M is for Meacham

Great letter about love

2012-02-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

A letter about love from John Steinbeck to his son Thom:

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/nothing-good-gets-away.html

"Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also."

Happy post-Valentines Day.

Recent Finds

2012-02-06T17:40:00.001-08:00

Just a lovely song I stumbled onto (you can listen while you read):

I rarely find books randomly but I grabbed a book off the new release shelf at the library called "Eleven"that I enjoyed. It was about the interconnectedness of peoples lives and living intentionally. That made it sound new-agey and it was anything but.

I have been new-agey in my daily reading choices though. Here are two favorites:

From The wisdom of Yoga by Stephen Cope (found at the IFPL used book sale for $.50):

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”-Proust

In the yoga tradition, it’s the seeking that matters, because it is the seeking itself that transforms our vision of things. Secondhand answers have no power in them.

Yoga, at its truest, insists upon giving us not answers, but a way to find our own answers.

---

I bought the book "Journey to the Heart" by Melody Beattie for myself this Christmas (that is a big deal because I don't often buy books, just borrow). It's a calendar of supportive thoughts and I read at least three days at once, sometimes more, so I'm all the way to December now and ready to start over.

December 29

Experience the Thrill of the Climb

Don’t stop now. You’re almost there.

You’ve worked so hard to climb this mountain. In the beginning, you were excited. Exhilarated at the prospect of the mountain you were about to climb. Now, you are almost to the top. You’ve struggled, gotten weary, and kept going. Now, your goal is in sight.

Keep going. Guidance is still there to help you. The life force, the one that keeps you going, keeps you moving forward, is still there too, burning brightly within you, charging all that you do with its energy. It is more difficult for you to feel it, but that is only because you’re tired.

See the mountain climber as he climbs the mountain. There are dangers and precipices and challenges along the way. But the higher he climbs, the steeper it gets. The more tired he is, the more energy he has to put into the climb. Don’t tell yourself that the way you feel is an indication you should stop. The way you feel now is the way anyone would feel who was so deeply committed to life. It’s the way anyone would feel who had committed to climbing that mountain.

Don’t stop now. Relax as much as you can.

Know that the rhythm of life is still there

moving you forward. Don’t look back. Focus

intently on each step. Soon you will reach

the top. Soon you will reach your goal. Soon

you will experience the victory. Keep your

eyes focused on the path; look straight ahead.

Embrace the thrill of the climb.

Makes me think I can make it. It makes me want to climb mountains this summer. Something I always thought I'd do living in Idaho but never made it happen.

This year...

Excerpt

2012-01-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

My favorite part from "I Said Yes But I Meant No" by Dean Young:

One should like oneself between 60 and 80%.
Under 45%, one becomes an undertaking,
prone to eating disorders, public weeping,
useless for gift wrapping and relay races.
Over 85% means you are a self-involved bore,
I don’t care about your Nobel prize in positrons
or your dog sled victories.
Of course there is great variance throughout the day.
You may feel 0% upon first waking
but that is because you don’t yet know you exist
which is why baby-studies have been a bust.
Then as you venture forth to boil water,
you may feel a sudden surge to 90%,
Hey, I’m GOOD at boiling water!
which can be promptly counteracted by turning on your email.

Along those lines, here is the January message from President Monson:

http://lds.org/liahona/2012/01/living-the-abundant-life?lang=eng&cid=facebook-shared

December Photo Journey

2012-01-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

We filled the month with as much fun as we could think of. I think it went pretty well.

I never found an advent calendar so I made one.

Nat decided a trip to Big Jud's was in order. Evan was a little freaked out by the giant burger(1 lb.).

We went shopping at King's in Rigby. It's fun to be near a town with nice old stores like this.

After buying our first real tree that same night we came home for a hot cocoa party.

I took the kids to see Santa at Smitty's one night. Elizabeth asked for a cell phone. Santa came pretty close to telling her no. Good Santa. Evan was okay as long as he had candy. He was not okay with a "Santa pig" at Famous Dave's that we visited later in the month. The rest of us were not okay with Famous Dave's either. We'll stick with Texas Roadhouse I think.

Christmas weekend was quiet since no cousins were visiting this year. We had Nat's birthday dinner at our house with the Meacham's and a quick Christmas morning before church on Christmas day.

Nat talked me into a run that afternoon. It was beautiful down by the frozen river on a still sunny Christmas day. That would be a fun tradition to keep up if the weather cooperates each year.

The kids and Nat both had well timed days off so we fit in a quick road trip to Zion and Las Vegas. There are great smallish hikes for families. Zion is much better for pictures than Vegas.

We tried a place from Food network called Hash House a Go Go. We got another giant 1 lb burger and the sage fried chicken benedict. Elizabeth picked an 18" banana pancake that was really great. We all shared the two meals worth of food. None of our pics worked out so I'll send you to the restaurant website: http://www.hashhouseagogo.com/gallery/

That's all for 2011. Happy New Year everyone.

Christmas

2011-12-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

EQUATIONS OF THE LIGHT

By Dana Gioia

Turning the corner, we discovered it
just as the old wrought-iron lamps went on—
a quiet, tree-lined street, only one block long
resting between the noisy avenues.

The streetlamps splashed the shadows of the leaves
across the whitewashed brick, and each tall window
glowing through the ivy-decked facade
promised lives as perfect as the light.

Walking beneath the trees, we counted all
the high black doors of houses bolted shut.
And yet we could have opened any door,
entered any room the evening offered.

Or were we deluded by the strange
equations of the light, the vagrant wind
searching the trees, that we believed this brief
conjunction of our separate lives was real?

It seemed that moment lingered like a ghost,
a flicker in the air, smaller than a moth,
a curl of smoke flaring from a match,
haunting a world it could not touch or hear.

There should have been a greeting or a sign,
the smile of a stranger, something beyond
the soft refusals of the summer air
and children trading secrets on the steps.

Traffic bellowed from the avenue.
Our shadows moved across the street’s long wall,
and at the end what else could I have done
but turn the corner back into my life?

(I found this on a poetry app. fun.)

Ballet

2011-12-16T15:04:00.000-08:00

Two ballets in the last few months. Ballet Maribor's Radio and Juliet in October and The Nutcracker with my older kids this week.

First let me share a thought from Twyla Tharp:
"Metaphor is the lifeblood of all art, if it is not art itself. Metaphor is our vocabulary for connecting what we're experiencing now with what we have experienced before. It's not how we express what we remember, it's how we interpret it-for ourselves and others."

I went to the October ballet worried something trite or amateurish was going to happen. Why else would a touring dance group end up in a half full auditorium in a town like mine? I have to get rid of notions like that. Like magic can only happen in big cities or to really amazing people.

But how could I not enjoy Shakespeare, dance and Radiohead combined?

I loved it.

If I had more time I would explain why. I'll just call it metaphor.

This week I decided to take my kids to the Nutcracker for the first time. I may have waited too long for my eleven year old. The men-in-tights thing seemed a little...much (for her). My son loved the fireworks and humor and music.
There was a great lemon moon on the horizon and a local college station played a lovely song by a group called Explosions in the sky.

Wonderful things can happen wherever you are. Any time.

Lunar Eclipse to attend...

2011-12-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

I remember staying up for a lunar eclipse last year with Elizabeth.

This one sounds like a reasonable hour.

A lunar eclipse and the sunrise? Magical.

Here's a link:

This lunar eclipse will include an 'impossible' sight

Interview on the Radio

2011-12-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

I'm sharing an interview I heard on the NPR Fresh Air series about a month ago.

I tried to write down some of what I heard at a stop light on scrap paper in my purse. Today I finally remembered to go back and read the transcript. What he said is true for me, it may not be true for you. I just liked it instantly.

