Birthday gifts...

I finally got around to taking a picture of my birthday gifts. Trisha gave me a flax grinder and flax. Greg, Chelle, Kim and Lori gave me the lamp. Steve gave me the recliner for my bathroom. Thanks to all! I loved the gifts and the thoughtfulness.

Pine noodles…

Ahh, to be three again.  Drew is the most amazing child.  He is entertaining to say the least.  He’ll be sitting at the table, taking a drink and then contorting his lips.  His explanation, “I’m kissing my milk.”

We walk to the neighborhood pond to feed the ducks.  He searches for a stick to pass through the pond sending ripples out in all directions.  He states, “I’m making rainbows”. He is fascinated by the dead fish in the pond, sure that some duck ate them.  He pulls grass and leaves to throw to the ducks.  The grass is “noodles” and eventually “pine noodles”.  On the way home, he is so excited to see real rainbows in the mist from the sprinklers. 


As we play on the play set in the backyard, he says “Grandma, can we go down the slide together.  I can sit on your lap.  It will be awesome.”  He and Brooke play “dog”.  He must be the Mom as he is cleaning the floor with the cloth used for the chalkboard (of the play set).  Brooke climbs the steps without hands (after getting them wet in the sprinkler).  She makes handprints on the floor while Drew screeches, “Hey, I just cleaned that!”  When the roles switch, he is confined to a corner of the house by Brooke’s muttering, “Lock up, lock up, lock up”.  He is not deterred as he replies, “Unlock, unlock”.

Any stick he finds is a magic wand and any blanket a beautiful dress.  The kids had left a pile of blankets in the living room from their latest fort.  Drew draped the blankets over the arm of the couch and tied them with a string he had found, saying “This is a beautiful dress”.  I had a feeling he was recreating the scene in Cinderella where the mice added the beads and sash to make Cinderella’s dress.  As the blankets fell, he would whine, “Grandma!”  I couldn’t figure out why I was to blame, but I guess the scene needed some opposition.  He will take on an accent as he invites you to have some tea.


He knows all the words to the Veggie Tale songs, but will only dance when there is music.  What a dancer he is.  He has all the poses down and can maintain an active pace until the music stops. 

We had a painting project on Friday.  The kids went with us – Drew in his Royal Purple robe.  All through the paint store he was doing magic.   He loved the paint brushes and would tell me about the various colors he used to create his masterpieces.

The kids wanted to go to Zamzows – which is a pet and nursery store.  The whole time we were looking at frog fish and birds Drew was singing “She’s got a ticket to ride” complete with the falsetto “My baby don’t care”.  It was pretty cute.

Here is the Royal purple robe:

Brooke is starting to read!  It is a lot of work, but she is really getting good.  After reading, “If you give a pig a pancake", I think I could author a children’s book.  It reads like something you made up on the way to the grocery store.  "If you give a pig a pancake, she'll want some syrup to go with it. You'll give her some of your favorite maple syrup. She'll probably get all sticky, so she'll want to take a bath."

Brooke is very observant. She could tell us which button to press in the car to get the garage door to open. When she wanted oatmeal for breakfast, here were her instructions: Put oatmeal in a bowl. Put water in the bowl. Put it in the microwave. Wait until the oatmeal rises. Then add cinnamon sugar. I questioned, "Oatmeal rises?" I had never cooked oatmeal that way. It really did rise just like she said. Grandpa thought it was good too! We'll have to try it that way at home.

Brooke is taking dancing, gymnastics, and is doing great on her bike. Pretty soon she'll be ready to have the training wheels off.

Brooke is a great pretender. She and Drew are inseparable. What great friends.

Stop Drop and Roll

On Wednesday as we were picking up the kids from preschool, there was much excitement about the grass fires in Eagle. The area affected involved Lori’s ward – and several families were evacuated. She was in contact with friends over facebook and on the phone. More than 300 fire fighters and 50 fire trucks rushed to the scene. We watched the smoke filled sky and heard the planes go overhead.

I told them about my experience with fire when I was five. It was before my kindergarten year. The neighbors had a birthday party. The favors were a squirt flower. The cake with lit candles was placed along side a quart jar of water on the porch. As I bent over to fill my gag flower, my dress caught on fire. Instead of “stop, drop, and roll”, I ran and the fire got bigger and bigger.
The kids were quite alarmed with the story. Several times over the next few days Drew would tell me, “You didn’t stop, and the flames got bigger and bigger.”


