his sleepiness was really showing.

It was a fabulous adventure and I will never forget the great time I had with these members of my family.

We raced for the cure (again)

2011-06-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

Hi family & friends,

Click here to see pictures and a summary from our family's 2011 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure excursion. (The link takes you to my blog.)

It was great times!

Max & Maggie blessing day pictures

2011-06-22T09:26:00.013-04:00

I have a family here on Earth; they are so good to me.

2011-06-07T10:41:00.004-04:00

add another, and now there are FIVE!!!

2011-03-24T15:34:00.000-04:00

Last night, Wednesday, March 23, 2011, at 8:43 p.m. our family welcomed another member of the Erik and Elizabeth Lewis family. We have another grandson! He is healthy and beautiful. He weighed 9 pounds 3 ounces and is 22 inches long. As of this writing, a name had not yet been given, but it shouldn't be long now.

Baby Boy Lewis

...and babies make FOUR (grandchildren, that is)

2011-03-21T15:15:00.001-04:00

The Plautz family is incredibly pleased to introduce the two newest members of the family. Max and Maggie Plautz were born just after 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 20th, 2011. Mary had been in the hospital since early Wednesday morning as the little twins were trying very much to make an early arrival. Fortunately, they decided to stay inside for a few more days to help their little tiny bodies grow a few days stronger. They made it to exactly 33 weeks and are doing very well. They are both breathing on their own! Words cannot express how incredibly happy we are for Christian and Mary and for the safe arrival of their two new beautiful babies.

First born was Maggie, she weighed 3 pounds and 12 ounces.

A few minutes later Max was born, he weighed 4 pounds 2 ounces.

Here is a photo of Maggie in her isolet; she is approximately 17 hours old. She was so alert and soooo cute.

Here is a photo of Max in his isolet. You can see how small he is as compared to Chris' (Grandma Cunningham) hand. So adorable. He grabbed a hold and held tight on to Grandpa Plautz' finger. They both have really blonde hair.

Here are two short videos. The first is Maggie, the second, Max.

So, now Doug and I have four grandchildren, with one more little grandson coming within the next few days. Elizabeth is due tomorrow (or Wednesday, depending on the calculator) We will keep you posted once her little baby arrives.

Our family is truly blessed. Thanks be to heaven.

Do you want to see the cutest Lewis girls ever?

2011-03-01T11:36:00.002-05:00

See? Told ya!

Our Old Man

2011-01-28T08:43:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to our dearest Dad. Ain't he purdy?

Amelia's 4th

2010-12-22T14:01:00.006-05:00

So we (Dad, Mom, Alex, & I) had the BEST time last Saturday attending Amelia's 4th birthday party. We could all tell she was having a super fun time. My most favorite part what when she was opening presents. Her reaction to every single one was genuine, pure excitement. I was able to video when we sang "Happy Birthday" to her. You can just tell she felt really special that it was HER day! Also, look at all the birthday goodies she got! What a stash!!

(Benjamin) Alex's Winter Concert

2010-12-16T23:19:00.000-05:00

Our dear little brother had his winter concert on Tuesday evening. He did marvelous! Each time I attend a concert of my siblings I feel more proud to be apart of our family. We are a talented bunch, if I do say so myself. I only recorded the two non-holidayee songs because I liked them better. Plus Alex likes them too and now he can remember them forever. Great job! (*I'll post the titles of them when I get them.)

Hola!

2010-09-02T21:46:00.007-04:00

So its no secret that Charlotte loves all things Dora. We have Dora toys, shows, books, toothbrushes, fruit snacks, and more. I've been searching for a pair of Dora PJs for Charlotte for a while, but trying to find them in her size has proven to be difficult. Well I finally found some and, because all things matching are adorable, I got a pair for Amelia too. Here are the girls showing off their cute matchind Dora PJs.

I told Amelia to put her arm around Charlotte, but Charlotte did not like that idea.

Charlotte with her Dora toothbrush.

Need some cigarettes or a gun?

2010-08-25T10:23:00.018-04:00

'Cause Daniel is 18!!!

Family Beach Trip August 2010

2010-08-23T15:35:00.002-04:00

Enjoy this slide show of pictures (from my camera) of our recent family beach trip...

Birthday Fun!

2010-07-28T08:56:00.002-04:00

For those of you who couldn't be there (we missed you) for Alex's birthday celebration, enjoy vicariously being there through this picture slide show.

1 month down, 2 to go!

2010-06-20T18:21:00.014-04:00

At about fifth grade, you have to learn all the capitals of every state in the county. Can you name the capital of Delaware? What about Wisconsin? You get extra points if you can name the capital of Nebraska. Here's a hint, think sixteenth president. Give up? Lincoln. That's where we are right now, where are in Lincoln, Nebraska, the only state where lightning strikes like clockwork.

Last summer I got sucked into doing the 'summer sales' thing by Brenan Volpe, and so that's what I did, selling door-to-door for Dish Network and DirecTV. It actually wasn't so bad, I was plenty successful, and although my intent was to save up money to put a down payment on a car and pay for school, little did I know that I would actually be paying for a wedding. Well, I kept doing sales in North Carolina to earn money throughout the rest of our engagement, and here I am doing sales again one more time, this time in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The company that we work for (that's right, Kristin got sucked in too doing office work), Satton Marketing, put us up in a pretty sweet place here for the summer. It is called 'The Links at Lincoln.' We literally live on a golf course, the place is kept nice, we have a nice pool, a full in door gym, pool tables, a hot tub and tanning beds. All for free! You just have to be a resident of the complex. Although we can't live in the comfort of our own, decorated home, this place makes up for it with all of its amenities.

Kristin and I took a road trip out here over the span of two days, stopping in St. Louis, Missouri as our halfway point.

We got settled in and started getting to know the place. Our first weekend here, we stumbled upon downtown and walked around getting to know what makes Lincoln Lincoln. It certainly isn't the logs! Okay, just kidding. The down town is nice actually, it looks pretty neat, and there are plenty of things to do and things to keep us occupied. We tried some of Lincoln's own food and stumbled upon Ali Baba's Gyros (That's pronounced Euro). I had a blast trying to fit that giant thing in my mouth.