Tom Waits on drinking (and other things):

GROSS: So I just want to quote something that you told the Guardian, the British newspaper, a few years ago - in 2006. And you said that when you stopped drinking, you wondered: Am I genuinely eccentric, or am I just wearing a funny hat? What am I made of? What's left when you drain the pool? So I think it was like years ago, many years ago that you gave up drinking. What did you learn about yourself when the alcohol wasn't there anymore?

WAITS: I didn't know what to do with my hands.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

GROSS: Oh, like when you stop smoking.

WAITS: Yeah. Well, yeah, I was smoke in one hand and a drink in the other. What did I learn? Boy, that's a big question, Terry. I...

GROSS: If it's too big, don't feel like you need to answer it.

WAITS: I think it's probably like the - what my wife said about the reality distortion field that I live in, which is kind of a place that you don't necessarily come back from. You know, maybe the drugs and alcohol are more of a vacation from reality, you know?

GROSS: Mm-hmm.

WAITS: They say that life itself is really just the dead on vacation, you know.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

GROSS: Oh gosh, I hadn't heard that.

WAITS: Isn't that terrible? Hmm. I don't know. Yeah, am I just wearing a funny hat? Am I just trying to say weird stuff ,or am I really peculiar, genuinely?

GROSS: Did you want to be peculiar?

WAITS: Well, I wanted - I've always wanted to be curious and provocative, I guess, and interesting, and interested in this kind of sparkling, you know, sapphire we all call home, you know. I always wanted to be mystified by it all - and rather fascinated with life itself. And I don't know, when, you know, I think maybe when you drink, you are - you're probably robbing yourself of that genuine experience, even though it appears what you're doing is getting more of it. You're getting less of it. And it takes a while, when you've had a rock on the hose like that for so long. It takes a while for the hose to be a hose again, you know, and for things to start flowing.

Like with songs, if you don't play for a while - if you stop playing for like, even like a year - sometimes it all builds up in a really great way. But there's no such thing as not playing. You know, there's just - you know, music has rests in it, so you are on a rest right now.

Link to entire interview:

http://www.npr.org/2011/10/31/141657227/tom-waits-the-fresh-air-interview

Thanks NPR.

Update on Running

2011-11-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

I didn't neglect posting anything about running lately because I haven't been.

The dates of four different races I wanted to run in came and went.

Here you can listen to this while I whine:

http://www.listenbeforeyoubuy.net/listen/listen-girls-lawrence/

It feels so strange to have to miss something I wasn't sure I could even do in the first place.

The day of each event was a little sad.

Maybe people who missed their prom felt that way.

I'm not sure what I did to my knee (over-training sometime in August and lazy attempts at rehab probably).

After ice, anti-inflammatories, massage, strength training and foam rolling I tried the do-nothing-for-weeks approach. That led to something like depression with no positive effects on my injury.

I'm down to yoga only.

I can't do activities I liked before I tried running: Zumba, interval classes, trotting up or down stairs.

I'm going to have to try swimming now. I love water, but I've never been a dedicated swimmer.

I will figure this out before spring. There's a sawtooth relay that Nat ran last spring that I'd like to try. Moab half marathon sounds lovely.

Maybe I could just enjoy being able to do some hiking next summer with a little trail running flavor.

Here's to recuperation!

and here's a cute link by an illustrator who ran the NY marathon a different way:

http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/

Autumn

2011-11-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

There was an early snow a few days after the 80 degree weather in September. Elijah managed a nice swirly pattern on the side of his snowman.

Evan can wink now. Just so you all know.

He also loves the color orange. That comes in nicely this time of year.

He's three now. I sort of skipped that part. (we are in between cameras. this pic was on the old camera forgotten in a drawer.)

The kids had nearly a week and a half off school in October so we headed to Utah.

I decided visting the planetarium is a much better value than the Children's Museum in Salt Lake. We went to both in one day (Siegfriend's in between for lunch. http://siegfriedsdelicatessen.biz/home.nxg Mmmm).

There are incredibly interesting hands on exhibits at both locations. One is free and the other is very not free. The gift shop at the planetarium is much better than the museum too.

I have more petty reasons for not liking the museum too. The museum gift shop lets you buy a parking validation for $1 that gives you the same amount off your parking total. That cost them the vote right there. I went to Bath and Body works and used a coupon for a small lotion. The bill was under $3 and I got free parking. Much better.

To be fair though, Elijah really liked the helicopter on the rooftop at the children's museum.

The kids like the Planetarium better too.

http://www.clarkplanetarium.org/

Evan on the moon:

Magic cloud machine and Steampunk goggles from the gift shop:

Treats at Les Madelines in Salt Lake City.

http://www.les-madeleines.com/index.html

The school Elizabeth used to go to near our house has an annual fall carnival. The kids both brought friends this year and loaded up on candy and small plastic toys.

Fall Carnival:

the mustache ended up on our butternut squash for awhile too. (no pic though). :(

Great Grandma Pearl's 90th Birthday party preempted the chemistry magic show this year.

We had fun with the Meachams.

Halloween was fun for all of the kids (and me too). We skipped Boo at the Zoo. We did a quick trunk or treat run-through before sunset. We spent some time in the numbered streets with the big trees and leaves everywhere and old spooky houses. We grabbed some pumpkin steamed milk and made an appearance at the grandparents'. More candy than ever this year. Lots of pumpkin sugar cookies at home too.

The boys:

Elizabeth's class had a historical Halloween so she did a report on Queen Elizabeth the first. I figured out how to make those crazy collars the weekend before the presentation.

Awww....

End of summer

2011-09-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite cell phone pictures:

The fair was lovely this year. I insisted on going at sunset so we could see the magic. I tried the trapeze bungee fun with the kids. Nat said I had more fun than them. No arguing with that.

Here's the three of them lined up on antique tractors with the trapeze/trampoline ride in the background.

More updates:

Evan's first day of school with Grandma Margaret's toddler class (postponed a week after being sick). He's learning to boss people around appropriately. "You may not do... you may do ..."
Elijah had his funnest birthday ever: two friends, go karts, bumper boats and bouncy land after kids meals and cake at arctic circle.

video contest

2011-09-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

cute:

http://lds.org/pages/international-video-contest-winners?lang=eng#life

or this is pretty funny latest installment of kid history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh0NLQJfAYU

when I asked Elizabeth how she knew the song the mom was singing she said I played Bjork singing it once for her.

(good job me!) :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcXJ8cMsPPM

Stuck Inside

2011-09-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at the conveniences the modern world offers when I'm stuck inside with three sick kids (and me sick too).

When I was younger, I guess I sat in bed or watched broadcast television.

We are all sick in a possibly contagious but rambunctious sort of way so staying in bed gets really old fast. We don't have broadcast t.v. or cable-so that leaves the movies and...

the interwebz!

I know, this is silly to point out because it's all so common now.

I'm just trying to say it hasn't gotten old for me. Like sunsets and the magic of a good book, the amazing amount of stuff you can enjoy or learn with a computer and connection to the internet is a magical thing.

We find movies and videos for the kids. Elizabeth plans on reading the first half of a new Warriors book on their website while she waits for a copy at the library.

Craigslist is our modern yard sale. You Tube and web articles are the current physical therapy guide and running trainer.

What to read next, what to buy next...it's all there.

Right now I'm listening to Wilco's preview of their new album ( http://wilcoworld.net/twlsplash/ ) while writing a small family update for relatives and friends all over the country. If I wasn't lazy I might include pictures or videos I just made.

It's sort of a fast intense right-now version of the old listening to a record and writing letters.

Wait...

Okay, that's awfully magical in its own way but since I know about two people who respond to real letters I'll stick with internet magic as a means of actually keeping in touch.

Now that I think about it, this whole magical appreciation premise is based on being stuck inside and grateful for what we still have. The Internet, left over birthday cake, nap time...they are all great but...

I'd still rather be well and outside.