Here are pictures of them practicing “stop, drop, and roll”.

It's a fine thing...

I was reading "Drenched in Light" yesterday and ran across this phrase, "It's a fine thing to be the answer to someone's prayers." It reminded me of something that happened several years ago.

I was in my office with my door shut. I've learned that when you are female on a mostly male faculty, students view you as infinitely interruptable - like you are the secretary. They'll ask you about someone else's schedule who is "too important to bother, but you are evidently not too important to bother". Anyway, I usually keep my door shut so I can get work done. I had the feeling I needed to open my door, so I did. Not long after, a fellow came by. I can't remember his excuse for coming to my door, but we got to talking about his data structures class - a class I have taught a dozen times (but wasn't currently teaching). He was very frustrated because he had always been an A student in high school, but now he was working his tail end off to pull a C. He was discouraged to the point of despair. We talked for a while. I told him that data structures was probably our toughest class - that if he could survive that, he could survive anything. I gave him pointers about studying and made sure he knew about the tutor room. After that, I saw him a few more times. One day he came in to tell me thanks for the advice. Things were going much better and he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. As he left, he said, "You know that day I happened by your office? My mom had told me, 'Just go find someone to talk to.'" He eventually finished and graduated.

I have to agree - its a fine thing to be the answer to someone's prayers.

Today was another day that kind of proceeded on its own power. Our good friend and neighbor shattered his ankle six weeks ago. Steve has been over a few times with cinnamon rolls and to visit. I hadn't been over - though I used to teach Sunday School with Dave, so have been very close to him. Today, I had all the stuff to make Grandma's raspberry pie (whip cream, cream cheese, Danish dessert), but had decided it was too much work. I'd just pick a few raspberries to put over ice cream and call it good. As I was picking a few berries, the neighbor's five year old came over to help me pick. She loves raspberries. I asked how her Dad was. She told me the whole story. She said her Mom was sad because they didn't have any money. She said her Dad was sad because he couldn't go back to work. For some reason, she told me she thought that if I made her dad a raspberry pie that would make him happy. I told her I thought we could do that. I had to go in to fix dinner, but she kept picking raspberries. She brought me in a bowlful of berries and asked what time I thought the pie would be done. I told her it wouldn't be until about 8 - as I didn't have a crust made (and that has to chill). Anyway, when we arrived at their house shortly after 8, Whitney had told her Dad to expect the pie. Whitney was so delighted. They were in the backyard when she saw us coming and and hollered, "Our pie! You got our pie done!" We had a wonderful visit and expressed our love and support for them. I don't know if it meant that much to Dave, but for Whitney, it was just what she needed to do for her Dad.

But of course, maybe it was Whitney who was an answer to my prayers. We all need to feel useful.

Until you pour hot water...

I had across this passage in the book Sarah's Quilt:
I have a deep down belief that there are folks in the world who are good through and through, and others who came out mean and will go out mean. It's like coffee. Once it's roasted, it all looks brown. Until you pour hot water on it and see what comes out. Folks get into hot water, you see what comes out.

Other quotes from the book:
So much of life is a shadow, fleeting as a moment.

How fast can life turn its course. On a nickel, as the boys say, and give you change.

............
I just finished the book and read the author's bio which states the book was created from stories of her great grandmother. Okay, so I'm thinking some of our relatives should write a book based on our family stories. Any takers?

Can we bottle that?

We have been having some concerns in Relief Society about people feeling judged. They hear a lesson on temple marriage and are hurt because their temple marriage was abusive and now they are married to a non-member, whom they adore. They are made to feel they don't measure up because of the very person who saved them.

In talking about the situation, our Relief Society president shared her story. She said, "I was raised in a part-member, less active family. When I came to church, I came by myself, but I didn't care. I found a family to 'adopt' me. There were families who wouldn't let their kids play with me because my dad wasn't a member. I didn't care. I thought, 'Gee, you are missing out. Your kids would be better off playing with me. I'm a good person. I've seen what your kids do at school, and they would be better off playing with me."

Is her reaction just amazing? How do we bottle that and give everyone a daily dose?

What is more beautiful than a garden?