Lincoln is also home to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the only real sports team in Nebraska. There is no pro football, baseball, basketball, soccer, or hockey team at all, so really this is all they have. Matter of fact, 99% of Nebraskans are fans of the Huskers, and of those 99%, 90% have something on or in their house indicating that they are true Nebraska fans. Quoting a Nebraskan, “The Corn Huskers aren't just a sport out here, they're a religion.” Right.

My job is the same-old same-old every day. There are a gazillion small towns out here, and basically what we do is go pick one, find out what kind of cable they have there, and drive there and start knocking. From there on it's kinda like missionary work: Knock, slam! Knock, slam! Knock, slam! Okay, so maybe that's an exaggeration. Most of the people are receptive to us, although there is a lot of “We'll think about it.” Yeah, you'll think about it, and it'll probably take you, oh, maybe two years before you make your decision. Sorry guys, we're not here that long. I do well though, and the Nebraskan people are generally nice.

They give us incentives to try hard and sell lots. Some of them include steak dinners at outback steakhouse if we sell enough customers in a week. Our second week out here we got that incentive, and so the few of us that were still in town all went out and it was pretty neat. I've never really gone wrong with Outback Steakhouse. Our latest incentive was if we sold enough accounts by Friday, we would get to take Saturday off. We got it and were able to have Saturday off, and while all the boys went down to Kansas City, Kristin and I went over to Omaha and spent the day there. It was actually our six month anniversary!

After raging through downtown Omaha, we headed over to see some Church History and found our way to Winter Quarters. We first saw the Temple, and we found out that it is a very little temple. It seems like it is smaller than Raleigh's, and that one is the smallest one we had been to before. We went around the temple grounds taking pictures and reminiscing our special day. The Temple had beautiful golden doors and it was made of white marble. It was something to see another Temple for the first time.

Our next stop was the Mormon Trail Center where we were taken on tour and shown around by the Omaha Nebraska Mission's own Sister Lawlor. We began the tour with a film about the Trek the Pioneers made from Nauvoo over to the Salt Lake Valley stopping at Winter Quarters along the way. The sister missionary took us around and we saw portraits, life size exhibits of pioneers, and even a model of the first odometer invented by William Clayton. We both knew how bad the pioneers had it, because Kristin and I went on Treks of our own. We took turns pulling the hand carts over some rocks. Painful memories.

After our labor and toils, we left the Mormon Trail center, feeling spiritually fed, but our stomachs left empty, ready for a feast of their own. We couldn't help it so we went to Outback Steakhouse and honestly had the best experience we've ever had at Outback. The food was amazing. In fact, it was FREAKING amazing. Yes, that amazing. They even gave us free dessert, so we decided to leave a good 15% tip. Should we have done better? Too bad we're broke. Stopping by for some Cold Stone to finish the day, we headed home, happy for our six months.

It is neat to be out here, but we definitely are looking forward to returning to NC at the end of the summer. 54 days to go!

Hang Men

2010-06-20T13:35:00.006-04:00

Several weeks ago, we were invited to the Dan and Teresa Loveless home for a family movie night. I have actually known Teresa since the days the Raleigh Stake put on a production of the musical of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as we were in the cast together. Her husband, Dan, is a building superintendent for a home builder. We spent some time before the movie admiring his handiwork on his own home. He build an addition on to the front and back of his home. Very nice.

Hmm...we thought, this is a good person to know.

So, last week at church, Doug spoke with Dan about help with installing the new storm door that our lovely children gave Doug and I this last Christmas. A follow-up call was made and an appointment was set for yesterday morning for the long awaited door install.

Dan came fully equipped with ALL the right tools and expertise to get the job done right. Three and a half hours later, with the able assistance of Doug, a perfectly installed storm door now adorned the front of our home.

So nice!!!

Thank you, dear Plautz children, for the most lovely gift. We are enjoying it already!

Daniel is a High School graduate!

2010-06-13T17:25:00.004-04:00

Daniel Anthony Plautz - Class of 2010

For your "enjoyment", here is a short video from Daniel's high school graduation. Please note the "shout-out" by Christian. It's tradition, I suppose!

The video starts 3 or 4 names before Daniel, and has some unidentifiable footage at the end where Dad panned the convention center, so just stop it whenever

Festival Fun

2010-06-09T11:15:00.001-04:00

Check out my most recent post about Alex and my's fun at the Celebrate Fuquay Varina festival last Saturday.

Good times!

Daniel goes to Prom

2010-05-24T09:18:00.005-04:00

Daniel went to his senior prom on Saturday. He went with Ally, a good friend from school. They were part of a group of 5 couples that went as a group.

The evening started around 4:00 p.m. with photos and then moved on to dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy at Southpoint. Coincidentally, I had delivered a wedding cake to that same restaurant just a few hours before they arrived.

After dinner, they went to Goels Plaza in Morrisville for the dance. Daniel said that it didn't compare to last year's prom there, but they had fun none the less.

They all gathered together at one of the group's house to hang out for the night. They watched a movie (Avatar) and just had fun. I am always thankful for parents who are willing to host this "after prom" activity which keeps my kids safe and off the roads after midnight on Saturday night.

Daniel said he didn't fall asleep until about 4 in the morning, but still made it to church shortly after 9 o'clock on Sunday morning.

Here are some photos for you to enjoy!!

Exchanging Flowers

10 Good Friends Go to the Prom

Daniel and Ally

The "Boys" Shot

The air shot

The Prom-mobile

enough said

Why Me?

2010-05-21T15:08:00.003-04:00

Is anyone out there as grateful as me that it's Friday? This week has been particularly hard. Maybe it's the working 10 hours Monday and Tuesday that threw me off, or that I hurt the feelings of someone I really respect, but something feels weird. I am so ready for it to be over. But before that, I've got to get through the weekend. Here's the rundown of the expected (and perhaps unexpected events):

Friday
I'm going on a "campout" with the Activity Day Girls. We'll be in some one's backyard (thankfully). I even made little camp songbooks so we can enjoy the camp songs from yesteryear. We'll be singing such favorites as "Once an Austrian Went Yodelling" and "Sipin' Cider." We'll talk about the Young Women Values (cause the theme we're working on is preparing for YW) and the scriptures associated with them. We'll drink hot chocolate (yum) and enjoy each other's company. I am kind of tempted to bring little rubber bands and braid hair!