So, until then we'll be well entertained...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yy7AP7Dh6w

http://eastidaho.craigslist.org/rvs/2544891476.html

http://www.moshimonsters.com/home

http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/category/pablo-neruda/

http://pinterest.com/shannonkmeacham/

Summer Twenty Eleven

2011-08-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Ah...summer in Idaho.

We played in the yard (including a magic garden tea party breakfast),

we joined in the 4th of July parade,

we swam at the Apple,

we slept in a tee pee,

we went to Yellowstone and the Tetons,

Falls creek and Palisades creek,

Craters of the Moon and Stanley Lake.

And now the kids are back in school. It doesn't seem right to send them back so soon. We might have to skip a few days before the snow flies.

Childhood

2011-08-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

I am journaling while the kids keep fliting in and out of the room, climbing on the bed, climbing on me. They want to play and make noises of make-believe and get each other to smile and laugh and it's lovely how they don't understand that adults sometimes want to just sit and listen to the quiet music and watch the sun move across the floor. It's good they go from yelling to laughter and cars to blankets to jumping on the couch.

They get over mom's intervening during the yelling parts and the "he had it first" and "share, please" and "don't yell in the house" lectures. They are running outside and laughing again as soon as they can.

They don't carry things with them yet. Things that make you cry in the shower.

Things that will try to break them someday are far away.

And somehow I'm supposed to prepare them, arm them for those moments.

Somehow enough love and laughter is supposed to get you through adulthood.

Quotes

2011-08-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

"Interlibrary loans are a wonder of the world and a glory of civilization.

Libraries really are wonderful. They're better than bookshops, even. I mean bookshops make a profit on selling you books, but libraries just sit there lending you books quietly out of the goodness of their hearts."

-"Among Others" Jo Walton

"Just because you're an atheist, that doesn't mean you wouldn't love for things to have reasons for why they are."

Jonathan Safran Foer ("Extemely Loud and Incredibly Close")

"Such a minute fraction of this life do we live: so much is sleep, tooth-brushing, waiting for mail, for metamorphosis, for those sudden moments of incandescence: unexpected, but once one knows them, one can live life in the light of their past and the hope of their future." -Sylvia Plath

Running

2011-07-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today I ran farther than I ever have.

I'm going to fudge and just say I ran 9 miles. (It mapped out as 8.9 or something incredibly close.)

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/56513898

I'm training for a half marathon in the fall.

I hesitate to say that because it seems like more than I should be able to accomplish. I hesitate to admit I want to do this because some people say it's too soon for a bigger event my first year running, or the elevation will be too hard, or I don't have enough time to train. Sometimes I hesitate to say what my goals are because then if I don't reach them it will be more embarrassing.

Well, I said it. I'm going to do it. There's a 10k labor day weekend in the mountains and the Jackson Hole half marathon through Wilson WY a few weeks later. I love those mountains and I like the idea of running in an event I can feel connected to.

Less than a year ago I was in pretty good shape and I worked out 4 or 5 days a week but when I tried to run a mile in the field behind my house I couldn't do it. It felt terrible and I decided it wasn't for me.

This winter I had a few massage clients at the gym that told me I had to work up to it and push past 2 miles or so before I would get hooked and understand all the running hype. It seemed a crazy theory but I thought it would be a nice activity to get hooked on.

Nat's favorite thing to say is "It's supposed to hurt."

I worked up slowly over a few weeks from 10 min on the treadmill warming up before yoga to 4 miles the day I signed up for my first 10k.

Nat got me some fun shoes (Saucony Kinvaras)

and I added a little bit every week.

I only ran once a week but I was ready for the event anyway. I finished my second 10k a few minutes faster and lucked out on a last minute placement for a relay team for the To Bone and Back race. I ran my fastest that day.

I'm not competitive. I don't need to go really fast. I lie to myself and say it's okay if I walk part of an event. I just want to complete it. ( I really don't want to have to walk)

I would like to be good at trail running. I feel better out there but the river is such a healing place to spend time that I haven't branched out to different places much.

I have days when I talk myself out of running. I have days when I tell myself that if I'm not shooting for a marathon then it doesn't count.

Today was a day like that. I felt down. I didn't think I'd make it very far and it is past time in the week for getting in a long run. I knew I needed to make it 8 miles at least.

I pushed past self-doubt and got out there by 7 am.

The weather was a perfect 67 degrees with an amazing Idaho sky. The river always makes me feel better and in a strange way so does running.

I ran slow but I didn't have any desire to stop. When I made it back to my car I could have kept going. I felt great.

9 miles!

Three months ago I was worried about completing 6.2.

I'm glad my running friends were right.

I do like this.

Two Books: zen

2011-06-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

I found "Zen Ghosts" thumbing through children's books while Evan played with the store's train set on a bad weather day.

I love the artwork in these books. The stories are just as good but the art can stand alone.

I didn't mind that summer vacation had begun and I was reading a Halloween story. The surprise for me was how beautiful the ancient hidden ghost story was.

It's on my list of children's books I should own.

(I'm more of a borrower than purchaser so I don't often get to my list. I guess that's why I'm at the library once a week.)

In my latest phase in life I keep finding interesting books on Buddhism.

I found this one at a bookstore and borrowed it too.

"Our appointment with life takes place in the present moment."

"When you have an idea that is making you suffer you should let go of it, even if it is an idea about your own happiness."

"You are already everything you are seeking. Do not try to become something else...

We want to become something else, and so we never stop running."

Reading this book is like yoga meditation or a lazy afternoon in a hammock. It's grounding and positive. I might buy this one too.

Picnics, Star Party and Pictures

2011-06-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

We had one weekend with picnic weather the first few days in June so Saturday we headed to the north Menan Butte with our yummy treats. It's a fun place to explore. I missed out by not going up there when I was in college.

The kids are spoiled with fancy food sometimes. Evan called the goat cheese treat cheesecake.

Sunday we went to a quiet park by the art museum on the river.

Fried chicken, watermelon and sangria. Mmmmmm.

This prolonged windy late spring/winter weather is making me ache for sun and lovely times outside. It was good to take advantage of the rare break.

I took Elizabeth to Craters of the Moon Saturday night for a star party hosted by the local astronomical society. The cloud cover thinned out around 10:30 just before the yellow moon went behind the hills. It looked like a sci-fi painting with the wisps of clouds and the crisp detail.

Elizabeth yelled "whoa" each time she saw something new. She stayed as long as anyone would let her, thinking about the Hercules galaxy or binary starts and exact details of Saturn and the visible moons.

One of the old men from the astronomical society said "that is why we come out here."

Magical. A parking lot of high powered telescopes full of hopes that the clouds will thin and a young child will say "whoa" and linger on the ability to look straight through the universe at converging galaxies.

I liked having time with one child. We sat in the back of the car with the blankets and pillows and read poetry. I was happy some made her laugh and some made her think.

Recently she asked "Mom, do you have a favorite word?" and at the moment I loved the question so much I didn't have an answer. She said her favorite for a while now is the word "complete." She also likes the word "fresh."

Complete is a great word.

And...

Just for fun: A lovely bouquet Nat brought home and Buddy having some pool time.

The Little Prince and magic ( a recommendation)

2011-05-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

The first time I read The Little Prince I cried. I recently got a copy for myself and read a chapter or two at bedtime to Buddy. He is six, the same age as the little prince. I cried more this time. I had to make him read a few paragraphs some nights. He asked me if I was really crying.

Is it a more precious story when you get to read it to a child?

Are youth and magical things farther away?

I hope not.

Some people are partial to sports, others fill their lives with pursuing crafts or causes.

I am partial to magic.

Nothing makes me happy like recognizing magical moments: the family of foxes in the field behind our house, the rich color of slanted light at dawn and sunset, the mountain bluebird that crossed my path this week on the road to Bone, ID, yesterday and sun shining along the river.

The trouble with magic is they don't stock it in the stores or put it in catalogs.

The tricky part about magic is the waiting.

Sometimes I have to look at is sideways like a constellation.

