Spoke-N-Sants online: MORE LIKE A "STUPID-CAL" (Last SOS)

FROM MEG:

"I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it. 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' They're casting their problem on society. And you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also, to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."

-- Margaret Thatcher

Sunday, July 19, 2009

MORE LIKE A "STUPID-CAL" (Last SOS)

If you are new to our blog then you might not know about SOS - or Sant O'Donnal Sunday. It all started with the Christiansens moved and we got new hometeachers. Tracy O'Donnal sometimes had a companion who could come but usually didn't. So he started bringing his wife and kids. We all got along great. They are our dearest and bestest friends here in Spokane.

I love Charmaine. She is compassionate, sensitive, practical, tender-hearted, funny, easy to laugh, and she knows how to be a good friend. Tracy is hilarious. I mean, really really hilarious. You have got to meet him. They are the perfect compliment to Larry and I. Ben and Rachel adore Charmaine and Tracy. Bonus, their daughter Journey and Sari are the same age. Jack and Kylen are the same age as Joseph, and Meridian is Daniel's age, which is a bummer, but I hope they get married someday.

We even traveled with them for 8 days and didn't get sick of them once. (I hope they didn't get sick of us- haha!) And you've traveled with other people before you know how rare it is to find friends that you can do that with. You know how rare it is to find friends that both you and your spouse like. Add that the kids all like each other - and well, an acronym was destined.

At SOS we combine dinner. It is always delicious.

When the weather is nice, we make the kids eat outside.

And play outside.

Sari and Journey had to go outside.

We play games after dinner.

Usually not the computer but this time we made an exception.

This time Rachel's friend Ian played games too. Ian is the DuPape's grandson.

Tracy and Larry. I will always remember when they sang "Endless Love" at the ward party karaoke. I still laugh out loud at the memory.

Sari pondering the card game of Golf.

Charmaine with her fifth child, her husband.

Rachel kicked our heinys at Tripoly. It must exhausting keeping track of all those chips.

We love Ben and our Indiana Jones cards.

Heidyn, Rachel, and Ian laughing because we are just cool like that.

Did I mention that Tracy is Charmaine's fifth child?

Now that's a pretty picture. (That is a joke because when Charmaine's grandma plays Canasta she says, "That's a pretty card" when she sees a card she wants.)

The best one liner of the night came from Jack:

The girls were watching "Annie" and Jack complained, "There is too much singing in this movie" and we all laughed and said, "It's called a MUSICAL." Jack replied, "More like a STUPID-cal."