Saturday
In the morning we'll get up and have breakfast - that's given! Then we'll make friendship bracelets using the colors of the YW values. I am kind of excited about that part. I had fond memories of making and wearing friendship bracelets. Daniel pointed it out that they won't actually be given to anyone for friendship. Oh well, that's still what they're called, though.

I will hopefully come home and catch up on my shows, laundry, and cleaning. Cleaning my room is a weekend ritual. It wouldn't hafta be if I did it more routinely. I used to be so good at it too. Nerds! I am hoping to start (and possibly finish) the Family Home Evening chart that we'll use. I am excited with the possibilities, plus I've been itchin' to be crafty and this will definitely satisfy the urge. Then I will gear up and get ready for my favorite ballet. I am super excited about it and I know it will be a good thing. I've always love to watch dancing. This is mostly because I am so obviously not a dancer. But I long to be. Do they have grown-up ballet classes? I'd probably be too embarrassed to go if they did.

Sunday
Sunday will be my day of rest. Hurray!!! I look forward to going to church and being partaking of the good spirit that is there. It is also very fun and amazing for the Old Testament to come alive again through Dad's teaching. I am grateful that he's the teacher because it makes my transition to Sunday School from being in Primary a much easier one. And then I will spend a lovely time hanging out with my family and cuddling with Sydney. I love just sitting and talking with them and joking around.

I'm hoping that after this weekend I can feel refreshed and overcome this really awful week. Jada from work says, "You're only what, Catherine?" pause for dramatic effect,"one person; you can only do what you can do." I take things slower and enjoy the week ahead. The End.

The Music of the Night

2010-05-19T12:48:00.002-04:00

Last night our darling brother Alex had his last concert of his seventh grade career. Let me first say that I can't believe the little Prince/Special-Olympics Baby is almost 14! It was only yesterday that he was coming out of the bathroom at Laurie Lane with one glove on saying, "I'm Michael Jackson!" or donning sunglasses stating, "I'm the government." Which also reminds me that Christian educated him as to who really killed JFK {the government}. Needless to say he has grown up to quite the squeaky-voice, first pimple-having, always hugging tween.

We all gathered in the Holly Ridge gymnasium (yes, you read that right) for a night of middle school magic. First up was the jazz band. Hearing them I couldn't help but reminisce about the jazz band from our West Lake days. Mom and I agreed that it was phenomenal and Mr. Atkinson was the BEST! The little drummer boy was timid in his cymbal-tapping and almost looked afraid to do his drum rolls. Next came the 6th grade band. My favorite piece was one called Lizards! But mostly because in the middle of it Mom started uncontrollably laughing and finally pointed out to me that for each and every song the band director compiled what she called "Program Notes." These consisted of either a mini book report (all excerpts that seemingly came from Wikipedia) or words that requested emotions to be felt while listening to the music. Her laughter came from the aforementioned song's notes. Here's a taste:

"Lizards! is a musical representation of the reptiles characterized by a sleek body, scaly skin, tail and four legs. Many of these creatures live in hot, dry regions of the world, but they may also be found in rain forests, prairies, marshes, streams, underground burrow and rocky areas. [uh, so basically anywhere]...The fascinating part to observe is how quickly some of the creature scamper over logs, rocks, tree trunks and the open ground. Lizards! simply tries to capture some of the many facets of the remarkable reptiles."

And then came the beloved 7th graders. Alex was so adorable with his little band mates! There were many of them which produced a beautiful sound. Mom and I could point out the parts that we heard Alex practice over and over again. Overall the 7th grade band was the best. Thankfully they didn't have any song called Lizards! but they did do a swell medley called Disney's Magical Marches which Mom and I sang a little too loudly Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and the Mickey Mouse Club theme song. So thinking that we could leave after the 7th graders, Daniel and I made plans. Then we realized that they trap you by combining all of the bands and playing what the band director called "The Grand Finale" which I will subtitle with, "ha, ha, we trapped you here for 2 hours and you hafta sit through this last one."

Mary's Birthday Pics - Now you feel like you were there!

2010-05-06T08:47:00.011-04:00

Ka-razy Kids

2010-05-04T09:37:00.006-04:00

Last night at FHE I must confess that we (mostly Daniel & Alex) were being a tad unruly. Daniel and Alex were wrestling and making all sorts of commotion. Then Dad looked at them and said, "Imagine when EIGHT kids were doing this during home evening." Then it dawned on me again - Mom and Dad had to deal with eight kids at FHE every Monday night being unruly, rambunctious, and annoying. I say "again" because we sit in front of a couple a church with four kids all under the age of (I'm guessing) six. And the mom is preggers. She looks like she's around my age too. Even the Grandma was there to help, but those kids were all over the place. I just kept sitting trying to listen to the testimonies but my thoughts wandered to a time when Mom and Dad had to deal with all of us at church. And I'm pretty sure we didn't sit there quietly reading our gospel-oriented books. Although I do recall getting our own notebooks to drawn in/on. Alls I'm saying is, we're not the crazy kids, our parents were crazy kids! They were young and had all us kids. But seriously, what I'm really saying is that our parents have hoped all things, have endured many things, and I'm sure, hope to be able to endure all things! So I'm giving a shout out to them! I can barely make myself sit still during church & FHE, let alone a kabillion kids.

Strawberry Fields Forever

2010-04-29T13:32:00.007-04:00

Once a month our playgroup with the Partnership for Children takes a field trip. This month our field trip took us to Garner Farms where the girls and I picked strawberries. I hate to admit that this was the first time we had picked strawberries, but it certainly will not be our last. The strawberries were so ripe and luscious, juicy and delicious - practically irresistible. I put the girls in dark colored shirts to minimize staining but didn't think I would get too messy. I should of thought of Charlotte, covered in strawberry juice wanting to be held at some point. I'm really hoping those stains come out of my shirt!