Here are my favorite magical parts in the Little Prince (I can't wait to read it with Elizabeth next):

From chapter 4:

If I have told you these details about the asteroid, and made a note of its number for you, it is on account of the grown-ups. Grown ups love figures. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead, they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.

...

But certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference. I should have liked to begin this story in the fashion of the fairy-tales. I should have liked to say: "Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet that was scarcely any bigger than himself, and who had need of a sheep . . ."

To those who understand life, that would have given a much greater air of truth to my story.

From chapter 21:

So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near--

"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry."

"It is your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you . . ."

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince.

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"Then it has done you no good at all!"

"It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields." And then he added:

"Go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and I will make you a present of a secret."

The little prince went away, to look again at the roses.

"You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox when I first knew him. He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world."

And the roses were very much embarassed.

"You are beautiful, but you are empty," he went on. "One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you--the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three that we saved to become butterflies); because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or ever sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is my rose.

And he went back to meet the fox.

"Goodbye," he said.

"Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

...

"Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose . . ."

There are so many other favorite parts. It really is a lovely book. I'll just recommend the whole book instead of quoting the last two beautiful chapters because they can't be truly beautiful until you let the book tame you. Then you will wonder too:

Here, then, is a great mystery. For you who also love the little prince, and for me, nothing in the universe can be the same if somewhere, we do not know where, a sheep that we never saw has--yes or no?--eaten a rose . . .

Then you will be responsible for what you've read and you will hear the laughter when you look at the stars. Even six years later.

Lately

2011-05-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

While the world was still talking about the royal wedding, I took the kids to SLC to visit aunts, uncles and cousins. They love other people's tvs and video games. They love the people too :) (I'm sure). I brought my new running shoes hoping for nicer weather but we found more snow than in Idaho. It would have been lovely in December.

The kids played at the planetarium. Evan has most of the planets memorized. Elizabeth picked out a stuffed microbe (typhoid fever) for an early birthday present to go with her old e-coli toy. Elijah liked the toys in the gift shop best too.

On mother's day morning I went for a run in the light rain and it felt good so I went six miles. It was good to know I was ready for my upcoming race. I remember trying to run a mile last fall in the field behind our house and being very disappointed when I couldn't. I love the river path in this town for running.

Elizabeth celebrated her birthday three times: with the Meachams, at school and getting her hair done, and at her Saturday dance party.

I was a little busy this weekend. I helped with the set up at a yard sale for the kid's school for three hours before picking Elizabeth up from her friends pajama party.

She had a swimming party the next day before her dance party at night. May seems to be a great month to have a birthday.

Saturday morning was a beautiful race day with big blue skies and only a little breeze that felt nice after running for an hour. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about running with other people but I think it helped me run better in the end. The start was crowded and a little like a family reunion with all the people I recognized from work. My favorite part was running by the Osgood fields and canals and sprinklers in yards. I learned that talking while you run can be a great distraction but I'm not sure if that means I wasn't running fast enough. :)

My goal for this first race was to not stop and to finish in under one hour. I think my official time was 58 min and some odd seconds.

Elijah ran with me, holding my hand for the last 30 seconds or so. That was the best part of finishing.

It was so nice that Nat took the morning off to be there and bring the kids. He's my sports photographer too.

Yes, I'm wearing pink. I can't tell if it's more unlike me to wear pink or run at all! (running definitely)

Next up: a client of mine asked me to be on her Bone and Back relay team and I think the Scenic River 10K will be a beautiful chance to beat my personal best.

Spring Break

2011-04-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Evan was in his spica cast from mid-February to the end of March. He had a better attitude than I did most of the time. We were all glad this didn't happen to him over the summer.

Nat was scheduled to work through half of spring break so I drove the kids to Washington to visit Grandparents. I didn't try to drive the twelve or thirteen hours at once so we played at the hotel pool night and morning on the way up and on the way back. I should take the kids to the pool where I work more often but I think they like jumping on hotel beds and watching cable t.v. just as much as swimming.

Evan arranged his food and talked to it and about it more than once on the trip. I was glad I got a picture of it.

It was good to see family. Evan is so young he can't remember anyone from one visit to the next. I wish we lived closer.

We tried out Chuck E. Cheese because cable t.v. keeps telling us too and the kids felt like they were visiting an old friend when we actually got there.

Thursday and Friday the sun broke through and it felt like spring. We had Indian food in Olympia and played in a fountain surrounded by blossoming cherry trees.

I got a peaceful afternoon to myself while my mom watched the kids. I drove to Tacoma to hang out at the museum of glass.

Zippy's in West Seattle was fun. They had a great selection of vintage soda so we bought some to take home and enjoy when summer arrives. It was nice enough Friday to see Mount Ranier.

My vacations up there always feel more complete if I get to see that mountain.

We stopped at Multnomah Falls in Oregon and Shoshone Falls in Idaho on the way back. (much better than playlands)

It snowed most of the days we were gone so it was extra nice to get away. I'm already planning my next trip up there. ;)

Rain

2011-04-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I drove for hours along a big river that always feels very determined to make it to the ocean. I like when the road dives down to the bottom of cliff walls and small towns cling to the rocks near dams and bridges. The tug boats and freight trains down there carry tales of the ocean.

I drove along through pouring rain, maturely avoiding hydroplaning, while the kids happily read books and I mindlessly sang along to music at the top of my lungs thinking "I've got this. I can do this alone."
Then the car had to remind me it needed fuel. A late lunch stop and nap time over a hundred miles back distracted me from the typical refueling breaks and I remembered why people stick to familiar routes and stops on these roads that I've traveled since I was five.
I hoped for a stop before the next one listed at 32 miles away because my car was saying it had 35 miles to go on that tank and I wasn't sure I wanted to test that narrow margin.
A little town in the shadow of the "bridge of the gods" appeared after about ten miles and I tried to plan the best way to keep the kids dry in the deluge while running for potty breaks and fuel. I reached for my wallet and realized we were in Oregon and people don't pump their own gas there and then no one needed to pee so we were back on the road in no-time and headed for the land of waterfalls.

Reading

2011-03-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

I decided the best way to arrive in my forties is in shape and well read.

I'm starting now.

I want to feel good for my mid-life crisis.

I have always loved reading.

I've never loved exercise.

Even though I loved reading, so far I managed only a sporadic exposure to the classics and have never taken enough classes to tell me what I'm supposed to notice or think about when I like a book.

I discovered the word autotelism lately and I think it's my new friend. (you can look it up. it's fun.) I'll fall back on that as an excuse for why I can't discuss literature properly. (It's not laziness.)

I read Catcher in the Rye last winter and then about 50 books later I read The Bell Jar for my birthday this year. I wish the internet would invent a search engine specifically designed to tell me which classics will be my favorites so I can skip things that make me sleepy and get to the where-have-you-been-all-my-life stuff. These two books are the not-sleepy kind.

Maybe books find you at the right time in your life and I wasn't ready. Why wasn't I ready? I need to be ready for more great books. That's my goal for the rest of my life.

Be ready.

For books, poems, music.

New hobbies (like exercise. I'm trying running lately but still love yoga and zumba)

New vacation spots.

New friends.

For all the great stuff out there in life.

Orange

2011-02-24T13:07:00.000-08:00

The world is slow lately. It's winter. It's illness and being careful, being thankful.

When the family was sick a few weeks ago I went along with them. I felt a thickness around my perspective. I couldn't even want what I wanted properly. I was just listening. I could hear the softened sounds: coughing through sleep in the other room, TV muffled by sluggishness. Meals no one wants are quieter. The color had gone out of everything.

The hospital the night of Evan's coughing fit was colorless. The walls, the sheets, they're all the pallor of a sick person's skin. I was direction-less within those walls and confusing hallways like my mind inside a sick body. I couldn't find my way out.

