ZoomYummy!

I was searching for patterns to crochet a granny square bag and I came across this wonderful website/blog called ZoomYummy. It is so fun--lots of recipes and crafts(especially crochet patterns for simple things like slippers and bags). I'm going back there soon!

Off she goes!

Last night I watched my oldest and only daughter go through security and the airport all alone as she set off on an adventure that will expand her world. She's never had to find her way through an airport to catch a flight before. She's never been so far from home(from ME!) before.

I've been trying not to think about all of this too hard because I needed to be strong for her. She's had many sleepless nights and much anxiety about this trip. I couldn't let my anxiety be seen. So now that she can't see me I am typing this and crying.

I don't know what there is to cry about--she's been working and planning for this for a LONG time. She told us when she was three years old that she was going to go on a mission to China. In middle school and high school she insisted on eating with chopsticks much of the time. She took two years of Chinese in high school(she doesn't need to speak Chinese at all to qualify for this experience). I've encouraged her to go from the beginning. "You just don't know what's coming in the future so go while you can." On Monday night at our 'Going Away Party Family Night', we had some fortune cookies. We had to laugh when she read her fortune--"A long term goal is about to be fulfilled."

She and I have very different ways of preparing for things. I like to be ready well in advance and she likes to take her time. It took all the energy I had to keep my mouth closed and let her do things her way and she was ready when it was time to be ready.

At the airport there were about 50 other people in the group she is with, all going to China. There was someone there to show her where to check in so they could all be together. She got checked in but didn't go with the rest through security because a friend of hers wanted to meet her to say good-bye. We waited for him and saw him for a few minutes and by then the rest of her group were already gone to the gate. We couldn't go any further with her so she went through security and didn't look back. As I type this she is probably landing in Seoul Korea within the hour where she has a 22 hour layover. Tomorrow she has a short flight across the bay to Weihai China where she will be teaching English for the next 4 1/2 months.

Hopefully she'll be keeping us updated on her blog fizzlegiggle with pictures too! For now I just pray for her peace of mind as she embarks on this exciting and unnerving adventure.

A Dog Tale

For a very long time our children have been begging for a dog. I never objected but Stephen has always been very adamant that we not have one. Over about the last year he's been softening up on that resolve and even at Christmas time said how fun it would be to get a puppy and early Christmas morning put it inside a box and wrap it up so the kids would unwrap a puppy. That didn't happen, but last weekend Stephen said he thought having a dog would be really good for DaVinci so we should get one. We were all very shocked and surprised at that and we wasted no time in heading to the animal shelter to see what we could find.

This is Koda

He is black lab/heeler mix and a perfect dog. Seven months old, already house trained and fixed, and so well behaved. He never barked at all. We brought him home, went and bought a leash, food dish, dog food, etc., and began learning what it's like to have a dog. We all loved having him around.

Except for Cutie. Koda doesn't seem to know how to interact with someone so small. The information the shelter had said that he didn't do well with small children and should be with kids six and older. But maybe they need to be older than that. He kept biting Cutie's hand. I think he was trying to play with him four out of five times, but one of them seemed like a real bite and Cutie was really scared of Koda. So with very heavy hearts we took him back to the shelter after less than two days. If anyone has no small children and wants a perfect dog go to the Cache Humane Society and take Koda home with you!

We went back to look at the other dogs there and Koda was all excited and barking when he saw us. How can we ever find another dog so perfect, and perfect for Cutie too?

The Last Lap

Yesterday was the last home swim meet of the season. I've spent a LOT of time sitting by the pool timing at the meets over the last six years. Juice and then Sonny Pie have had such a great time. On one hand I am so glad to think of all the free time I will have now, and gas money since I won't need to drive up to USU to pick up Sonny Pie every day. Here are all the seniors from the team at the last meet.

On the other hand this marks the end of one time of my life(and Sonny Pie's) and the beginning of another which is a bittersweet feeling. Sonny Pie is really feeling the seriousness of choosing a career and becoming an adult with responsibilities. He's so smart, and creative, and charismatic that he will be successful at any career he chooses, but what to choose? I guess that's his challenge.

I am seeing my babies grow up and move on to bigger and better things. It's a wonderful and sort of sad feeling, but mostly exciting. What is in our future? What does Heavenly Father have in store? The only way to really know is to move forward with faith, putting our trust in Him, knowing He has a plan that will help us be happy. As we follow His plan we don't need to be fearful about the future. Heavenly Father will take care of that! Bring it on!

