Soaking It All In

 

 

On Saturday morning we were honored and excited to attend the piano recital of Emily’s students.  It was great fun to see the kids that Emily has been teaching.  She has a lot of students!  I have to say, though, that the highlight for me was watching Nathan and Zach.  They each played a couple of pieces, actually Nathan played 3 of them. 

 

Zach was the first pianist on the program, right behind the one lone flute player.  He’s pretty much a newbie at the piano, but did pretty good!  After his cute little rendition of Alouette Zach stood….

 

faced his crowd…..

 

And looked from right to left as his appreciative audience rewarded him with their thunderous applause.

 

 

…..and then he solemnly bowed. 

 

It was very cute.

 

 

 

 

 

Bear Adventures

This fall right before Halloween, David was here with his family, so I decided our family needed to go to Bear World. I wasn't sure if I could get them all to go, but I didn't worry too much about it.  I just thought whomever would like to go, can.  And I would pay for the whole thing.

I decided to take them all on Saturday, the last weekend of their season.  I happened to hear on the radio that you would get a pretty good discount if you went during their last couple of days, so I told the fam......

I knew David and Emily and their boys would want to go and I was fairly certain that Joni would want to take Ledger. Beyond that I wasn't sure if anyone would bother.

Boy was I surprised!  Lisa AND Tyler came (I was kind of surprised about Tyler) Joni, and her 2 little kids, and shockingly, at the last minute, Mike and Andy decided to also go. (We really felt badly that Abby, David and Asher were not in town and therefore unable to come.)

We piled into 2 cars, both filled to the gills.  As the 2 cars play a part in my little story I have to tell you who was in each car.

Car A:
David's Explorer with David driving.
Also inside: Emily (front seat) Sorren and me in the middle seat, and Nathan and Zach in the back.

Car B:
Joni's car, with Joni driving. 
Also inside: Mike (front seat), Andy, Ledger, London in the middle seat, and squishily seated in the very back, Lisa and Tyler


We arrived at the gate  with Car A in front.  I was quite impressed with the lady who sold us the admittance tickets.  I told her I was paying for both cars.  She asked how many people total and the ages of each.  She worked her magic and we all got in for less than a hundred.  I was amazed.

She told us to go ahead and drive through the animals and that we could go as many times as we wanted until 5:00.  Having never been there before I wasn't really sure what she meant, but we headed through the gate.

It was pretty awesome!  It was so fun to see the white elk and buffalo, all the deer and other animals just lounging around. In our car (Car A) Sorren was so excited!  We let him get out of his carseat so he could stand up next to the window and really look. He kept making really cute little growly noises.  Nathan and Zach seemed to also love looking around and commenting on the animals.  It would have really been a fun relaxing time, but David happened to notice, as soon as we drove through the animal gate, that he was almost out of gas!

Meanwhile back in Car B they were having their own kind of fun. I wasn't actually IN car B so I'm just related the facts as I heard them.  Ledger was also let out of his carseat, I presume so that he could also have a closer look.  He promptly began to climb all over the place, including the front seat.  Mike was starting to get agitated because of Ledger's acrobatics.  At one point in time Ledger was actually climbing around on the dash in front of Joni, the driver.

In Car A we finished driving past the tamer animals and then proceeded through another more secure gate, (which kind of reminded me of the entrance into Jurassic Park) into the bear enclosure.  It was very exciting to see bears everywhere we looked.  They had lots of little "caves" for them, but mostly the bears were out in the sun watching us as we drove past.  I guess there were signs all over showing which way we were to drive, but at one point we saw a great big bear ambling across the next road over, so we skipped an entire loop to drive directly over to where the bear was to have a closer look.  The entire time I'm thinking in the back of my head "this would not be a good place to run out of gas, but I'm sure we're okay".

Meanwhile, back in Car B Ledger also got very excited about all the bears and wanted to take a closer look.  He kept trying to open the car door to do just that.  Mike was pretty calm about that little development. Just kidding.

When we finished driving through the bear enclosure I was kind of surprised to see that there was a kind of amusement park with activities and a petting zoo up ahead.  I had no idea that was there.  I was ready to stop and check things out when we got a phone call from Car B.  "We're going around again cause we didn't see everything."  And I could see that they were already heading through the gate back into the animal enclosure.  Without a second's hesitation David put Car A into gear and we were through the gate right behind them.  It was only after we went through the gate that I remembered, we were out of gas!

The second time around was pretty similar to the first with 1 major difference.

There was a Bear World truck right in front of us, with the back full of paying customers, that kept stopping for long periods of time while all the people in the back threw out food to the bears.

 This time Car A kept speculating about if we ran out of gas who would come first, Bear World employees with a gas can or hungry bears wanting a human snack.