I followed a strip of orange tape on the floor leading from the E.R. entrance to the pediatric floor. I started to remember orange. The carrots in the chicken noodle soup, the juice that sounded good every morning but never tasted right, the hat Ev wanted to play with when he started feeling better and how good it sounded to hear him say he found the orange hat and watch him smile.

On the trip to the hospital this week the color green kept coming up: the tiles on the edge of the floor, the green hospital gown Ev was wearing over his spica cast, the green fruit loops he loved crunching the morning he was discharged.

Maybe colors stand out because everything gets frozen with waiting. Waiting for a nurse or a doctor or the next step. Waiting to sleep. Waiting for pain medication. Waiting to get better.

As we headed home we talked about how everything feels strangely highlighted after spending the night in a hospital. No one else was waiting. They were all moving through life just the same. There's a fast moving world carrying on full of color and movement and you have to blink a few times coming out of all that waiting and only seeing one color at a time.

Theater

2011-02-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

I took my boys to a performance at a local high school and we got there a little early so it was quiet when we found our seats.

I forgot how it felt to walk into an empty high school auditorium. I got a little sentimental.

There is possibility in the silence there. The ungrounded electricity of sounds that might happen and the echo of rehearsals and performances hang in the air.

When I look up at a catwalk I can remember looking down from one twenty years ago. I remember thinking I was in love more than once in a quiet auditorium.

Maybe it's the magic of those buildings that makes people think they are in love or maybe the passion that was brought to the building just lingers.

I recommend being in an empty theater. Go lie down in the aisle. Try to feel what lingers.

Electricity? Silence? Possibility? Love?

wishes

2011-01-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about how many wishes people waste on something that will never come true.

I was thinking about how stray odd wishes sometimes work.

Are we ready for our wishes to come true?

My son used to wish for things like ice cream and that I would always love him.

I tried to explain that he already had those things.

Maybe he was on to something.

Maybe safe wishes are best.

Today I read a story about wishes from my favorite pick-me-up website (I've loved 11:11 since I was a little kid):

http://dallasclayton.com/post/2889998900/running-tally-id-like-a-study-done-on-ratios-of

RUNNING TALLY

I’d like a study done on ratios of wishes being made
to wishes being granted
and which god turns up more victories for the wisher:
coin fountains,
shooting stars,
stray eyelashes,
birthday candles,
The clock turning 11:11,
simple prayer.

Whichever is proven the most reliable
will be given a moment to rest
and give the others a chance to catch up.
Spread it around a bit so all the wishes don’t get spent
the same as fossil fuels.

lunar eclipse

2011-01-19T19:19:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I were excited about the lunar eclipse in December so I set my alarm for 12:45 so we wouldn't miss it.

I woke up at 12:30 and started layering on clothing for the dead center of the longest night of the year.

We watched together with thick bathrobes under winter coats. There was a full moon with a thin film of cloud cover and a three-quarter shadow. It was fairly dull but she was a good sport.

I decided to wait another half-hour and hope for fewer clouds.

At 1:30 I ventured out and found the classic blood red shadow over most of the moon. The clouds had thinned and stars were out.

I woke my daughter again and she was happier to have something to report to her friends at school.

The peak still hadn't arrived and a crescent of white moon shone above a red sheen. It was just near Orion's shoulder . I thought of candied apples.

I stayed a few minutes after Elizabeth went to bed again.

We had stayed out late once before watching a slow meteor shower. She was still proud of that moment and the wishes we made on the falling stars.

The next time a full lunar eclipse will occur on the same night as the solstice she will be ninety four.

I wonder if she'll go out in the middle of the night and think of me.

date night

2011-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday night I was listening to Frank Sinatra on our record player downstairs. I hadn't changed out of my skirt from church so I was all dressed up, the lights were low, and naturally I was dancing.

My six year old came downstairs and his perfect eyes dazzled. He jumped onto the ottoman and reached out his hand to me. It's been so long since someone asked me to dance.

We spun and dipped. I reeled him in and twirled him back out. We danced until we fell down laughing and tired.

If I could hand pick memories to keep with me always this would be at the top of my list.

A perfect memory of being loved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-IFOJYzt_s&feature=related

belated post

2010-12-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

Rewind to our Thanksgiving trip:

We left in a blizzard the Monday before Thanksgiving and made it safely to our hotel (a new favorite with the kids because there is a sandy beach at their pool).
We visited hoover dam and took the elevator down to the caves and turbines below. The new bridge is beautiful, thank goodness.
The kids got in plenty of bed jumping and Nat and I took turns escaping to the spa/fitness area more than once. We shoped at Trader Joe's for fun. We went to red rocks to hike and found snow flurries. We swam in the outdoor (heated pool) the same afternoon. No one in the nearly full hotel joined us. It was good to get away while winter settled in.

p.s.
We got a new computer and I haven't taken the time to learn how to post pictures a new way, until now. I'm still learning.

children's books

2010-12-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law always recommends finding children's books that adults can enjoy too since favorites get requested again and again.

Some repeats from our latest library outing included a new and an old favorite.

The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood illustrated by Renata Liwska

This tiny journey through the many-splendored kinds of quiet in life was cute for the boys but poetic for me.

"Last one to get picked up from school quiet.

Swimming under water quiet."

We all enjoyed it but I think I was the only who could feel each kind of quiet.

Benny's Had Enough by Barbo Lindgren and Olof Landstrom

I don't know why I don't own this one. I check it out over and over with each child when the reach about 2 years old. I fell for the illustrations first but there seems to be a novel's worth of back story on each page that kept my interest with each repetition. It's rich and full from Benny's tiny expressive eyes to the characters he meets running away from home.

For me-a classic.

Something New

2010-12-12T05:46:00.000-08:00

I am surprised daily by something my kids do, the way they look at things or what their mind is up to.

In the fall we stopped at Maddox to eat comfort food in the buffalo room and Evan sang a song to the dinner rolls. "Won-der-ful, Won-der-ful." We all sang the song together a month later over pumpkin pie.

Thanks to Mythbusters and Bill Nye Elijah is a budding scientist. He had the running vacuum turned upside down and was inspecting the moving parts and watching sparks.

At church, before Thanksgiving, when asked what she was grateful for, Elizabeth replied "Inertia."

One morning she came up late after we'd finished breakfast and left the kitchen and I found her- sleek blond hair in a dress and roxy sunglasses munching on french toast.

I don't think I've ever looked that cool eating breakfast.

It seems a good way to start the day.

Welcome December

2010-12-04T05:42:00.001-08:00

This is the morning of a weekend to usher in Christmas.

The kids are thrilled about the Christmas breakfast party. We'll make way for presents and the tree and lights. We already have snow and cold, boots and hats. I'll warm up the oven and we'll make cookies together. The kind with sprinkles and frosting. We'll make little spheres of dough and try to toss them across the table into each other's mouths. I'll miss most of the time, but that's part of the fun.

The windows in the kitchen will fog up, the heater will kick on, and we'll settle in to watch a movie when the sun goes down too early.

Better

2010-11-28T05:16:00.000-08:00

The more time I spend trying to mold myself into something better the less time my children get. I don't seem to be molding well. They only have a few years when I can give them the wonder of story time and play down on the floor with them and their toys. They will only want me around for a few more years and I'm just not around enough. I need to get down there before it doesn't matter, before they gladly leave me alone. I need to cook with them, teach them about the world, about the bible, go for bike rides, play outside. I let them go along just the way they are too often because they are so good at it. They are creative and intelligent on their own and I am selfish. If I get tired or grumpy I miss so much.

This is a late year resolution to not let go of any newer good habits but to extend a little more and do better while it still matters.

fall

2010-11-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

I am resolving pre-new year to post and update more frequently.

today is journal-y for all the family following.

I've been writing daily. I've learned it's not something I have to be exceptional at, it just makes me feel good.

Exercise makes me feel good. I've turned into a workout junkie who likes cute gym clothes and shoes, is a regular to yoga and zumba classes and even lifts weights.