Thirty eight years ago, when Steve and I were married, my folks hadn't been in their home long. Our reception was to be held there - the line in the living room and tables set up in the back yard. That Spring, Dad had removed the sod in the back half of the yard to plant a garden. As we worried about how everything would look, we pressured Dad into getting a redwood fence in place to hide the garden. I wondered whether it would ever be put up in time. I remember Dad saying, "So what if it isn't? What is more beautiful that a garden?" Well, the fence was installed before our reception and everything looked great. One of the highlights was the Sigma Gamma Chi fraternity (which Steve belonged to) coming and serenading us. So special!

However, I find myself repeating Dad's words. With no access to Dad's garden anymore and the back of our yard dense with trees (ours and the neighbor's), the only place to plant vegetables is in our front yard. This year we put up some awesome tomato cages (which Steve made). I can't believe how high the tomatoes have grown - especially for such a miserable Spring. Who knew they would be four feet tall, and growing. Steve keeps saying, "I wonder how the neighbors like our huge tomato cages in the front yard?" I say, "I think the tomatoes are beautiful. What is more beautiful that a garden?"

Does he say anything yet?

On Tuesday we had two masters defenses. One was a student of mine and the other was a student of Renee's. Renee suggested that we take the two students to lunch to celebrate. At the Sky Room, we were talking about a variety of things - jobs, apartments, driving lessons, and Renee's new 7 week old baby (her first). As we were talking about the baby, one of the graduate students said, "Does he say anything yet?"

I thought that was a pretty funny question to ask about a seven week old baby, but it reminded me of how many times we are always looking to the future rather than enjoying what we have right now.

Summer has got to be my favorite season. Every morning as the bedroom fills with light and the fans blow cool air over me, I lay in my king-sized bed and think, "Life doesn't get any more perfect than this moment." There are a lot of stressful things going on in our lives. Some will definitely get better. Others promise to be hard for the foreseeable future. I'm trying to remind myself to enjoy the moment not be wondering, "When will he talk?"

The $1000 inch...

When we remodeled the master bath, we thought about taking out the corner closet and extending the shower twelve inches. The bill for that alone would have been $12000. We decided we really didn't need a bigger shower at $1000 an inch. Since that time, I've looked at a lot of things at that price tag.

When I DI-ed the vanity in the study, that gave me twelve more inches at no cost. When I tossed the filing cabinet in my office at work, I got almost twenty inches of usable space, and it was free. I have loved my "bigger" office. I've now started to work on getting rid of the inches around my middle. For them, I think I'll gladly pay the thousand dollars an inch. Wish it were that easy. I've lost a half inch and two pounds in two weeks, but the first pounds are always the easiest.

A River Runs Through it

This is me fly fishing. We had federal evaluators for our grant here the last two days. One of our RET teachers volunteered to take us fly fishing. He says he gets so excited to get out fishing, his hands start to tremble when he's tying the fly. I SO NEED something I get that excited about.

You can see my "cast" went out at least three feet. My casts weren't all that pathetic, but I'm seriously not seeing why people spend hours fly fishing. You can see I'm standing in the stream. I caught less weeds and trees from that vantage point. The evening was not a total loss; I did reel in something - a cigarette butt.

More (word) pictures from Bear lake

My photos of the family vacation at Bear Lake were decidedly sparse. I thought I should give a word picture of each of those there.

Halle loved all the food. That gal is an eater. There was precious little she turned down, and with everyone eating constantly, her begging talents served her well. During the marshmallow war, she scavenged for fallen marshmallows – a decidedly iffy action. She loved the birds and always had a finger pointing at the myriad of winged friends. While she doesn't say a lot, she is a great little signer (more, eat, all done) and understands much, much more. She was happy on the beach or floating in her water seat in the pool. She loved going up and down the stairs and putting game pieces in her mouth. While we played games, she entertained herself by throwing clothes pins over the edge of the deck. Her most distressing time happened when her VERY FAVORITE blanket ended up going over the edge and she couldn’t communicate her problem. I guess that Baby Signing Times hasn’t covered, “Blanket overboard”.

Drew was so much fun. While he prefers Lori to the rest of us put together, he would let Grandma, Grandpa, or aunts carry him. He even let Grandma take a nap with him. To avoid bumps (which would cause havoc with his low platelets), he had to keep a subdued activity level. He loved swimming in the pool. He was an outstanding dancer; that kid has talent! With lasso golf, he arranged the balls on the ladder saying he was "decorating". When the decorations were done, whosever’s wedding was being celebrated had to cheer. He loved digging in the sand. Since many of the sand toys were actually kitchen tools, the hole he dug was filled with water and declared to be "gumbo". Being on steroids, Drew was ravenous the entire time. He had a preference for sugar. After eating the frosting off his second cupcake, I tried to encourage him to eat the rest. He sweetly said, "I said, ‘No Thank You.’"