Car B was having there own excitement.  Since the bears were all being fed they were out on the road and surrounded our cars.  Ledger thought this was an extremely good time to see one up close and personal and actually opened the door!  Mike was very calm. Ha. Ha. Ha. His agitation rubbed off on Joni who tried to escape from the herd of bears by putting her foot on the gas pedal.  She's pretty sure she might have run over a bear toe or two.

All's well that ends well, though.  We made it out of the bear enclosure without running out of gas (Car A) or getting eaten by a bear (Car B).

This time we actually did stop and enjoy the fun at the petting zoo.  A few of us used giant slingshots to catapult potatoes at some targets out in the field, a straw maze was run,  animals were petted in the petting zoo, rides were ridden in the amusement park.

It was a very fun outing.  I can't wait to do it again next year.  This time I'm going to ride in Car C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time Slows for Important Work

Yesterday, Saturday, as soon as I woke up I really felt like I needed to go to the temple.

I slept a bit later than normal, so it was 8:45 when I woke.  Too late for the 9:00 session.  I wondered if I could make it to the 9:45.

I went through my morning routine of feeding the chickens, gathering the eggs, eating breakfast and getting dressed with hair and makeup.  I kept having little set-backs, like I couldn't find my lipstick which was in my purse instead of in my bag.  I would start to get anxious and feel rushed and then I would just remind myself that if I was meant to make the 9:45 session I would.  If not, then I would just sit and meditate and relax until the 10:30.
I looked at the clock when it was 9:30 and thought, "I've got to leave the house right now."  I started driving to the temple trying not to feel rushed.  I kept catching myself speeding up in the car and then I'd slow back down to the speed limit. 

I hit all the lights green and thought that maybe I really was going to make it to the earlier session.  I only had one more light left and then it was just a couple more blocks to the temple.  I could see that it was green as I came closer to it, but right at the critical juncture of decision, it turned yellow on me.  I calmed myself and stopped.  I didn't want to rush through a barely red light fearing that it would make me feel even more rushed and harried.  I thought, "well, I'm not going to make it now.  Might as well go slow" because I knew that the lights had to cycle through to 2 or 3 other traffic patterns before it would give me the green light.  I had barely stopped the car, though, when a minor miracle occurred. The light immediately turned green for me, even though there were a lot of cars waiting in the other lanes to go.  I drove up to the temple as slowly as I could, and still felt like I was on the verge of feeling rushed.  There were no close parking spots, so I had to park in the back half of the lot and walk the distance to the front door.

Inside the temple I was checked at the recommend desk and then walked back to the dressing room.  I thought I might still make it to the 9:45. I took my white dress and shoes out of my bag, locked my bag and street clothes into my locker, and then dressed into my whites as quickly as I could.  I sighed a little frustration sigh when I realized that I had only taken 1 stocking out of the bag.  I had to retrieve the key, open the locker, unzip my bag and find the stocking before relocking everything back up.  I then finished putting on my shoes and socks. 

I walked to the restroom, almost bumping into another woman who was walking the other way.  I knew it was because I was still hurrying.  Once again, I forced myself to slow down. As I came out of the restroom I heard one of the temple workers tell a couple of women that the 9:45 sessions was full.

I had kind of expected that to happen, so I wasn't surprised, but I was a little bit disappointed.  I decided right then just to really slow down for real (and quit kidding myself that I was already slowed down), and stopped to write a few names on the temple rolls.  As I was getting the name of the woman who I was going to do temple work for, the lady working there told me that the session was full, but I was welcome to go and wait for the next one. I told her that was a great idea.

I slowly walked up the long flight of stairs to the upper floor where the chapel was.  I was kind of surprised when I noticed the door to the ordinance room was still standing open.  A woman was standing in the hall as if she was waiting for me.  She asked me if I wanted to do a session.  I said yes, and she said they had one more seat.

I went in and sat down, they closed the door, and the session began.

The Power to Change a Life

Bike Tunes

Every night about 8:00 I get this song stuck in my head.



So, about 8:30 or so, I go and get Old Betsy, and start peddling down my driveway.

Then this song immediately pops into my head.


(I even have a basket on my bike, and have been known to ride in a skirt.)

After going around the roads in front of my house I come dragging in to my driveway with this song in my head.

A little of this and a little of that.

 

People are so nice.  When you have a baby they bring you food. Sometimes the food is awesome!  I love it when you get a meal that looks like something your mom would make for you. 

Good old comfort food. 

 

It's probably not the greatest idea to try out a new recipe for the first time and then announce that fact when you take the "first-time-you've-made-it" food to someone you're trying to help.

Although you put a lot of effort, resources and thought into this meal,

maybe, just maybe,

it would have been better to use the old tried and true Shepherd's Pie, or Lasagna.

 

Then maybe, just maybe,

the recipient of all your hard-cooking-work

wouldn't have to guess as to the edibility of the food in question.