A beautiful strawberry plant.

Amelia really enjoyed picking the strawberries. I told her to pick the bright red ones, but a few small green ones made it in her basket anyway.

Charlotte definitely enjoyed eating more than picking. She did, however, want to hold one of the pails, but I had to take it away when the strawberries started to spill out every time she moved.

I can't wait to go back so I have enough to make some jam. Strawberry jam . . .YUM!

It's time!

2010-04-28T16:09:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday while giving Amelia and Charlotte a bath Amelia decided to get Elizabeth's soap to play with. No sooner after it got wet, it slipped out of her hands. And then suddenly I heard her say, "Oh crap!" I had to keep myself from laughing!!!! Guess it's time for us to clean up the language even more, huh??? LOL!

Countdown to to Wicked!

2010-04-27T08:47:00.003-04:00

It is less than 12 hours away that Daniel and I are going to see Wicked and we couldn't be more excited!! Well, I am excited. I'm sure Daniel is too. I've been listening to the soundtrack for a little over a month now, read about the story on wikipedia, and watched some YouTube videos. I am officially stoked! I can't believe it's actually here. Tonight. Wicked. I am not looking forward to missing DWTS: The Results and Glee, but how often can this happen? Also the driving a long ways to Durham will not be fun. BUT, who can think of that when it's a fabulous show such as this?!?!

Last night at FHE Mom told Daniel and I that we couldn't say anything after the show so as not to spoil anything. They are going tomorrow night. Mom actually found out that the Maxwells are also going so they're riding together. What fun! I promise I won't spoil anything. Even before going I know it's going to be fan-wait for it-tastic!

I just have to get through today and then get myself home. Do you think it would be terribly tacky for me to wear an LBD with bright green eye shadow in the spirit of the musical? I just might do it.

C&M's Weekly Round-Up: The Impulse Buy

2010-04-26T14:19:00.001-04:00

I'm not going to make this post a very long one -- it's the first post on Plautz Family Adventures since my last post, which makes me feel a little embarrassed. I did say weekly posts, though, and I'm sticking to that. Please someone else post this week?

Monday, April 19: Christian gets to pitch {for the first time ever!} on Biogen's softball team and does an excellent job -- no walks and Biogen wins 15-10.

Tuesday, April 20: We watch LOST, and wish we didn't have to wait two weeks until the next episode. Blerg.

Friday, April 23: I clean our entire downstairs, and because of my dust allergy, have some serious nasal congestion. We see Sherlock Holmes, and it is very good.

Saturday, April 24: I start to feel less like I have allergies and more like I have a cold. Double blerg. We buy a new TV. It makes for a good story; you should read it.

Sunday, April 25: I am definitely sick, but Christian takes very good care of me. He lets me watch whatever I want on our new TV and makes me frozen pizza even though he's never done it before.*

Stay tuned: I have my 24th birthday on Wednesday, and I am so excited! I love my birthday! I'll tell everything in next week's post. :)

*Christian has since informed me, "It's not like I've never made a frozen pizza before." Which is true. Even though you wouldn't have been able to tell from listening to him ask me questions about how to do it. Seriously, though, I love my husband and I love that he is so thoughtful.

C&M's Weekly Round-Up: Take 1

2010-04-20T15:31:00.001-04:00

I thought, since Mom invited all of us to contribute to Plautz Family Adventures, that I could post weekly about the doings of our {little} branch of the family. Initially, I contemplated just re-posting entries from my own blog, but decided that this is an audience which would be more interested in actual life events, and less interested in our TV preferences. Personally, I find our day-to-day lives a little boring. Boring to describe, that is. Not at all boring to live. I even used to label all posts about life events "boring life stuff" on my personal blog, until I found it too depressing and started using the tag "adventures" instead.

But now, on to some actual content. Our week in review:

Monday, April 12: Christian and I celebrate our second anniversary. {Does it seem two years since our wedding to you? It certainly doesn't to me. Time flies when you're married to the awesomest guy in the world.} We first go to Christian's opening softball game of the season. His team loses miserably, but we both have fun. Afterward, we clean ourselves up and eat dinner at the CKF, which, for those of you previously unaware or forgetful, is our acronym for the Cheesecake Factory. You can see pictures of Christian getting bored with my incessant need to point a camera at him here.

Tuesday, April 13: We watch LOST. {You didn't think you would get away with absolutely no television commentary, did you? Because it seriously makes up such a significant portion of our lives.} We enjoy the explosions.

Saturday, April 17: After the rest of our pleasantly slow week, we borrow my sister Alice's minivan and head to North Topsail beach with our friends Rochelle, Joel, Jeremy and Stephanie. An incredible {albeit chilly -- the weather hasn't quiet warmed up enough to go ocean-swimming} time is had by all, and no one gets even slightly sunburned.

Sunday, April 18: Christian and I are so hungry at church that we feel as though our stomachs are eating themselves. We race out at the end of the third hour, only to find Christian's car battery dead. We each take turns saying "blerg." We hitch a ride home, and I make us some wicked good steaks. Our hunger satisfied, we return with Christian's former roommate Wade to jump-start Christian's car.

And that's it for this past week. There's really not a lot going on with us, if I leave out the bulk of our TV watching {and it is bulky -- 23 shows total this season}, which is how I like it. Little drama makes for a happy life.

Tune in next week when I describe... well, I don't know yet, because it hasn't happened yet. Ooh, suspense!

Kiss, Kiss

2010-04-17T09:29:00.004-04:00

Now that all the Plautz family can contribute to this blog, I am excited to be able to share pictures and videos from celebrations and such. I hope everyone will too. So, I thought I'd post the ca-utest video of little Charlotte handing out kisses (and hugs) to Grammie & Grandpa (and Christian) for all to enjoy over and over again.

Another Plautz Wedding!

2009-09-21T10:33:00.003-04:00

Michael Plautz and Kristin Riley are engaged and will be married on December 19th, 2009 in the Raleigh North Carolina Temple. We are so delighted to add Kristin to our family. Michael is blissfully happy, and quite honestly, I think he would do anything for Kristin. They are a great match and we wish them every happiness.

We are Buyng a House!