Zach loved the water. Bear Lake has the perfect beach for kids – shallow, warm water out for fifty yards and wonderful sand everywhere. Zach assumed there were two Bear Lakes – the big one you see from the boat and the little ponds you see from the beach. Zach loved digging in the sand. Zach also loved his cousins. He and Brooke were inseparable. Zach loved playing in the boat and would pull those lounging in the pull tube (Big Mable) to and from the stopped boat. Zach showed an interesting flair for interior design as he arranged the Barbie doll furniture (all placed together, with no space in between). Zach loved sticks! We found an awesome walking stick while we were walking (of all things).

Brooke loved the beach and the pool. Sporting new glasses, she looked darling. She never tired of splashing grandpa or floating back and forth with the "frog floaties". At the beach, she dug in the sand, lugged water for the "gumbo", and floated in the rubber raft with Grandma. When the waves crashed over the side of the raft, it was so cold. Brooke declared that the water in the bottom of the raft looked like we had peed. I hoped that was just an analogy not a statement of actual occurrence. Brooke loved playing with Grandpa. For over an hour Sunday night, she and Drew played Sunday School in the basement with Grandpa. She and Drew are great pals, and even after the cousins had left, they found ample ways to be entertained.

Michelle was a great friend to all. The kids loved being with her. I can't tell you how many walks she took with Halle or how many times she took over for Drew so Lori could have a bit of relief. Chelle is amazing with children! Michelle gets the award for being most observant. She was definitely tuned in to others feelings and needs. She was so worried when she found out Great Grandma Allan was coming for dinner on Sunday. She was concerned that the meal she had planned wouldn’t be the typical Sunday meal Great Grandma Allan would expect. Michelle braved the icy waters on Monday morning to succeed at wake boarding. Michelle also organized the siblings to go in on Mom’s birthday gift!

Ben was a great uncle to all the kids. He loved playing with them. Though his plans for studying fell apart when his bar exam materials were inadvertently left home, he was a great sport. He enjoyed skiing and wake boarding, as well as beach sports. Ben was a great support in the kitchen – that chicken taco dinner was wonderful! Ben loved to play games. Whenever things slowed down, he could be found with the "guys" playing Puerto Rico, Power Grid, Acquire, nine-card or some game made up for the occasion. He was always in the thick of the action.

Greg was the life of the party. Wherever fun was happening, Greg was in the middle of it. He loved to ski, wake board, or pull the boat for others do to so. He made up games for the kids, including the foam burrito, as well as for adults (drop pen target practice) and burrito basketball. Greg is a master strategist – coming in as winner or serious contender for every game. His marshmallow thrust had such impact that Drew's cheek was red for an hour. Greg and Kim's shish-kabobs were wonderful as well as was the rice pilaf and birthday cupcakes. Thanks for making a special birthday dinner.

Trisha was a lot of fun, wiping out the competition on Acquire and lasso golf. Her attempt at open water swimming (in preparation for the triathlon) was decidedly weak, however. After walking down to the beach with Halle and two observers, she gave up after getting knee deep. Her excuse was that there were fish, but the freezing water may have had more to do with it. Trish did get in some running and biking and even a little lap swimming in the pool (where there were no fish). Trisha's French dip sandwiches were outstanding!

Brandon was the super dad. He was always with one of the kids so Trisha could have a break. On Saturday, I don't think he even made it down to the beach as he was always with a sleeping child. Brandon, too, loves games. He enjoyed them all, but was particularly skilled at marshmallow war. I think he's been practicing. After making all the guns, he deserved to come out the winner. Brandon was a champion gamer as well.

Kim was in demand as master masseuse. Everyone needed a massage and a diagnosis as to why their back was tight or their X muscle needed work. Kim made great progress on reading The Help, but reluctantly gave it up when she had to leave. (You're on page 312 if you can get it in the Boise library.) Kim enjoyed skiing and wake boarding as well as some good quality beach time. Kim doubled as chauffeur, taking Great Grandma Allan back to Logan after dinner – (Kim had planned to go to Logan to connect with some friends at a barbecue). With a condo built for eight, but accommodating 14, Kim was a good sport to sleep on the floor on a foam pad. She even declared she got some sleep – eventually.