 

 

Is that melted saran wrap?

 

 

Late Saturday afternoon I got the phone call.

"Mom, can you babysit?"

I loved that phone call.

Ledger and I had a great time.  I threw a sheet over the play mat and made him a tent.  He loved it and kept going in and out

in and out.

 

 

Grandpa took him for a stroller ride and  I fed him dinner and put him to bed at 7:30,

per his mama's instructions.

 

I told Grandpa to listen for him because I was off to buy a pop.

When I got back home I was greeted by a smiling happy Ledger, playing with his Grandpa.

"He was crying." said Mike, sheepishly.

 

Ledger bought himself another hour. 

I put him back to bed at 8:30 and he fell asleep immediately.

 

 

 

Andy tries really hard to ignore Ledger.  His tough guy image won't allow him to show his softer side to a baby.

Ledger doesn't know this about Andy.

Ledger just LOVES Andy and

smiles at, climbs up on, watches,

and does his best to win Andy over.

From the looks of things, I think Ledger is winning.

 

 

It's been hot here.  Joni has taken Ledger to the splash park a couple of times.  Today Lisa and I stopped by to see the fun.  Poor little guy has such tender skin that he has to wear a hat outside, but it just added to the cuteness factor. 

He had a great time!

for about 5 minutes.

 

 

I fell in love again last week.  He only weighs 8 pounds, but he's gripped my heart as tightly has he gripped his mama's necklace right after he was born.

Love you Asher!

 

 

 

Makes Me Smile and Think

I found this today.  Enjoy!

25 Inspiring Stories to Make You Smile

Here’s a selection of 25 short stories recently submitted to our sister site, Makes Me Think, that not only made us think, but made us smile too.  We hope they do the same for you.  Enjoy.