2009-08-15T18:08:00.004-04:00

There really hasn't been much to blog about since the summer began. This is because my whole life is about CAKE during the summer, and this blog is NOT about cake at all.

About a month or so ago, I had the thought that we really ought to take advantage of the $8000 first home purchase tax credit this year. I am so ready to not rent anymore, and have a home of my very own.

We fear change. Or at least, as we get older, we like to keep things predictable. So, we figured out how much of a house payment we could afford, and therefore the most we could have for a mortgage on a house. Then, we decided that we wanted to stay pretty much in the same area. Same schools, same ward...oh and the perk of the church being within walking distance is a great thing too. Those two criteria meant that we would be looking for a townhouse within a two mile radius from where we are now.

We looked at town houses and found one we thought would work pretty well that was just up the street from us. The day we looked at the house one more time to see if we were ready to make an offer, I had a terrible sick and nervous feeling, the same that I get when the spirit tells me to STOP.

Doug and I talked about my feelings of warning and he told me that he just felt that he didn't want to move into a townhouse, because it felt so much like an apartment. Doug also said that maybe we needed to pray to know where the Lord wanted us to be instead of us telling him where we wanted to be and hope he'd make us feel good about it.

So, we decided to have me look at single houses in two communities where they are more affordable. All of a sudden I realized that I no longer felt sick any more.

To make a long story short, Catherine came with me on Saturday, August the 8th and we looked at 8 properties. She helped me get the list to 3. Doug and I, with the two boys on Monday this week went to see the final three. We all agreed that the first house we saw (which was Catherine and mine's favorite) was the best house for us. A few more prayers later and we were ready to make an offer on the house.

They accepted our offer on Wednesday and on Thursday we had a signed contract for 217 Ashdale Drive in Fuquay-Varina. Below is a short video using the photos from the MLS listing on line.

We sold 211 Laurie Lane almost four years ago; and that was a very hard thing for me. I wasn't sure how long it would be before we could own our own home again. But, the Lord has blessed us so much, especially in the last year and a half. Eric's faithfulness in serving has also blessed our family. I know this blessing is in part due to his dedication to missionary service.

This IS where the Lord wants us to be and although it means huge changes for our family, we are excited to begin this new adventure.

You Can't "Over Love" Your Son!

2009-06-02T07:07:00.008-04:00

It seems that lately, most of our family's outings have revolved around Daniel. That makes sense, since he is the oldest child at home right now. And, because he is a junior in high school and involved in many activities, we find ourselves attending his special events. (no commentary from the sisters on the qualifier "special" )

PROM
Daniel attended his junior prom, which, if I am not mistaken, was also his first date. I am fairly certain that both Christian and Michael went on their first date to prom as well. That is actually kind of interesting since Doug and mine's first date was the winter formal dance back in high school.

Daniel asked a girl named Ashley to attend the prom with him. The school geneology makes this interesting, as Ashley played Daniel's daughter in last year's spring musical Bye, Bye Birdie. Several friends from the chorus paired together and they spent the prom experience together as a group. A good time was had by all.

CHORAL CONCERT
Last Thursday, we attended the last choral concert of the year. By assignment, the choral director, Mr. Benson, had the students break up into groups for a project which goal was to have them learn how to create basic harmonies and make a simple arrangement based upon popular television commercial jingles. Some of these were quite interesting...

The videos I have uploaded are not fantastic, as they were taken with my cell phone, that does not have a zoom feature. Also, the sound was pretty far away...but you'll get the gist.

The first video is Daniel's group doing the Charmin Bathroom Tissue commercial. You know, the one with the bears. Daniel is the first one on the stage. That's right, the one with the toilet paper on his shoe.

The second video is the entire chorus performing the Fruit of the Loom comercial theme "You Can't Over Love Your Underwear". Daniel is the featured soloist in the cowboy hat.

SPRING MUSICAL
Back in April, Daniel also appeared in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He had a major role, once again being cast as a more comedic character. I must say, he executes these types of roles quite well. Unfortunately, this abilty runs extensively in the family. He was the "suck up" newphew to the president of the company. He really was the stand out of the show, and this is based on many opinions of those who are not even related to him.

For some reason, I cannot find the file of the few photos that I took during the show. When I find them, I will post them.

MINOR INCONVENIENCE
We have spent a few evenings going to see Daniel play bass guitar in a band called Minor Inconvenience. They perform original music, mostly written at this time by Daniel Greco (Cary 1st Ward) who is playes rhythm guitar. They are quite good and are really coming into their own. Below is a great photo of him at Jam Fest.

Click here for their page on My Space where you can read the "biography" (and I use that term loosely) of the group and listen to some of their tunes.

Well, I am done for now with this feature on my very talented and all around sweet boy, Daniel.

A Little Trip

2009-03-30T06:11:00.005-04:00

A week and a half ago, I took a few days to go to New Bern to help watch the cute little girls so that Elizabeth could get some painting done on her house. Both Elizabeth and Charlotte were sick. They BOTH had ear infections among other disagreeable symptoms. Here is a video of Charlotte and Amelia, with a short cameo appearance of Elizabeth.

Slacker

2009-03-04T07:49:00.004-05:00

I know. I am a blogger slacker. But, in my defense, I have a difficult time thinking of things to blog about. I have a busy life, filled with activities, but I am not so certain that anyone would consider my life interesting. Additionally, I told myself that this was not the place to talk about "cake", and since that is what my life has been revolving around lately, I guess there hasn't been much to say.

That being said, here are 10 Things that are on my mind today.

