Any questions for "Dear Amy?"

Do you have a family communication question for my daughter, Amy?


"I just found out that I am going to be writing a family communication advice column on thefamily.com! I'm very grateful for the opportunity.

But now the real work begins. I was wondering, could anyone that reads this blog send me a question or two that they have about family communication? I need to generate some articles for a weekly column.

If so, you could respond to this post or email it to me at amyosmond2004@hotmail.com. A sample question and answer can be found at chattersnack.blogspot.com. You can also find it on my personal website, amyosmondcook.com.

Thank you so much in advance to anyone who is willing to send in a question!"
(Taken from an email sent to me by Amy)


Click Here to see the example of a question and the advice given by Amy.

The Fairy Tale Wedding

 

 

 Everyone in America and around the world seem just as intrigued and excited as you are in the UK for the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The wedding dress was a total surprise to everyone. Kate looked gorgeous! The last photo is of Kate at the wedding reception party that evening. I wonder why she didn't wear her wedding dress that evening too? Is it tradition?

I loved the lace on her wedding dress, the simple, elegant lines, long train and beautiful diamond tiara attached to the veil. I heard that many expected a more dramatic wedding dress like Princess Diana wore, but I think this gown is a little more modern and fits Kate's personality perfectly.

What are your opinions of the two beautiful gowns that she wore on her wedding day? My favorite was the wedding gown. How about you? Did anyone attend the event? This really feels like a fairy tale wedding of two young people very much in love.

After viewing the photos and wedding,  I'd like to see Prince William become the next king. The couple seem perfect to be representatives of the royal family.

I'd love to hear all your opinions especially from our friends in England that probably know the real scoop.  Please post your comments to share with us.

Happy Trails

Tomorrow morning the whole cast of the Osmond Brothers' show in Branson will be traveling about 10 hours by bus to Wabash, Indiana. The show will be at the Honeywell Center on the following night,  Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 7:30 - which also happens to be Merrill's birthday.

Merrill as a baby!

Merrill left the Dee Hospital nursery in Ogden, Utah on the morning of May 4th right before I was born. Mother Osmond remembers the day they went home because it was her birthday. I was born in the afternoon. I don't think we were in the baby nursery at the same time - just the same day. Happy Birthday Merrill!

After the show on Saturday night everyone will be loading into the bus and driving through the night back to Missouri. Quite an adventure.

Wabash is known as "the first electrically lighted city in the world." If you would like to know about Wabash you can click on the link below.

Click Here for more details about the city of Wabash.

70's Adventures With the Osmonds

Diane has her amazing website up and running with a new address: http://www.osmond70sadventures.webs.com/   It's called Osmond 70's Adventures. She has so much content and is still adding more. Diane's really worked hard and spent so much time that I know you are all going to love it! You can renew old friendships, make new friends while reminiscing the good old days.

It's been fun for me to take a trip back to "Osmond Mania."  I've really enjoyed all the stories, videos, forums, photos, memorabilia, press & publicity clippings, blog, interviews, book excerpts, trivia games, etc. I've been entertained for hours and still haven't viewed everything. 

Thank you Diane for a beautiful, positive website where everyone can contribute and join in the fun. You're the best!

Click Here  to relive the 1970's

Senator Aaron Osmond

On Friday, April 15th, Aaron Osmond took the Oath of Office and became the new state senator representing Utah’s District 10.

If you go to the website below you can view a wonderful slideshow of the event and the proud parents, Virl and Chris Osmond.

Click Here

Congratulations Aaron!

Help!

It looks like Wayne needs help getting to the theater. Ha! Thanks for sharing.

His Sacred Name - An Easter Declaration

Please Vote for Linda's Best New Activity for Children!

There are only two weeks left to vote! We would be so grateful if you would vote for us.

Please go to http://www.whatson4littleones.co.uk/awards-voting.asp

In the "Best New Activity for Children" category vote for "Dance with A Difference."

Many thanks!

This website has the latest information, articles and news on parenting and activities for children ages 5 - 10 years old.

Osmond Brothers - Movin' Along

I learned something today. This is the first song that the Osmond Brothers wrote themselves and recorded. Thank you Alan for sending us this link!

Jimmy - Executive Producer of BBC Documentary

Click on the picture to learn more!

