A Shelby Story

Once upon a time there was a beautiful baby girl. Born with moonlight on her golden hair she was the jewel of her parents' eyes. They placed the name Shelby Alyse Frampton upon her. Her childhood was spent in laughter. Skipping through flowery meadows and playing with her plethora of stuffed animals. She soon blossomed into a young lady. Some called her ordinary, others: strange. But she loved life. She loved her family. She loved her friends. She loved herself. And that's what really matters.

She also loved food.

Suddenly, a terrifying monster came and stole her away and locked her up in the tallest tower on the tallest mountain where she could never live the same again. This monster was called Unknown-hidden-hated-allergies. He was ugly. Big. HUMONGOUS. He stole away people's food so they could never eat and always be hungry. He starved children. Killed them even. All because of his jealousy that he didn't have parents and friends that loved him. But, he was especially jealous of Shelby. No one really knows why. And on one COMPLETELY RANDOM DAY he decided to pick on her worst of all. Worse than all the others he terrorized and tortured.

He took away her blood.

Made her pass out.

She went into a fit of hysterics.

She couldn't stop crying for hours.

She was traumatized.

She waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally:               he came back.

Bringing her blood with him, he punished her with his all-grand-and-shocking punishment. She was allergic to Gluten, milk, and eggs.

Shelby cried in despair "How shall I eat!? There is nothing in this world made without gluten, milk, or eggs! I shall surely starve and die and Unknown-hidden-hated-allergies will have his wish!". But... Shelby was a strong girl. She was determined. She couldn't let the monster win!

So. For months and months she ate Gluten. She ate milk! She. Ate. EGGS! She struggled. She fought. And she did conquer. Until...

She discovered this disease runs in her family!
It attacks internal organs. It is dangerous.

The Unknown-hidden-hated-allergies won again. He wouldn't give up. He was a worthy opponent. He was so strong, so powerful, so EVIL...

That Shelby starved and died.


THE END

12:07 am

The fog is mystical.



A stroke of brilliance.

Annual Gingerbread house making party: best yet.

...Any guesses?

Happy Holidays #3: It's Christmas Time

This week was BIG. Christmas! It was my best friend's birthday, my YW president who I have had for 4 years was released, I sang a duet with Jenessa in the Singles Ward, I got to hear the man who does "The Voice of Disneyland" (AWESOME), it snowed beautiful magical snow, I booked my flight to NEW YORK CITY (so excited), I spent time with family and friends, but also, it was my annual Christmas Piano Recital.

I teach piano, as you know, and this is the one time of year I get to see the fruits of my labor and watch my students whom I love, perform and see their progress and all their hard work pay off. It is probably the most satisfying day of the year. I LOVE it. And I LOVE my students. And I LOVE teaching. It is such a joy.

Christmas Recital 2010

Section I:

It’s A Small World

 Delayna Grahmn

When The Saints Go Marching In

Marcus Grahmn

Bouree and Musette

Garrett Grahmn

Rain

 Bethany Wood

Christofori’s Dream

Emma Wood

Section II:

Jolly Old Saint Nicolas

The Chipmunk Song

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Delayna Grahmn

Here Comes Santa Claus

Silent Night

Christmas Bells

Marcus Grahmn

I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

The Little Drummer Boy

Up On The Housetop

Garrett Grahmn

Away In A Manger

The First Noel

Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer

Bethany Wood

I Saw Three Ships

Joy To The World

Carol Of The Bells

Emma Wood

Jingle Bells

Shelby Frampton

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

It was a great success!

I love music. It is so powerful and helps you feel the spirit. It is something I have worked hard on and I think it's real cool I can share that and teach other kids my joy of music. I tell them that all the time too! If I can just spread my love for music and piano into their little pure hearts I would be a happy teacher. Very happy indeed.

Next: Christmas!

It was lovely as always. There was gift delivering and card writing, soup eating, christmas tree coloring, scripture reading, It's A Wonderful Life-ing, sleeping over in the basement, bop-it-ing, puzzle making, laughing, grandparent's visiting, present opening, cheering, picture taking, and lots of loving.

I love my family and our traditions. Spending time with them and sharing Christ's birth with them is one of the best days of the year. Here are some highlights:

Santa brought me this beautiful hat!

My whole family got footie pjs

We read the story of Christ's birth and colored Christmas Trees

I gave Asia a Littlest Pet Shop toy she really wanted

Hannah's gift :)

So....I'm totally a girl. I got seven movies! Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Notebook, Toy Story 3, Princess and The Frog, Phantom of The Opera, and Gone With The Wind

I am so blessed!...and spoiled.

But I am grateful for all the gifts I got and gave.

It was a very Merry Christmas.

'Twas Two Nights Before Christmas

Twas two nights before Christmas, when driving down the road

No creatures were stirring, not even a toad.

The fog was hanging all around in the air,

And we decided St Nicholas should soon be there.

Our friends were playing-all jolly and fun,

While we thought in awe at what had to be done.

And Hannah in her boots, and I in my sweats,

Gave ourselves plenty of time—there was no need to fret.