I am tired. I have no idea why I have been so tired lately, as I am actually sleeping more consecutive hours of the night than usual.
I am cold and I cannot get warm. I don't think anyone would wonder why, considering the weather as of late. Alex woke up late and so I had to drive him to school. There was frost all over the car, so I had to srape it off with an old gift card. I couldn't feel my thumbs for about 15 minutes.
I am happy that Elizabeth and Erik have begun to settle in their new home in Beaufort with Erik's mom, but I am sad that it is further away. And, I miss those cute little girls.
I am so grateful to have a job that is seemingly "recession proof". People are (thankfully) still getting married and are still willing to pay me to make their wedding cake. (I don't think this one counts as cake talk)
It bothers me that my sister, Colleen, gave me these awesome huggable hangers for Christmas, and I have not yet had the time to organize my closet with them. Any volunteers to help me? I'll buy Dairy Queen or Goodberrys to anyone who steps forward.
Doug and I have been watching THE OFFICE on Netflix Instant View. We can't get enough of this show, so we started back with Season One again and are now a few episodes into Season Three for the second time. It is funnier every time we see it. The writing is so consistent and you can see in the earlier episodes forshadowing of things to come. Clever.
Recently, the boy who played Captain von Trapp to my Maria in our Senior High School musical production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC found me on face book. I want to write him back, but I keep putting it off. I have to say, I had a big crush on him early in high school (before Doug), so it didn't hurt that I got to kiss him for the show. This has been a sore spot with Doug for all these years. You see, Doug played the priest who marries Maria and the Captain, so I had to kiss this guy in front of Doug every night during the rehearsals and the show. He actually "acted" jealous (in that over dramatized way so as to appear as if he was kidding) when I told him the other night. So maybe, I haven't written because I am afraid of being a flirt. Is that even possible? I am not sure I remember how to flirt. I used to be quite good at it.
I can't decide what to make for dinner tonight. It has to be easy with a fast clean up. Any thoughts?
I miss Eric.
I love Douglas.

Thanks for listening. Have a great day!

On this day, 42 years Ago

2009-01-14T00:05:00.000-05:00

On January 14, 1967, I was baptized. I was eight years old. It was freezing cold and I had to share my baptism with an entire family who was joining the church. I remember thinking at the time that I didn't like it. That whole family took the attention off of me. I wanted attention. There were so many people in attendance, but even I knew at eight years old that they weren't there for me. Humpf!

I am glad that I got baptized. It was the best decision that I had made so far in my life. I wouldn't make another great decision like that until 7th grade when I decided to pretend that my name was really Sarah.

I have learned to like my name. I have decided that "SALLY" is a friendly name. I am friendly.

I guess being baptized was really still a better decision than lying about my name.

The End.

From Mary: I Am

2009-01-06T07:31:00.003-05:00

I am: a nice person.
I know: I can do some pretty cool things.
I want: to own my own house again.
I have: the greatest family EVER!
I hate: when time or money is wasted.
I miss: Eric (my missionary son).
I feel: happiest when my family is around.
I hear: the rattling of the fan and the “caw-ing” of the birds.
I smell: cake.
I crave: romantic moments with my husband.
I search: for beach houses for this summer.
I love: my sweetheart Doug.
I care: that my children are happy.
I always: procrastinate taking a shower.
I believe: that I am responsible for my own happiness.
I sing: because I MUST!
I write: letters to my son, and emails to my friends.
I lose: my temper when I am stressed.:(
I win: because I have so much for which I am thankful.
I never: take enough time for myself.
I listen: to anyone who needs to “just talk”.
I am scared: that my body feels so old at only 50.
I need: to be more organized.
I am happy about: being a grandmother to the cutest little girls in the world.
I tag: Catherine and Elizabeth

2008 - A Year in Review

2009-01-01T03:41:00.008-05:00

2008 was a great year! It was filled with many opportunities to celebrate with our family. These are the happiest times for me. Allow me to chronologically review these most triumphant events.

January – 1) Christian proposes marriage to Mary Cunningham! A spring wedding is planned. Very exciting! 2) My most excellent execution of a surprise birthday celebration for Doug’s 50th birthday. Family and dear friends met at Bentleys restaurant for great food and a good hearted roast of Doug. It was brilliantly M.C.'d by Christian Plautz. Catherine was a fantastic support with clever invitations and party favors among other things.

March – 1)A FULL TIME JOB! Doug is hired by Wake Technical Community College as their Safety Officer. It’s a job he loves, and they love him. And, the best part is health benefits and a pension plan. 2)Elizabeth and Erik tell us they are expecting baby number 2.

April – On April 12th Christian Michael Plautz marries Mary Ellen Cunningham at the Raleigh NC Temple. We are delighted to welcome Mary to our family. We are thrilled to have another daughter. We can see how much they are M.F.E.O. (made for each other)

May – the celebration of my father, Joseph Barney’s 80th birthday. We gathered at the Olive Garden for the event.

August – 1) the joyful return of Elder Michael Plautz from the Colorado Denver North Mission. 2)a most wonderful and relaxing week at our favorite beach front condo at North Myrtle Beach where we learned that Eric would serve in the Georgia Macon mission beginning in November.

September – the successful taking of the new Plautz Family Portrait by our favorite photographer, Nina Perkins.

November – 1)the exciting arrival of Charlotte Eleanore Lewis, our 2nd grand-child. I was able to be there for her birth, and traveled back and forth to New Bern, in between wedding cake weekends to lend a hand to Erik and Elizabeth. We were able to have all 15 of us together for Charlotte's blessing day. It would be the last time for two years because...2)we had the departure of Elder Eric Alan Plautz on his very first airplane trip to the Provo, Utah MTC to begin his 2 year mission in the Georgia Macon Mission. 3)a most excellent Thanksgiving celebration with our entire family, minus the young Elder Plautz.

December – a wonderful Christmas with our family and the opportunity to talk with Elder Plautz on the telephone. He is currently serving in the Savannah Georgia area, which I Google Mapped and learned is only 5 ½ hours away! Holy Cow! That is close.

2008 was really great

Will 2009 be sublime?

wait and see...

Excused Absence?

2008-12-31T10:22:00.005-05:00

I would like to acknowledge that it has been more than a month since I last posted an entry. This breaks a commitment that I had made for myself to post at least once a month after Mary defined the minimum guidelines for justifying a blog. ;-)(I love you Mary!)

In my defense, I have had criz-zazy weeks since Eric left on his mission which has left little down time for entries. I also have learned from Catherine and Mary, the simple kinds of things I could blog about just from thoughts that I have. I guess since I named my blog Plautz Family Adventures, I keep thinking I have to only write about the “goings on” of my family. You may recall, early on I had issues with the name of the blog for this very reason. Perhaps there will be a change for the new year...