"Wonky's Book Worms"

We're almost finished reading the Old Testament. Here's the schedule for the next few weeks until we complete the reading. Wayne and I have read the whole book out loud together until this past week. I know that Franki is still reading with us. Is anyone else going to finish reading the Old Testament by May 8th?

Please leave a comment to let us all know that you're still hanging in there with "Wonky's Book Worms."

April 10 - 17  Hosea Chapters 13 & 14, Joel and Amos

April 17 - 24  Obadiah, Jonah, Micah and Nahum

April 24 - May 1  Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai and Zechariah Chapters 1 - 6.

May 1 - May 8  Zechariah 7 - 14 and Malachi


MAY 8, 2011 is the deadline to finish the Old Testament. Anyone interested in reading the New Testament with us next? 

Opening Night in Branson

Tonight is opening night in Branson. I'd love to give you a detailed review of the show, but I'm still at home in Utah. My daughter, Sarah, is expecting a baby any day so I've decided to wait until after she has the baby to fly back to Branson. I'm going to watch Noah while they are at the hospital. The baby is a girl and they are probably going to name her Emma Kathlyn. I'm really excited to meet her!

The Brothers have been so busy getting the show up and running for tonight at the Caravelle Theater. I hear there are many new elements to the show, so it should be fun.

If any of you are attending the show tonight please give us a review.

It's been a family history week!

My great great grandmother, Katherine Henrietta Worden Mann, was born April 5, 1846 in Milan, Dutchess County, New York

A week has gone by so fast! I received 6 digital pages of family history from a distant cousin in New York that I have never met. Bonnie found the history when looking through an old box that belonged to her mother. Many new relationships, names and information are included in the history so I have been spending most of the week filling in the many new discoveries of my Montross and Worden families. Only someone that is involved in family history can appreciate this valuable treasure. It's so exciting!                                                                    

May Louise Mann Briggs

(Bonnie's Great Grandmother)

Mary Florence Mann

(Aunt Flo)

  

My great great grandmother Katherine Henrietta Worden Mann and her daughter Aunt Flo helped gather the information and the pages were written by Katherine's grandson, Percy Clifford Briggs. Percy's mother is Mae Louise Mann who is a sister to Aunt Flo and my great grandmother, Amy Denegar Mann White.

Amy Denegar Mann White 

(My Great Grandmother)

Edwin David Mann Family

My grandfather, Floyd Henry White, is the oldest child and is standing behind my great grandfather Edwin David White in the photo.

A Quote from Father Osmond

Let us not say, 

"What do I want? What do I need? What can you do for me?" 

Now let us think. 

"What does he want? What does he need? What can I do for Him?"

Thank you Virl for sharing with us!

Merrill's Back Surgery

Click Here  to view Merrill on "Good Things Utah."

They're on the Road Again!

We filled our car up with The Brothers' instruments, equipment, etc. that they will need in Branson when we were in Provo on Wednesday after Wayne had some some dental work finished. Yesterday Wayne took everything out of the car including 2 seats, put the back seats down and organized everything in the car to make a place to take a nap in the back. Wayne's trying it out so I took a quick photo. Jay and Wayne left tonight a little after 7 o'clock for Branson. We all wish them a very, very safe trip.

Tuesday morning the Brothers are all leaving to travel to Florida for a special performance so I'll be flying to Branson after they return. When Jay suggested that he wanted to ride with us to Branson I thought it would be a perfect bonding time for the two brothers so I could stay home for a few more days. I was going to be staying in Branson alone anyway for three days, so why not enjoy home a little longer. Thanks Jay!

Paul's Baptism

Picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

"The Wii Fitters"

Only a few more days left to spring clean and then we're off to Branson. I've been getting my exercise since I've been home by deep cleaning the house. Wayne bought me an Oreck Orbiter over a month ago so I've been using it to deep clean all my floors. I've used it on my wood, tile, linoleum and aggregate floors and loved it! I've got to have the cleanest floors in the whole state of Utah now.

My next project is to clean some of the carpets. It worked amazing at the store when they demonstrated their carpet being cleaned using the orbiter. They say it does a better job than having a professional carpet cleaning service come to clean your carpets. It is more like the dry cleaning method than steam cleaning method and the brushes get down deep into the carpet. The carpet stays clean longer than when you have your carpet commercially cleaned. I'll let you know how it looks after I clean it, but I might not get a chance to do it before we leave for Branson.

