christmas with the webbs

christmas cupcakes

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

book review

This past week I read two books. I read them in two days. They were two of the best books I've ever read. I have never read a book that has held my attention as these books did. If you haven't read The Hunger Games along with the sequel Catching Fire, you need to!

It's hard to explain the premise of this the Hunger Games. Especially because when it was explained to me, I didn't want to read the book. But don't judge the book by this brief explanation.

The book is set in the future, and North America is now Panem. The country is made up of the Capitol, and 12 districts. There used to be 13 districts, but all 13 decided to rebel against the Capitol. As punishment for rebellion, the Capitol destroys the 13th district. To keep the remaining 12 obedient, the Hunger Games are held every year. 1 boy and 1 girl are chosen from each district to participate in the games. The 24 contestants are thrown into a huge arena, and the last one living wins. As you can guess, they're supposed to kill each other off.

These two books are amazing. I can't wait for the third to come out next August!

silly kitty

For your viewing pleasure, some silly pictures of our kitty, Molly.

happy weekend!

primary program

Just wanted to say, the primary program went SO WELL! I don't know if people were trying to make me feel good, but a lot of people said it was one of the best they've ever seen. The kids did so good on their parts and their songs.

Plus, I am not a crier, but I cried at the end. It was awesome.

Love those kids!

developing talents

During my last year of junior high, I decided to play the cello in school orchestra instead of the violin again. There were two reasons for this. (1) There weren't enough people playing cello that year; in fact, I think there may have only been one before I switched. (2) I was bored playing the violin; I'd been playing the violin since I was 4 years old, and most of the other orchestranders (I just made that up, can you tell?) had only been playing since...the beginning of junior high. So the music was pretty easy for me. So I switched over to cello with a few other violinists. I had so much fun with the cello, but that was the only year I played it.

A few weeks ago, during primary, a sign-up was sent around for stake orchestra. Every year, our stake does a big Christmas program. For this program, they usually put together a little orchestra which will play a few numbers, and accompany the choir when they sing the Hallelujah Chorus. When this sign-up was sent around, I signed up. I put that I played the violin and the cello.

WHY DID I DO THAT!?

Not sure. But they actually asked me to play it. At least I have a cello, right? My mom has been helping me practice for the past few days, and tonight my little sister played her violin part while I played my cello part.

Amazingly, I had it fairly good the first time I played it, and by tonight I'm feeling like maybe I can pull this off. I know that it's not all me. There is NO way I could ever learn to play the cello in 3 days unless the Lord is helping me. And for that I am eternally grateful. He has blessed me for my moment of stupidity in saying I could play the cello when I couldn't. Kind of funny!

where is my phone charger?

Last night I was looking for my phone charger (for obvious reasons). I had left it plugged into the wall by our couch, but it wasn't there. So I asked Jon where he had moved it (for he is, after all, the only other person in our household). He said he hadn't touched it, but I thought it was obvious that he had. So we went back and forth for a bit (not fighting, just being adamant that we did not move the charger).

Finally, after looking everywhere for it, I found it on the stairs that lead to the downstairs. We don't use these stairs, because we are only living on the top floor.

That left just one culprit.

The cat (who has now been named Molly).

She'd yanked it out of the socket and taken it down the stairs.

At least she didn't chew it up!

freerice.com

For the last hour and fifteen minutes of my job, I am in charge of the afternoon computer rotation. I get three different groups of kids for twenty minutes each. The first group is made up of 6th graders, the second of 4th and 5th graders, and the final of 2nd and 3rd graders. We alternate math games and literacy games every other day.

Today I was looking for some fun math games that the older kids could play. I remembered that freerice.com (if you've never visited this site, head there now!) had a few different subjects you could pick from. When the kids came in, I told them that they could either play games at multiplication.com or practice multiplication tables and donate rice to people who need it at the same time. I had thought that most of them would choose the games (which is why I gave them the option), but almost every single child chose to help feed the hungry. I explained to them a little more about what they were doing, and as they were playing, I would hear a, "I feel so good about myself," or a, "This is a really cool thing!" I was so proud of those kids, working hard to get the multiplication facts right so they could donate more rice.