Elder Plautz (the IV)

2008-11-21T20:54:00.031-05:00

On Wednesday, November 19, 2008, my fourth son, my sixth child departed for two years to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now, you'd think that I would be an old pro at this, considering that he is the fourth Elder Plautz to serve a mission from our family. But...not so much!

I cried like a baby. Well, more like a mom.

Actually, I started crying a few days before he left. I cried when he gave his talk on Sunday (which was excellent). I cried when he came down the stairs on his way to be set apart, he, looking so grown up and ready to go. And I cried when I said good-bye at the airport. I cried again, when he was standing in the security check in line, as he turned back for one more look. He looked like a little boy in 'grown up man clothes'. I cried two more times that same day, when I was saying prayers, each time I went to ask for blessings for him.

I think I am done crying now. This is what we raised him for. I am so pleased with his choice and I can't wait to see who he becomes after the Lord has had the opportunity to work miracles on him and through him.

Today, in the mail, came this photo and slip of paper:

This slip of paper accompanied Elder Plautz’s photograph:

And this is what was written on the back of the slip of paper:

It helps to make it even more real for me, to see him standing outside of the MTC. It's the beginning of a new adventure for him. I just know that he is going to have a wonderful experience in the MTC.

To see photos from his departure at RDU Airport, click on this link to Catherine's Blog SLIDE SHOW

Charlotte Eleanore Lewis

2008-11-04T22:26:00.013-05:00

We are so excited to welcome a new grand-daughter to the ever growing Plautz Family. Charlotte was born at 6:15 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008. She weighed in at exactly 8 pounds and was 20 inches long.

The Story (strictly from my perspective)

Anticipation

I had spoken to Elizabeth on Friday and Saturday and she had told me that she had been having contractions, but they were not terribly intense or long lasting. She'd have them for a while and then they would stop. My gut feeling was that things were getting started for her.

On Sunday morning, right around 5:00 a.m. Erik called us and said that Elizabeth had been having strong contractions since about 1:00 a.m. or so and that they were about an average 8 minutes apart; and sometimes closer. He suggested that I might want to pack a bag and get on the road.

So, I climbed out of bed and got in the shower to wake myself up. I got ready and packed and out the door in 40 minutes and was on my way. I thought that I would be really sleepy, but the anticipaton kept me alert. When I called at 6:30 a.m. they had already arrived at the hospital. Elizabeth was 4 cm dialted and 80% effaced. This was really happening today. Yeah! Elizabeth was going to have her baby on her actual due date.

Waiting and Waiting

I arrived at the Labor and Delivery floor to find Elizabeth in the middle of a tough contraction. She was in great spirits. It didn't seem to take too long before the ansthesiologist came to administer her epidural. It didn't seem very long before she was between 7-8 cm dialated. I thought, "Dang, she is going to have this baby by 1:00 p.m."

Sadly, I was SO wrong.

The contrations just stalled out. They didn't stop completely, but almost. Elizabeth is a very goal oriented person. She decided that if she wasn't any further by 4:00 p.m. she would call for Pitosin to help increase and strengthen her contractions. So, she did. At first, she could really tell the difference, and then the contractions slowed down again. They added another dose. Still not a lot of difference, but the nurse indicated that there were measurable changes, just not in dilation. A few harder contractions later Elizabeth knew that the baby was on her way. She started to push with the contractions.

Then, the contractions started coming further and further a part. Because of this, it took a while to deliver the baby.

As an aside, at about 4:30 p.m. when we learned that she was fully dilated, I asked Catherine and Erik for their predications on the time of birth. Catherine was the most optimistic, suggesting the baby would arrive between 5:05 and 5:10 p.m. I said 5:15 to 5:20 p.m. We then looked at Erik and he calmly stated "6:15" Elizabeth gave him a glarring look as if to say, "Why in the world would you guess so long from now".

We looked at the clock on the wall when it said 6:15 and made mention that Erik's suggested time had passed away as well. But, the nurse jumped in and stated that they always go by the time on the computer, and it said 6:12 p.m. Two contractions later, the baby was born. The time of birth exactly 6:15 p.m. Well done Erik. Give the man a fish!

The Good Part

Elizabeth was amazing. It was such a better birthing experience for her compared to the first time, even though the total hours of labor were very similar.

It's quite amazing watching your own child go through this experience. I remember the pain and the stress; the whole ordeal. She was strong and confident. She was amazing.

"Little girl Lewis" was born. Elizabeth and Erik needed a couple days to figure out which name in their cue belonged to this beautiful baby. We learned on Monday afternoon that they had decided on Charlotte Eleanore Lewis. I know that Elizabeth had a roommate at Ricks College named Charlotte. She has loved that name for quite a while. Eleanore is the name my mother has always gone by, although it is her middle name.

Short Video of Charlotte 5 minutes old

She is just so small!

First Family Photo with Charlotte

Amelia Holds Charlotte for the first time

Grampa Plautz (Pop-pa) holds Charlotte

My Day Off in New Bern (epilogue)

2008-10-27T23:19:00.004-04:00

I had a blast! But, my old body took a beating. I crawled around and pretended to be a puppy and a kitty cat. She loved that. Then we played in the guest room for a while. We rolled all over the big blow up bed. She was telling me about the baby's bouncy chair. And although, I never got her to say it on the video (below), she would tell me that it was "baby sister's chair". She also told me that she couldn't sit in it because she was "too big". You can hear her tell me that on the video. She's just so cute. Enjoy this video clip; it's a little longer (about 4 minutes), but she's just so sweet and cute.

I left at about 6:45 p.m. after a delicious dinner of manicotti that Elizabeth made. I didn't want to leave.

It rained like crazy as I left New Bern and all through Kinston. I was sleepy and scared because it was hard to see. I stopped for a Hardee's Chocolate Milkshake to help wake me up. YUM!

This was the absolutely BEST way I could have spent my day off today. I wish that I could do it more often and that it wasn't so far. The baby will be here soon, and I will get to be with my little darling again soon enough.