We gathered our things to complete this grand plan,

Christmas music, a full tank of gas, and the attitude of a man.

The very same Santa Claus-who visited us each year

couldn’t we do the same? With a wheel we would steer.

Our plan was in execution. We knew what to do

Just like St. Nick we’d deliver gifts to our friends, family, and you.

All around the world in one night with gifts and with love-

Couldn’t we do the same to our cities below and above?

With me as the driver, so lively and quick,

We knew if we tried we’d be done in a jiff.

More rapid than eagles we sped down the streets,

And we ran, and delivered, and turned on the heat!

"Now Cedar Hills! now, Highland! now, Provo and Orem!

To Springville! To, Draper! To even South Jordan!

To the top of the state! We will skip over the mall!

Now hurry! Hurry! We must deliver them ALL!"

We drove as dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When we met with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the houses the coursers we flew,

With the car full of gifts, impersonating Santa too.

And when, in a twinkling, one house was complete

We would feel all a flutter and go to the next street.

Feeling giddy and excited as another gift was given

We felt just like Santa! (maybe a little less driven...)

We imagined us like Santa, dressed from his head to his foot,

And his clothes are all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he has flung on his back,

And he looks like a peddler, opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkle! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks are like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin is as white as the snow.

He brings cheer all around with his face full of joy

We wanted to do the same to every good girl and boy.

We drove and drove-it went on for hours!

We started to worry when it showed midnight on the clock-tower!

“We haven’t even done half!” Hannah cried in despair,

And I laughed and said “well, there’s always next year!

Or even tomorrow. Or even next week,

Giving gifts doesn’t end when the clock chimes creak.

We can give all year ‘round and feel like Santa every day!”

And as we contemplated this idea—Hannah said “OK”.

So we went on home and met our curfew,

Going to bed and feeling refreshed and anew!

In the morning we started again--finishing our one great goal

What could be better than giving, and giving more!

In giddiness we exclaimed as we drove out of sight,

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Being Santa Claus is not as easy as it may seem... It's actually quite impossible. But feeling even a little bit like Santa giving gifts and being jolly and secretive--that is fun. That's why we have Santa Claus. To show how joyful it can be to be selfless and give and love.

It's Christmas Eve.

You know what that means...

Santa is COMING!!!

And I'm sure he will do a better job than Hannah and I and reach every person all around the world.

Tomorrow everyone will be with their families and feel the love of Christ and the joy of Christmas.

Thank you Santa.

I promise I've been good.

I'll see you tonight?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Dearest Hannah Elizabeth Abbott,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! You are now 18 years old. AN ADULT. With me. As always. And now it's time for us to go to college together and be crazy adults together and get married (not to each other of course) and have our children be friends get married and grow old and fat together as best friends always. I love you so much. You are incredibly kind. You are outrageoulsy creative. You are stunningly beautiful. You are enourmously strong. I hope you have THE BEST DAY EVER! And never forget how much I appreciate you. Look at how much we've been through:
Playing on the Boat. (and doing other things on the boat...)
Titanic.
American Funny.
Poke.
P.O.T. Protection of Tar.
10 Times to Heaven.
Bob funerals by the bob tree.
Putting our credit card through grandfather willow.
Androids and the Braininator. 
Freddy, John, and George.
Basketball.
Being film directors together of all time classics. 
Queen. 
Aqua.
Greasy hair, sweatshirts, and no deoderant. 
Discovering make-up.
The Pokeband.
Sticking together even though we don't go to the same school.
Dumbledore visiting your house with his Deluminator.
Sitting on the roof.
Making up our futures.
Playing dirt bomb wars.
Iron chef competitions.
CRAZY double dates.
Stake dancing queens.
D.I. shopping sprees and ugly photoshoots.
Decades.
Keeper of Time date.
Sheep Docking.
Goblin Valley.
Disneyland!
Saint George.
More Disneyland.
LAUGHING together
Secrets secrets.
Service.
Deep disscussions.
Getting caught by the cops all the time.
Thinking together at the cemetery.
Driving with the windows down and singing our hearts out to classic rock and swinging our shirts around in the air.
Riding/not riding your lawn mower.
Trips to the frog pond.
Building and decking out the shed.
Sleeping in the shed.
Listening.
Loving old things.
Loving each others family.
Loving each other.

And much much more. But how can you make a list of all the good things in an 11 year friendship?
It's Impossible.
I really love you with all my heart.
I hope your birthday is too marvelous for words!

Your Best Friend,

Shelby Frampton

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Missing.

Lost love is sad.

You get over it. But there's always something missing. Something inside your heart is gone. Even if you fill it with really great things. You mend it and tend it and wrap it up so tightly with other and more important loves: like family. And service.  Even if you love more things more intensely than you did before. You would think your love would transfer to those things. That it is like a room full of cabinets and you distribute your love where you please. But you don't get more love to distribute. And you don't get less. But that isn't true. Because love can grow and love can die. So logically, you can have as much love as you decide to have. You can fill up every single cabinet with love. But.
Something is still missing. Why?