1. Today, my son turned 7 and I turned 23.  Yes, I had him on the day I turned 16.  The choices I made when I was a teenager were foolish, and sometimes I get worried I’m bringing my son up wrong.  But today I took him to the park to celebrate our birthdays.  He played for hours with a girl who has burn scars that cover most of her face.  When my son took a break to eat, he pointed to her and said, “She’s so pretty and cool!”  Which left me thinking, “I must be doing something right as a mom.”  MMT
2. Today at 1AM, my grandma, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, got up, got into my dad’s car and drove off.  We contacted the police.  But before the police could find her, two college kids pulled into our driveway with my grandma.  One was driving my dad’s car and the other was following in their car.  They said they overheard her crying about being lost at an empty gas station 10 miles away.  My grandma couldn’t remember our address, but gave the kids her first and last name.  They looked her up online, found our address, and drove her home.  MMT
3. Today, my 8-year-old son hugged me and said, “You are the best mom in the whole entire world!”  I smiled and sarcastically replied, “How do you know that?  You haven’t met every mom in the whole entire world.”  My son squeezed me tighter and said, “Yes I have.  You are my world.”  MMT
4. Today, my dad turned 91.  He barely has enough strength to speak.  But every time my mom (she’s 84) walks into the room to check on him, he says, “Hello beautiful.”  MMT
5. Today, when I went to pick-up my daughter from preschool she was sitting on the ground in the corner of the after-care area with 3 blind students.  All of them had smiles on their faces.  The after-care instructor told me my daughter has been spending time with these 3 students every afternoon this week, answering questions and explaining to them in vivid detail what different objects, people and animals look like.  MMT
6. Today, when she woke up from a six month coma, she kissed me and said, “Thank you for being here, and telling me those beautiful stories, and never giving up on me…  And yes, I will marry you.”  MMT
7. Today, I found an old hand written note my mom wrote when she was a senior in high school.  On it is a list of qualities she hoped she would someday find in a boyfriend.  The list is basically an exact description of my dad, who she didn’t meet until she was 27.  MMT
8. Today is my 18th birthday.  Just over 18 years ago a woman was faced with the harsh fact that she had already had 4 miscarriages and 1 stillbirth.  As she was pregnant for the 5th time, doctors informed her that her pregnancy was risky.  They said there was a good chance either the baby or her wouldn’t make it.  She chose to give the baby a chance anyway.  My mom and I both made it and are still healthy to this day.  MMT
9. Today, my grandpa keeps and old, candid photo on his nightstand of my grandma and him laughing together at some party in the 1960’s.  My grandma passed away from cancer in 1999 when I was 7.  This evening when I was at his house, my grandpa caught me staring at the photo.  He walked up, hugged me from behind and said, “Remember, just because something doesn’t last forever, doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth your while.”  MMT
10. Today, a week after I donated three bags of clothes to a local homeless shelter, I saw a homeless woman sitting on a park bench wearing a tye-dye shirt I made when I was a teenager.  I walked by her and said, “I love your shirt!”  She smiled and said, “Thank you!  I really do too!”  MMT
11. Today, I sat down with my two daughters, ages 4 and 6, to explain to them that we have to move out of our 4 bedroom house and into a 2 bedroom apartment for awhile until I can find another job that pays well.  My daughters looked at each other for a moment and then my youngest daughter turned to me and asked, “Are we all moving into the apartment together?”  “Yes,” I replied.  “Oh, so no big deal then,” she said.  MMT
12. Today is the 14th day in a row that my nursing home patient’s grandson has come to visit her.  Two weeks ago I told him that the only time I see his grandmother smile all week is when he visits her on Sunday mornings.  MMT
13. Today, as I pulled into my apartment complex I noticed my neighbor, who’s about 8 months pregnant, struggling with her groceries.  I stopped and helped her bring them up the stairs into her apartment.  This evening, when I got home from the gym I found a freshly baked apple pie sealed in Tupperware sitting on my doorstep with a note that said, “I used the ingredients you helped me carry to bake this.  Enjoy!”  MMT
14. Today, a man came in to apply at my restaurant.  He seemed charismatic, kind, knowledgeable, and friendly.  Later, when I went to call him to extend a job offer, I noticed he had written “ask for me” under his number.  The number belongs to a homeless shelter.  But I’m gonna take a risk and hire him anyways.  MMT
15. Today, I found out that my mom and dad have been working second jobs at night so they can continue to financially assist my twin sister and I who are both sophomores in college.  My dad said, “You two will be the first in our family’s history to receive college diplomas.  Two jobs is nothing!  I’d work three if I had to to see you two graduate.”  MMT
16. Today, my 12-year-old son, Sean, and I stopped by the nursing home together for the first time in several months.  Usually I come alone see my mother who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s.  When we walked into the lobby, the nurse said, “Hi, Sean!” and then buzzed us in.  “How does she know your name?” I asked.  “Oh, I swing by here on my walk home from school all the time to say hi to Grandma,” Sean said.  I had no idea.  MMT
17. Today, my mom has been blind for 15 years.  She lost her vision in the same car accident that took my dad’s life.  I am 18 years old now.  She has raised me as a single mom since I was 3, without her vision.  And yes, she did a heck of a job!  MMT
18. Today, I met the prettiest woman on a plane.  Assuming I wouldn’t see her again after we made our connections, I told her how pretty I thought she was.  She gave me the most sincere smile and said, “Nobody has said that to me in 10 years.”  It turns out we’re both in our mid-30’s, never married, no kids, and we live about 5 miles away from each other.  We have a date set for next Saturday after we return home.  MMT
19. Today, my mom received the surgery she needed to remove a malignant tumor.  My family has been struggling without medical insurance since my dad lost his job last year.  My sister and I have been openly discussing my mom’s medical dilemma on Facebook.  Last week, a friend of a friend, who’s a veteran cancer treatment surgeon who owns his own practice, saw our comments on Facebook and volunteered to help my mother for free.  MMT
20. Today, I’m a mother of 2 and a grandmother of 4.  At 17 I got pregnant with twins.  When my boyfriend and friends found out I wasn’t going to abort them, they turned a cold shoulder to me.  But I pressed forward, worked full-time while attending school, graduated high school and college, and met a guy in one of my classes who has loved my children like his own for the last 50 years.  MMT
21. Today, as I was sleeping, I woke up to my daughter calling my name.  I was sleeping in a sofa chair in her hospital room.  I opened my eyes to her beautiful smile.  My daughter has been in a coma for 98 days.  MMT
22. Today, on our 10th wedding anniversary, she handed me a suicide note she wrote when she was 22. It was dated the exact day we met each other.  And she said, “For all these years I didn’t want you to know how foolish and unstable I was back when we met.  But even though you didn’t know, you saved me.  Thank you.” MMT
23. Today, at 8AM this morning, after four months of lifelessness in her hospital bed, we took my mom off life support.  And her heart continued beating on its own.  And she continued breathing on her own.  Then this evening, when I squeezed her hand three times, she squeezed back three times.  MMT
24. Today, the homeless man who used to sleep near my condo showed up at my door wearing the business suit I gave him nearly 10 years ago.  He said, “I have a home, a job, and a family now.  10 years ago I wore this business suit to all my job interviews.  Thank you.”  MMT
25. Today, when I opened my store at 5AM there was an envelope sitting on the floor by the door.  In the envelope was $600 and a note that said, “Five years ago, I broke into your store at night and stole $300 worth of food.  I’m sorry.  I was desperate.  Here’s the money with 100% interest.”  Interestingly, I never reported the incident to the cops because I assumed that whoever stole the food really needed it.  MMT

And, of course, be sure to check out Makes Me Think for more stories like these.