Click here for more photos in my Picasa Album of Amelia and the video of Amelia and I playing with the ball

My Day Off in New Bern

2008-10-27T13:52:00.016-04:00

My plan was to leave at 10:00 a.m. this morning. Like any other weekday morning, I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to get Alex off to school. While he was getting ready, I started baking lemon cake for a 1st anniversary cake that will be picked up this afternoon. I also had to make some mixed berry filling so that I could make mixed berry mousse for the filling of this cake. It is now a blur as to how I spent my time, because I don't remember just frittering away the time, but I finished icing and decorating the cake at around 9:00 a.m. I thought I ought to clean the kitchen, since I got it messy with my early morning baking. The bottom line, I was driving out of the driveway at 10:01 a.m. NOT BAD!!

I called Elizabeth to tell her that I was on my way. I was at the end of Town Hall Drive at Morrisville-Carpenter when I realized that I left my camera at home. I turned around and went back for it. It cost me a total of 6 minutes. I still can't figure out how it took that long. I was just not that far from home!

Then, there was a train. Or so I thought. We waited and waited. Then, a "train track cleaner" (no kidding) came riding down the rails. It took f-o-r-e-v-e-r! It was now 10:13 a.m. and I was really on my way.

The first hour of the trip was a battle to keep my eyes open. I was so incredibly sleepy. I turned on NPR, as that has helped in the past. But, it was that older lady's show, Diane Rehm, who should have "induces somnolance" on her resume under the category Special Skills. So, I resorted to slapping my cheeks and singing out loud with the radio (Bohemian Rhapsody always a favorite). As a tribute to Amelia, I even sang "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree".

I made it to Goldsboro in 1 hour and 5 minutes. That is a record for me. My next goal was to get to Kinston. I figured I would become more alert if I stopped for gasoline (I saw it in Smithfield as low as $2.63/gallon, but it was on the other side of the road. I ended up paying $2.67.) Then, I stopped for something to eat, figuring that would wake me up too. I got a Big Mac. Bad idea. I maybe have one once every two years. It's just not as good as I remember. But the french fries were awesome!

I got to Elizabeth's house before the clock struck 12:30 p.m. Which wasn't bad considering my earlier delay and my two stops for gasoline and food.

Amelia and Elizabeth were playing in the back yard. So that is where my fun began. Amelia looked so grown up when I first saw her. She looked so tall. Maybe it was what she was wearing, too. She is talking so much....although, there are many nonsense syllables. But whereas she used to just say "gammie", now she has added the "r" and says "grammie". That is just so delightful!

Here is a little video of my first few minutes here.

Amelia and I also played with the big ball. But, I mistakenly took the video of that with the camera turned vertically. So, I won't publish it until I can download the free progam that allows me to rotate the avi file 90 degrees.

It is a known fact that Amelia does not work with you on still camera shots. I am not even sure she knows that she is subverting the photo attempts. I get a cute shot in the frame and then at the exact moment I "click", she turns away.

...to be continued...

It's Really a Misnomer

2008-10-26T20:47:00.003-04:00

I am really struggling with what to name my blog. It's just that I am not sure it is accurate to describe this as the "Plautz Family Adventures", since it's really me writing about what is going on with me. I am still thinking about it. I'll take suggestions.

And, I really don't want to just talk about cake. Sometimes I really get tired of all the cake. I am tired now, and am very happy that I only have one smaller cake for this weekend. In fact, I am taking an impromptu day trip to New Bern tomorrow so that I can visit Elizabeth, Amelia and Erik. What fun is it to have a lighter week, after so many busy weeks, and then not take advantage of the lighter load? So, I am just doing it. Because I can.

Daniel just completed his run in the play "Murder is in the Heir" at Panther Creek High. He played a dimwitted handy man named Rufus. He truly was the stand out performer of the small cast. And, I am not the only one who feels that way. There were several cast members who performed adequately, and then another two that gave simply dreadful performances, all because they totally over acted. Way over. OVER the top!! The best night was opening night, because Daniel's character was voted to be the killer that night.

This was an audience interactive show, where after the first act, the audience voted by ballot on who they thought was the killer. All the suspects memorized the ending, and then the one actor who was selected by ballot to be the killer finished off the show. Well, the audience was small on Thursday, and Daniel had several family members, plus friends from church there to swing the vote in his favor. He was excellent, and by being voted the killer became for all practical purposes the "STAR" of the show.

I am excited for the impending birth of our newest little grand-daughter. It is always a wonderful thing, adding a new baby to the family. I just can't wait!

Meet the Fam!

2008-10-19T00:05:00.001-04:00

Here's my family! I have a great family. I am happiest when we are all together. I am probably the only one that feels that way. We gathered all together on the weekend of the 27th of September so that we could have this family photo taken. It seems that we have had the last three family photo sessions in conjunction with the imminent departure of a son going on his mission.

The photo over the mantel in our house is the one taken on the Sunday before Christian left for California in 2002. It was taken outside the Cary Meetinghouse by Shawn Barney. In 2004, we gathered at Duke Gardens just days before Mark left for Idaho in 2004. Nina Perkins was behind the lens this time. We had added two sons-in-law to the fam, and it was time for an update.

We didn't take a new photo right before Michael left for Colorado in 2006. There were no new additions to the family at that point, although, Elizabeth and Erik were expecting the first baby girl Lewis at the time. We did have a photo taken in conjunction with my parents 50th anniversary celebration. My sisters, Jo Ann and Frances were there with their famlies.

This time it is Eric who will be leaving shortly. He leaves one month from now. He will be going to the Georgia Macon Mission. I can't believe it is really almost time for him to go.

It's Never too late...

2008-10-18T23:53:00.000-04:00

I remember when people started getting cell phones. I thought, "Why in the world would I want people calling me when I am not home?" Then, after the seventh or eighth time that I was stuck waiting for a train, or in bad traffic and wished I could let someone know that I would be late, I finally realized that there was a place for cellular in my life.

And so, now I am thinking that there just might be a place in my life for a blog. We'll see how dedicated I am. Will I really find the time to post new details of my crazy life? Only time will tell. But, I am willing to give it a try.

So, welcome to my little piece of the Blogspot world.