The weirdest part is enjoying myself.

I love my clients and doing massage lately too. I love the conversation and especially making people feel good. I've convinced myself that there is an art to massage since I've always wished to be some kind of artist. So that would make me a professional artist. OOh, that sounds nice. :)

I signed the kids up for gymnastics starting in November. Elizabeth reluctantly gave up kung-fu when the prices went up and I appreciate her sacrifice. She's been making life easy by babysitting for short stints. She's got excellent instincts for working with kids and she is far more creative than I could hope to be.

Elijah is still the one person in my life who I can count on for "i love you's." Evan is in his own mild version of terrible twos, which is actually just cute most of the time.

Nat turned the basement family room into a nice music room with his great record collection and new turntable. It's a nice escape right downstairs. He also found a great deal on trees so we added six spruce (3 norway, 3 colorado blue) to our dirt.

Halloween was fun. (pics on facebook) It seems to take almost all week to celebrate these days. School parties and boo at the zoo and trunk or treat. I even attended a witches tea party with a coworker. The kids had two different outfits. With all the celebration you can't do just one costume, right?

Next on the aspiration list: have the kitchen remodeled.

August Vacation

2010-08-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

There are so many memories to catch you up on, I'm not sure if I'll remember them all.

Here goes:

In late July we enjoyed a quick day trip over to the Tetons and stopped to hike down to Jenny Lake. The water was too perfect to resist so most of the family jumped in (in their underwear of course-the proper way to swim in a mountain lake).

(this picture is a tribute to the 70's style photos from my own childhood)

I stayed on the beach with Evan.

We played for about a half hour or more then while the others got dressed, I headed back up the small trail first and passed a black bear snacking on some fish about 15 feet away. We quickly found another way up the hill!

We finished with burgers at Billy's in Jackson, Wy. A perfect summer day.

In August, I took the kids to Seattle to visit family. We drove to Salt Lake City, flew to Seatac, and drove to Elma. We were tired but excited.

Thanks Grandpa Real for driving us everywhere.

The next day we went to the ocean at La Push near the now famous Forks, Wa. We camped in a motor home, with the grandparents, in the fog and occasionally it would lift a bit to reveal the gorgeous sea stacks. Despite the cold, we loved the ocean.

I even ran on the beach and (for about 5 minutes) I could almost imagine what people see in it! Then I walked.

The waves are mesmerizing and the tide crept up around me quicker than I imagined. And I was imagining.

The kids loved hanging out with grandparents and their dogs and cat. They watched a summer's worth of cable t.v. and movies.

Nat joined us by the following week and we left the grandparents (who were babysitting their other grandbaby) to stay at our favorite Vashon Island place.

We explored Seattle the first day: Emerald City Guitars, walked the waterfront,

ate at Pike Place Market: greek lunch, russian dessert, fresh fruit and gelato, and

found the gum wall (Buddy wouldn't give up his gum).

We took an evening ferry to the island.

Bought fancy groceries and I made an approximation of indian food at the cabin (wish we had that thriftway in Idaho Falls). mmmm.

We found a beach with a lighthouse and driftwood tee-pees but back at the cabin everyone played for hours with Nat's new smartphone.

Friday the 13th we went to Ballard. The itinerary:

Lunchbox Laboratory, Hiram Chittenden Locks, the troll,

Trading Musician, and off to a hotel for swimming and cookies (and sleep).

Nat had to head home the next morning so we met up with family again and I got to see my brother and cousin Tiffany (and her chickens) for an hour, then we went to a indian food party with another cousin. Delicious, thanks!

Monday Grandpa took us to Great Wolf Lodge while Grandma watched Evan. Buddy was finally tall enough to go on the bigger tube slides and Elizabeth hung out constantly with a new friend. When suggested they could be pen pals her friend said "what's that?" and when I explained he asked "doesn't that cost money for a stamp? doesn't she have an email address?"

Oh, right. I guess I'm old fashioned and sentimental.

I'd still rather see an envelope or postcard in the mail...

We finally saw Toy Story 3 and it was good but I wasn't blown away loving it like the reviews I'd read.

Wednesday before the airport, we stopped by my brother's houseboat and visited his girlfriend's work where her boss gave us free lunchbags and a backpack for the kids.

So nice. http://www.dabbawallabags.com/

We had a late flight and were at the airport for quite awhile but there were places for the kids to play so we did okay. Thanks to my cousin and aunt for being our airport transportation in SLC.

It was a great vacation and I'm pretty sure life should be full of more of them and less work.

mid july to june

2010-07-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

July backwards into June:

We went to the parade on the 3rd, and watched fireworks like most everyone with kids who wasn't camping.

Our favorite parts of the parade were in the first 15 minutes (bmx tricks, monster trucks, hot rods). We could've left then but stayed for another 2 hours or so.

I was supposed to help with seated massages at the day festivals down on the river, but family seemed more important so we spent a leisurely day together.

Nat made us a delicious rib-eye steak dinner in between events. It was one of the best steaks I've ever had.

We went on a family hike/picnic on the 4th and stopped for the traditional square ice cream cones in Swan Valley.

We went to the bluegrass festival in the end of June and the free family day at the adjacent art museum. Everyone had fun and Evan even skipped his nap.

The kids got to visit with some out-of-town cousins on two different weeks. The kids got to act out a bible play about Esther when Hannah and Maddie and Natalie were here. We went horseback riding, hiking, swimming and ate good food when Noah, Will, Lauren and Mike were here. We sure wish everyone lived much closer. Elizabeth wondered if any of them are coming for Christmas since it's not as fun without everyone here.

(Idaho just isn't as lovely in the winter).

Bigfoot was in town in the end of June and Evan has been excited about monster trucks for awhile so he really enjoyed seeing a real one. (He didn't enjoy how loud they are he preferred looking and getting excited).

equinox

2010-06-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

In the end of May we visited with family over memorial day weekend. We took a short trip to Salt Lake. Nat introduced us to the giant biscuits at Ruth's diner in a beautiful canyon before spending a rainy day at the zoo. The sun came out as we were leaving town when the boys toured a record shop.

The kids loved the strange bugs and all the animals. One favorite stop was a cave that has pop-up windows where the prairie dogs live. The train wasn't running so we'll have to go back soon for that treat.

I love June. Spring finally arrives in time for the longest days of the year. The beginnings of summer are hopeful and free. We dream of all the fun we'll have in the coming weeks and months.

Nat has been climbing more often and he took bud up the Menan buttes one day during Evan's nap time. This photo is such an Idaho scene.

Just a week into June, my father passed away very unexpectedly from a heart attack. I am amazed at how many emotions we can go through in such a short amount of time. (and I'm a woman, so that's saying a lot!)

I am especially surprised at the profound intensity of the love I feel for my children and husband after this sudden change. I already knew I loved them, but it grew.

Little Elijah broke our hearts at the funeral when he walked up to the podium and talked about knowing we all miss his grandpa Kelly and how he knows he died at the wrong time and the wrong age and finished by saying we just don't know what to do...

I am sure there will always be so many things in life that I wish I was better at, or that I long to accomplish but never do, but the contentment and pride I feel in being a part of the lives of Elizabeth, Elijah and Evan will always be the most beautiful thing to me.

2010-05-18T09:27:00.001-07:00

Lost teeth, birthdays, sun and snow, rain and wind, spring performance, earth day parties, new job, too much to really catch up on. Luckily, we have a few pictures.

Elizabeth performed beautifully at the spring performance at her school. Everyone but Evan had a part. Nat worked on sound, I was the narrator, Elijah was a lamb and then a frog and Elizabeth was the star.

Earth day festivities went well at the school. Nat helped that day too. The Saturday after earth day I helped hundreds of children in town make pine cone bird feeders and took the kids to the zoo. I did have a bike cop help me look for Elijah and Evan (they went for a walk and didn't come back). They were just looking at an ATV display.