And when it was time for their next rotation, none of them wanted to leave. One kid said, "If you make me leave now, your making me let people die!" They loved it so much that I'm trying to find a way to keep track of all the rice they've donated so they can see how many people they've helped to feed.

our family is growing!

Haha! Gotcha! It's just a little kitty! She's so cute, too! And she really wants to eat our hamster. She's a year old, and super obedient. The first night we brought her home, she jumped up on top of the hamster cage. I said, "NO," and she got right down. She's such a good little kitty!

october 31

spider web cupcakes with a ghostie at the top

close-up of a spider web cupcake plus a mini-ghostie

Mr. and Mrs. Webb

Mr. and Mrs. Silly-Webb

painting pumpkins

socializing

the late comers...

expensive indulgences

Border's is my favorite bookstore. I go there for my "monthly book" that Jon allows me to buy (although I haven't purchased one for a few months). By the checkout, they always have an assortment of Lindt chocolates. I'm not really a fan of Lindt chocolates because (a) they are usually truffles, which I don't love, and (b) they're expensive. But a few trips-to-Border's ago, I saw they had a new flavor, so I bought one and tried it. It. Was. Delicious! The flavor is Stracciatella. It's white chocolate with little cocoa pieces mixed in. It's kind of like cookies and cream, but one million times more delicious. So ever since then, every time I've gone to Border's, I've allowed myself one Stracciatella Lindt chocolate truffle. Border's was also the only place I had ever found that flavor...until I was at Target the other day, purchasing some pony tails, gloves, and Halloween candy for Trick-or-Treaters.

I found the Stracciatella Lindt chocolate truffles. In a bag.

They were expensive, but I bought a bag. Probably the only time I'll ever do so.

I know it's pathetic to dedicate an entire blog post to Stracciatella Lindt chocolate truffles...but they are so yummy!

quarts and quarts!

Throughout the past week, I've spent a bunch of time at my mom's house doing this:

I helped put up a total of 139 quarts of applesauce.

YUM!

blustery day today

Oh the wind is lashing lustily,

And the trees are thrashing thrustily,
And the leaves are rustling gustily,
So it's rather safe to say,
That it seems that it may turn out to be,
It feels that it will undoubtedly,
It looks like a rather blustery day today,
It sounds that it may turn out to be,
Feels that it will undoubtedly,
Looks like a rather blustery day today.

-Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day

something to ponder

pumpkin painting

halloween and a piano

I love decorations. 

we got the little pumpkins at the dollar store last year

these were also purchased at the dollar store last year

I also love playing the piano. I may not be good at it, but I love it. My sister-in-law got a beautiful grand piano a few weeks ago, so Mr. Webb and I jumped at the opportunity to buy the one she learned on. It was Mr. Webb's grandmother's piano. And I love it.

peanut butter cup(cakes)

The cupcakes with peanut butter cups on top have Reese's Pieces inside. The ones with Reese's Pieces on top, have peanut butter cups inside. Sound scrumptious?

thunder and cupcakes

Last night I was startled out of sleep by a gigantic clap of thunder. When I say gigantic, I actually mean that I've never heard thunder louder than that in my life, that I've never been startled awake by a storm before ever, and that I seriously thought the lightning hit our front yard. It was crazy loud. I loved it.

I'm going to change pace here. I really want to make THESE CUPCAKES for Halloween. But maybe with plastic spider rings instead of big fancy chocolate spiders. We'll see...

introductions

Mr. and Mrs. Webb - married in May 2008

Mr. Webb

-Loves politics and history

-Went on an LDS mission to Rancagua, Chile

-Future Health Care Administrator

-Eats just about anything

-Loves the outdoors

-Hardly ever home between work and school

-Really funny

-Very friendly and optimistic

-Organized

Mrs. Webb

-Addicted to popcorn

-Musician (violin)

-Future educator

-Cook (sometimes)

-Cake/cupcake decorator

-Puts together puzzles

-Not very good at keeping the house de-cluttered

welcome

Welcome to webbisodes! I hope you enjoy reading about the adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Webb!