Lori is such an amazing Mom. With all of Drew's medical problems and his desire to be cheek to cheek a good share of the day, she never gets impatient or frustrated. She lovingly cares for the kids and satisfies their needs. While her Acquire skills are weak, she was on the winning marshmallow war team. Lori loved to be in the action – at the pool, on the beach, or in the games. Lori never got in her skiing, citing schedule or weather problems. Maybe next year.

Kram was so cute with Halle. While the kids are a little scared of "Uncle K", the game with Ferdinand had Halle in non-stop smiles. Kram made a great pancakes and awesome scrambled eggs. Kram could be counted on to join the guys in endless games or watch a neglected movie. He even succumbed to sleeping four to a bed – saying the king-sized bed accommodated his entire family by morning – though the kids had started on foam mats on the floor.

Steve was in seventh heaven with all the family around. He loved to play with the kids, compete in games, man the grill, or drive the boat. He never turned down a walk to the beach or a chance to visit with the kids. On more than one occasion he would say, "Wow, we have an impressive family. I am in awe of them." He has always been a great and involved Dad. His most distressing time was when the support for the awning broke and we were left with a very ghetto- looking sunshade. He figured the sheriff patrol (who enforce parking standards on the beach) would give us a warning for most pathetic looking beach gear :-).

Grandfather's Day

I never got a father's day entry posted, so I thought I'd settle for a grandfather's day post. Steve does love those grandkids! These are just a few pics from the Fourth of July at Bear Lake.

Notice Zach's eyes in these pictures. He is rarely looking at what everyone else is looking at. He's definitely too busy for pictures.

Why are there mosquitos?

 When I was a kid, I remember going to Hyrum Dam and being eaten alive my mosquitos.  I remember a bunch of us kids running into the car and smashing mosquitoes against the glass.  I sat their thinking, "Why did Heavenly Father make mosquitoes?"  I could see no purpose.  To this day, I am still trying to figure out why God lets all the negative things happen in our lives...


Sometimes I just don’t sleep. I go to sleep, and wake up an hour later. I toss and turn, doze off, and within an hour I’m awake again.  I change beds, read a book, listen to BYUI devotionals.  On Sunday night, I had one of those nights.  I listened to four BYUI devotionals before I finally got to sleep near 4 a.m..  I’ve listened to all the current devotionals, so I’ve started searching “all years” by topic..

One talk I quite liked was Hearing the Voice of the Spirit by Ned C. Hill, on March 11, 2008.  I recommend the whole talk, but here are a few of his pointers.
Guideline 1: We Must Do Our Homework First.
Guideline 2: By Keeping the Commandments We Tune Our Spiritual Receiver.
Guideline 3: Minimize Competition with the Voice of the Spirit.
Guideline 4: Seek out Places Where the Spirit is More Likely.
Guideline 5: Practice Listening to the Spirit’s Voice by Serving Others.
Guideline 6: Practice Listening to the Voice of the Spirit through Scriptures and General Conference.
Guideline 7: Learn to Differentiate the Spirit’s Voice from Imitators.
Guideline 8: Avoid Boasting about Spiritual Matters.
Guideline 9: Recognize that Sometimes the Answer is “No” or “Not What I Wanted”

But, back to my insomnia…  I try to blame my cholesterol medication (Crestor) for my sleepless nights.  I had a great deal of trouble getting used to it.  The doctor prescribed a dose every evening.  I had a whole week of sleepless nights.  After a google search, I learned I was not alone.  I started taking the medicine in the morning half as often.  The problems were much less.  However, because of that early experience, I still blame Crestor for my occasional  lack of sleep.

After Sunday night, I said to myself, “Do you REALLY need to take Crestor?  Can’t you control cholesterol through other means?”  I know the doctor told me things to do like increase fiber, exercise, and intake of Omega-3 and decrease weight and intake of animal products.  After six months of trying, my cholesterol was still too high and he put me on medication.  That was a few years ago.  However, I didn’t really try all that hard.  In the intervening years, I’ve made some progress – increasing exercise and fiber and taking fish oil capsules, but I could do more.  Now, I am motivated.  I am going to bring my cholesterol down so I can get off medication.  Then, if I can’t sleep, I’ll know I’ve done what I can.

I’ve decided that sometimes we need to have bad things happen in our lives to motivate us to change.