Easter was low key since we didn't travel for a change. Just ate junk food and visited grandparents.

Elizabeth got her ears pierced on her birthday. She said she loves being ten. She is taking a break from kung-fu for the summer. Elijah will get to try baseball and swimming.

We can swim often this summer since my new job at the Apple Athletic Club gets us into the best pool in town.

Evan loves the dirt and mud. I give him multiple baths a day now.

Nat got an old Audi so he can sell the TDI. Any takers?

Elizabeth had a fun swimming party on the same day her other friend had a birthday party and that night I had a family work party. The night before, Nat and Elijah went camping with Grandpa Meacham so everyone was wiped out that Saturday night.

We still got up and went to Yellowstone the next morning.

It was perfect weather and we saw lots of animals: swans, a mountain bluebird, elk, lots of bison and their babies, herons, ruddy ducks, wood ducks, greebs, etc.

Nat told Elijah he would pay him if he saw a grizzly bear or wolf.

It didn't happen.

I'm running late and can't get the pictures lined up so this might look scattered.

Ah, well.

Vegas 2010

2010-04-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

We traveled to see the blazing stones

hidden in the desert.

We walked through dry riverbeds

of cactus and gravel to find

a rare waterfall.

Chickens cooed and clucked

in the blooming backyard garden

morning and evening.

We fed on kind words and

beautiful food in the stillness

at the edge of the city.

February

2010-02-16T16:04:00.001-08:00

Evan finally started walking in the last few days of January. He'll be 18 months in a few weeks. Margaret says some of her boys didn't feel like walking until later too. I'm actually more concerned that he won't eat vegetables than the late walking thing.

Elijah's class had a trip to the Ammon fire department. When I was about his age my dad worked for them on a volunteer basis. It's kind of fun to feel connected to this lonely town once in a while. The town has grown so much since then.
He reminded me that the flyer about the field trip promised they would get to try on the "gear" and by the end when the firemen were saying goodbye he was upset that he didn't get to try anything on. So we hung back and gave him chance. His teacher said "that's what we get for teaching him how to read!"

Elizabeth got her yellow belt in kung fu san soo. Apparently this is a strictly self defense style of martial art and not really a rigid tournament type. It's not my thing but she really loves it and has grown in confidence.

We celebrated Valentine's day all week it seemed. Elijah's class party was the day before Elizabeth's. We made old fashioned valentines out of materials Grandma Margaret gave us. The adults were impressed. The kids just want candy and merchandising it seems.

Self portrait ;)

January

2010-01-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

New month.
New Year.
The winter isn't quite as cold since the wind isn't acting up but somehow we still dream of vacations to warmer places. I think we might go bug the Las Vegas crew more than once this year if they'll let us.

The kids love sledding almost everyday at school. They seem pretty unaffected by the cold.

We went to the auto show in Salt Lake last weekend. We made our usual stops for Indian food and the German deli and the kids got to go wii crazy in Bountiful.
The kids love crawling in and out of hundreds of brand new cars and Nat loves dreaming of which he'll get to buy next. I think most people think we are strange for making it a bit of a family tradition. ah, well.
I was asked to head up the earth day committee at the kids' school. I think it will be fun to be involved with. I intended to make the initial meeting short but it ran over an hour and a half!

Elizabeth lost two teeth in a week. The tooth fairy had to get creative. Neither of the kids had cavities at their regular checkup. That is a first!

"Poppy" (our passat) got hit at the D.I. parking lot last Saturday. The other car hit the driver-side door that was open as she was coming into the parking space. The lady said Nat shouldn't have opened his door so fast. I wonder what she would have said if it had been one of the kids standing there instead of a door! *sigh*

We're awfully glad it's nothing serious and very grateful that the grandparents have a third car we can borrow.

I'll try to post pictures next time. :)

December

2009-12-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

The family had a day at the spa a few weeks ago. We go to a college for haircuts and they were having a Christmas fund raiser so we got Elizabeth a princess do. She asked if she could wear makeup more often. Uh...Nope! She looked like a lovely young lady though. Kind of freaks me out a bit when she looks older. :D

I missed Elizabeth's much anticipated school party and performance yesterday. *sigh* I really felt bad (I simply forgot at the wrong time) but I don't think she believed me. It made me realize how many little once-in-a-lifetime things go by over the years. It's not a moment you can ever get back. I'll work on my multi-tasking.

We made our gingerbread house a few weeks ago too. We've eaten most of it today.
Everyone but Evan enjoyed the flight. He's a pretty good kid, he just doesn't like sitting in a seat staring at the back of another seat indefinitely. They all like airports. Portland has my vote for nicest security guards.

Uncle Bryce at Rainforest Cafe. Grandma Sherri paid the very talented balloon man and the kids got a t-rex, a dragon and a monkey with banana. Here is the Great Wolf Lodge lobby. We loved swimming at an indoor water park in the winter.

I need to take the kids up there every year now that they are old enough to remember the trips. Family time and vacations are some of my favorite childhood memories. Even if you don't do so many exciting things. Playing "uno" and watching t.v. seemed plenty entertaining for us all. Just being together is what I need a dose of every few months or so.

That said, I will miss all the family and friends I don't get to see this time of year. Merry Christmas to you all.

december trip

2009-12-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

We had fun in Elma. We left December 10th from Idaho Falls, drove to Boise, flew to Portland, Grandma and Grandpa drove us to Elma from there.
We decorated the Christmas tree and opened presents Friday. Saturday the kids spent some Christmas money and we went to the Rainforest cafe for lunch with uncle Bryce and Elizabeth. Delia had us over for a 60th b-day party for Grandpa Real. She looks so cute pregnant. It was good to see Patti too.
Sunday it snowed and we just enjoyed relaxing and making gingerbread houses and playing uno (a waterproof set Elizabeth picked out).
Monday we went to the Great Wolf Lodge water park to play. It was like summer in December. The kids wanted to stay forever I think. Elizabeth got very brave and went on the big kid slides that were as scary as I needed!

http://www.greatwolf.com/grandmound/explore/activities

Tuesday we all went to see the Princess/Frog movie. I think Disney has a princess in every colored dress now that they added green.
We got back late last night and didn't have snowy roads and Evan was a good sleeper for me so I could drive calmly.
I really have missed visiting my family around Christmas so it was a nice present for me. I hope Southwest has many more super cheap flights in the future.
Pictures to follow. :)

2009-11-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

Buddy enjoyed the threshing bee which was not on his birthday weekend for a change. Elizabeth and Evan and I showed up after kung fu for the lovely food.

I got to attend a few field trips with the kids. One was a pumpkin patch trip and the highlight for Buddy was riding on a bus. I think Evan liked it almost as much.

I went to the BYU-I planetarium and botanical gardens with the elementary kids and it was fun. The movie was slightly outdated and I'm not sure if Elizabeth learned anything new but she loved going. The gardens were an indoor tropical set up with various banana trees and a pomegranate tree too.

Elizabeth has been writing a book about a family of cheetahs. It started as a simple writing assignment at school and blossomed into a 22 page and going project. I'll have to check out writing contests just for fun, to enter her work when she's done. At least we'll have to publish it in some form for the family to read. :)

We got our carpet in and have been reorganizing everything for weeks. This picture is just the carpet pad. The basement feels like a new home for us and that is really fun.

Halloween week started on Tuesday with a church party/carnival for the kids. Elijah's "Edward" costume was a hit with the teenagers that were putting on the festivities. His sulky pout went well with the look. Elizabeth was "Coraline" and no one seemed to be aware of who that was. We sure liked the book and movie though.

Thursday was the day for school parties. Buddy was a ninja.