For deep cleaning floors, I doubt there is anything better. There are many different accessories to choose from to get the best possible results for your floors. There are brushes, pads, lamb's wool polishing bonnets, terrycloth bonnets, and strip pads, etc. to choose from.

When we get back from Branson, Wayne and I are going to strip the stain off of the balcony using the orbiter with a strip pad and sand screen on top. We were wondering last year how we could do it without getting down on our knees and scrapping away forever.

Has anyone else tried the Oreck Orbiter? What attachments and cleaners were your favorites? What floor surfaces did you clean? What were your results?

When we first got married, Wayne used to call me "Mrs. Clean," but after having 2 or 3 children I had to let my expectations of a perfectly clean home slide to enjoy my life more. It's unrealistic to think you can keep the house clean all the time with a big family unless you have a full time maid and that wasn't my style. No one cleans better than when I do it myself.

How are you spending your exercise time this spring? Anyone else been doing deep spring cleaning for their daily exercise?

So Africa May Hear . . .

Hello Family and Friends,

I would like to personally thank all those who helped make it possible for these kids in Africa to hear! 

Because of your generosity and support, over 10,000 patients were provided the Gift of Better Hearing.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for providing an opportunity for these kids to hear and reach their greatest dreams and aspirations.

May these pics portray their gratitude for your expression of love and contribution.

So the World May Hear…

Justin Osmond

"An Apple a Day Bunch"

I was doing really well with my no soda - no sugar diet until yesterday. My mom fixed my favorite birthday cake - strawberry shortcake, so I couldn't resist. Then when I came back home there was a huge bag of taffy sitting on the table that Wayne had bought Michelle. Since I had broken my goal already, I decided to have some taffy too. I took the day off obviously. I haven't lost any weight by just going off of sugar and soda so I need to do more.

I can't seem to remember what my "Power of Three Checklist" is to follow them all month because I've changed it a few times - so that isn't working either. Did the "Power of Three Checklist" work for anyone else?

This month I'm going to start counting calories again. That seems to work the best for me. I'll use the "Lose It" application on the Iphone again to keep track. Since I'll be in Branson most of the month I'll have more time to record everything I eat. I'm only going to have this one goal and stick to it. I think with exercise this will work and I can be more consistent with only 1 goal instead of three.

How is everyone else doing with their healthy eating habits? Wayne has really been bugged that I have been on a no sugar diet and has tried to make me promise that I won't ever do that again. It has helped him to not bring me sugar treats home all the time but he's transferred that to Adam, Sarah, Noah, Joe and Michelle so the treats have been available for me to eat if I wanted anyway. I'm going back on the no sugar - no pop until at least Easter and then when I'm in Branson I'll reassess the situation. I'm afraid if I tell him I'm back on sugar that he'll start showering me with junk food full of sugar and fat and our hotel room will filled with junk food. Ha!

Let me know by commenting if you are still striving to stay on a healthy diet, what your goals are and how you are doing. Please share what has worked for you to lose weight and/or to maintain a healthy weight. It's usually easier for me to lose weight in the spring because I can't hide behind my coat anymore. What about you?

General Conference

The past two days I have been enjoying general conference. If you are interested in watching and listening to our living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, and other leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please . . .
Click Here

"Wonky's Book Worms"

Wayne and I haven't been keeping up too well with our daily reading but we're going to be caught up by this Sunday. On Sunday we will be finished with Ezekiel and will have read Daniel chapters 1 through 10. 

After the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel didn't speak anymore about his day, but mostly spoke of Israel's redemption in the latter-days. Since we are living in the latter-days, I should study, ponder and pray about chapters 33 through the end of the book, which contain prophesies of the latter-days - some that have already been fulfilled and others that will be fulfilled before the Savior comes again.

Our reading for April 4th through April 10th will be to finish the last 2 chapters in the book of Daniel and Hosea chapters 1 through 12.

Aaron Wins Senate Seat

Congratulations Aaron! Aaron, the son of Virl and Chris Osmond, is now a member of the Utah State Senate. The real estate investor won the Senate seat Thursday that was left vacant by Chris Buttars in an election attended by GOP delegates.


Click Here to read an article from the Deseret News about Aaron.