Making Tamales

Today I'm making tamales for the second time in my life. The first time was one year ago today on Juice's 19th birthday. She has had a habit of challenging my culinary skills when she chooses her birthday meals. Tamales are delicious! It sure would be nice if the hispanic man who comes around selling homemade tamales now and then would just happen to come by on Juice's birthday :)

Twenty years sounds so long ago but it seems like just a little while since the day I became a mother. I've been reminiscing about that wonderful, horrific, exciting, terrifying time----

We lived in Provo, Utah in a studio apartment that was part of an old house which had been remodeled into apartments. There was a carport in the back and no lighting at all back there. I was five days overdue and so ready(and scared) to deliver this baby. When we decided it was time to go we got in the car and backed out--and hit the landlord's(they lived upstairs) brother's car which was parked there. The car was black and it was night time and there was no lighting back there. That's a good excuse isn't it? So Stephen ran in and told them we hit them and came right back out. They didn't know we were on our way to the hospital at all until later.

We got all checked in at the hospital and in our room and what do you know but my labor wasn't progressing at all. It turned out that all of my labors were that way. But when the doctor came and broke my water things got going pretty quick. I hadn't wanted any medication, but I had never been through this before and when the real contractions started coming it didn't take too long for me to fold and get an epidural. Epidurals are great if you don't want to feel a thing. In fact this particular epidural was so strong that I went to sleep and slept all through my labor until about 6:00 the next morning when they were telling me to push. Of course I was awake so they could check me and all but mostly I got to sleep. So about 6:00 am they're telling me to push---the epidural was so strong I couldn't even move. I had to lift my legs with my hands or have Stephen help me to do anything. I had never had a baby before and I didn't know how to push one out. The nurses tried to tell me what to do but they had to stand next to me and push on my belly to help me. Finally at 6:45 am out popped our sweet little Juice--8 lbs. 6 oz.--she was so beautiful and perfect. We held her for a few minutes before the nurses whisked her off to the nursery to clean her up.

The next time we saw her she looked like this:

I got a phone call from the pediatrician after they got me moved to my recovery room saying that Juice had a problem. Her mouth had been very spitty and mucousy so the nurses were trying to suction it out. They tried to put a tube down her throat but it wouldn't go down. They sent juice to have an x-ray and found that she had tracheo esophogeo fistula. Her esophogus didn't go to her stomach as it should and she would need surgery right away to correct the problem. We spent an anxious day waiting for her to be finished with the operation. Truthfully, I'm not sure I even felt the gravity of the situation. I was fairly groggy after that super-strong epidural and I was just going along with what everyone said. But I knew that Juice would be OK. And she was. 

 

 She spent exactly one month in the NICU and finally got to come home. We had to carefully care for the incision from the surgery and go back for visits with the surgeon for about 8 months but there have been no ill effects since then and she has grown and developed so beautifully as you can see into this happy, strong, loving, kind woman. We are so glad to have her in our family!

  

String Bass!

Superstar had his first night-time orchestra concert last night. He did so great! When he said he wanted to play the bass I wasn't sure he was really up to it. It is SO huge and heavy, and he has not been super coordinated, but he loves it and is doing wonderful. What a great string program we have here in the Logan schools. We are really proud of Superstar!

Christmas Trees, Devotional, and Spirit!

So we just finished our traditional Sunday breakfast dinner. French Toast!(Yeah Toast!) We don't have that very often. There's one member of our family who doesn't love the Sunday breakfast dinner tradition. "Do we have to have breakfast dinner EVERY Sunday?" Last week we decided to make chicken instead and you should have heard the uproar! "What!? We're not having breakfast!? Why not?" I guess that tradition is a keeper.

Before that we all gathered around the Christmas Tree we bought and put up yesterday to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. The kids were all piled on the couch together(for some reason they insist on sitting really close together whenever possible--in church they complain that they're squashed--but they refuse to scoot down on the bench so they can have more space. At least they like to be together!) and Stephen and I on the love seat. We could smell the Christmas tree and had all the lights turned off except for the Christmas lights. What an experience to sit with our family in our own home to watch and listen to a prophet of God! What a blessing it is to have the technology to bring his voice and face right into our home to listen as he speaks to us.

Stephen and I were in our stake choir for stake conference today. I was feeling really grateful to have a voice to sing praises to the Lord. I don't get the opportunity very often these days to use that talent the way I would like(LOVE) to. There are other things that have higher priority right now. I was really grateful to join my voice with others in singing My Savior Will Supply My Need, Be Still My Soul, and I Believe In Christ and feel the power and spirit of that music and share it with the congregation.

Much of our stake conference was about the temple. I am so grateful to live within just a few minutes drive of the temple where we can go to feel peace and receive revelation. I'm also grateful for a husband who has tirelessly made sure that we attend the temple on a regular basis.  A member of our stake presidency said, "Distraction is a tool Satan uses to keep us from the temple." We have truly seen Satan at work trying to distract us from getting to the temple, but if we stay focused on the temple the Lord helps us to accomplish all of the needful things that are becoming distractions to us.

I don't know why, but it's taken me a while to really get in the Christmas mood this year--I'm usually ready by about July!  Today I was just feeling flooded with gratitude for so many things. We are so blessed. I guess I'm ready for Christmas now!