That night he got pretty sick and so the library activities with the home school group got skipped. Luckily Elizabeth got to go with a friend to "Boo at the Zoo." She was getting tired of sitting at home on a fun weekend.
Elijah's temperature was 102 Friday night so I slept on the floor by him and kept cold washcloths on him. He seemed much better the next day but he still stayed with Grandma while I took Elizabeth and a friend to a Chemistry magic show at the ISU extension campus. That was very fun! Lots of explosions and fiery displays and messy activities afterwards.
Trunk or treating Saturday night is understandably a good idea and all but disappointingly over too fast compared to what I grew up doing.

Hope that catches you all up a bit.

oh, our new favorite reads are Charlie and Lola books. We saw a dvd of it at the library and since we don't have cable it was new to us.

Washington vacation

2009-09-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

I know my blog is mostly a photo album, but a guess a picture is worth a thousand tweets right.

We celebrated both boys' birthdays in Elma Washington over labor day weekend. I got brave and drove us up there by myself. It worked well since Evan is in a forward facing car seat now.
We saw a beautiful double rainbow on the way in to town coming out of a rainstorm before spending our first night in Puyallup with my stepsister Delia. We visited with family all day Saturday. It was exciting finally see my brother Bryce on his houseboat.

We got to see salmon jumping all over and eat at a crazy airplane themed restaurant. We didn't stay long enough to let Elizabeth play on Bryce's chess rug. We just plain didn't stay long enough!

Grandma Sherri and Grandpa real took us to La Push to stay in their motorhome on the beach. The views were incredible. The kids couldn't get enough. We stayed another night because the weather turned lovely. I've been away from those beaches too long. I've been homesick for the Olympic peninsula since reading the twilight series 2 years ago. I finally made it back there.

I got stung by something when I was trying to chase the kids around the beach. My arm is still recovering!

The driftwood and islands and sea stacks were so wonderful in person. Look at that sky! We got lucky with the weather. :)
Ruby Beach, one of my favorites, was a fun last minute stop on the way home. (after twilight shopping, we couldn't resist.)I think I'll post again in a few days with more cell phone pics from the road trip. It was so refreshing. I want to go again already.

Evan is one!

2009-09-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Evan is certainly acting like a one year old. He is really trying to talk and walk a bit (along the furniture). He loves balls and books, motorcycles and trucks/tractors. At night we sit by the living room window at sunset and watch the cars and trucks go down the road until he goes to sleep. The bats used to be flying around then too but I think they left for the winter. :(

It still feels like summer sometimes. Elizabeth and her cousin Hannah were jumping on the trampoline at sunset in the nice weather on Evan's birthday.

The tile is all set in and Nat finished grouting yesterday.
I think it looks so much better than the tub surround we were going to do and the linoleum looking stick down tiles we considered for the floor. You'll have to ask Nat if it was worth it but I think it will be great. I even got to help a bit. I will appreciate other tile work any time I see it, now that I have worked with mortar and spacing and respacing. Carpet is next on the list, outlet covers, and trim paint. You'll have to come and visit to see. It will probably be better looking than upstairs when it's done. :)

Here is a small memory of how ugly the laundry room floor used to be.

Back to School

2009-08-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

Back to school.

We found out last Thursday that Elizabeth will be able to go to Grandma Meacham's school (Lighthouse Montessori). I was just shopping online the day before for home school materials. I put them in the cart to save for later and then heard that I wouldn't need them. I hope it is all I hope it will be because I was actually excited for teaching her this year. We were adding latin and creative writing. *sigh* I couldn't pass up the chance to let her try this fancy private school stuff out. :)
Elijah got his haircut.

Elizabeth wanted to dye her hair black but I figured I'd wait a few years for more drastic hair dying. She paid half of the cost. We decided on highlights instead. We thought about going white blond but they ended up just similar to her natural highlights only there are more of them.

Here are a few more summer pictures from my cell phone:

Lower Stanley, ID
The fountain at the outdoor mall in SLC, UT.

Family reunion summer

2009-08-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

After the family reunion on my mom's side in July we had some of Nat's family together and spent time in Yellowstone. Buddy spent most of each get together hanging on or climbing on someone so I thought this picture captured that feeling.I liked hiking around the Old Faithful area. Nat's brother Paul led us up to Observation Point to watch Old Faithful erupt the second time. I'm not sure what bugs were eating us alive up there but it was a great view. Hiking has always been one of the few types of exercise that I don't mind.
Elizabeth enjoyed the bear and wolf discovery center. We arrived just in time for her to help feed the bears. Here she is waving to the paparazzi.

The next reunion was on my dad's side and that hasn't happened in as long as I can remember. I grew up hearing about reunions at Redfish lake but was too young to remember them. It's one of my favorite places now and was happy to meet up with everyone. The kids and I stayed in a small cabin in Lower Stanley, Id for two nights while Nat worked. The first afternoon and next day were nice. Buddy got towed along on a bike ride near the lake. We all spent time at the beach front near the lodge. Thanks to my aunt Renae (who probably won't read this) for watching the baby so I could swim a bit. She also made it possible for Elizabeth to go on a group horseback ride.

The weather turned stormy the next day so everyone went to a ghost town nearby. I was busy trying to get a campsite on the water at Stanley lake so I missed it. The kids said it was one of their favorite parts. Nat came up and we camped in the rain.

Lots of rain and wind and thunder most of the night. Nat got out on the boat twice though. We considered sticking it out another night but decided to sleep in our own beds and catch all the summer fun in town back home that Saturday. (good choice) Nat's work had a summer party at Tautphaus park. We had food and went to the zoo. Evan loved the zoo more than I remember of Buddy or Elizabeth.

Now I'm planning more painting this week. A fun early summer memory:

More July

2009-07-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update:
The kids and I went to a family reunion in Utah. On Friday the 17th we got to go with my aunt Leann and uncle Calvin on their boat. The water was a perfect temperature. Elizabeth got quite a sunburn, we finished the day going to the Oquirrh Mountain temple open house. On Saturday we played on a giant slip-n-slide made out of a billboard at the park. It was the favorite activity of the day for all ages. Elijah followed my cousin Trent (16) around all weekend. I got to go to Bombay house in Provo with my friend Anjanel.

Elizabeth recently decided to take kung fu classes and is still very excited about it. Elijah is a little young for it and is equally not excited every time I drop her off. I never realized how hard it is when you aren't the oldest (since I am).

The kids have been camping out in the backyard. It's much nicer now that we have grass.

We went to a little place called Meadow lake after church last week. It was nice and cool with lots of wildflowers. We are excited to spend time with Nat's family in Yellowstone this weekend and then my family up in Stanley, Idaho next week. I hope to fit one more trip to Seattle in before "fall."

Elijah and Elizabeth start at grandma Meacham's montessori school on the 24th. Elizabeth part-time on the same schedule as Buddy's preschool M-Th am. We meet with a home school co-op group on Fridays for classes, field trips and activities. Kung fu, piano, and maybe gymnastics for Buddy. He wants to take violin too. I think I need to go back to work now that the kids are getting so expensive!

Other happenings

2009-07-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Other things we've been up to:
Evan went from a salute kind of wave to wiggling his fingers when he waves just yesterday. He has six teeth, walks along the couch, loves the outside cats, and spit bubbles.
Elizabeth and Bud both got brave and took their training wheels off their bikes about a week ago. They are being good sports about having their toys packed up and no play room. I guess that's because it's too beautiful outside to worry about it. Elizabeth wants to join the Belegarth people. I think it must be some strange life irony for Nat to hear that!

We might be weeks away from a finished basement but then again we could be months away too! Framing done, egress windows in, plumbing mostly done, insulation up. Next week drywall and paint then carpet.
I flooded the basement while we were on vacation ( I left the hose on to water the flowers near the house). Then I flooded the laundry room after the washer and dryer were switched (I didn't notice the hose was loose on the washer). Luckily the contractor was very helpful in both situations.

We decided that we should get this all done at once and by someone who knows what he's doing instead of saving for years or doing one thing at a time. I can now empathize completely with wanting your house back, although we never really used almost half of this house for more than storage. I'm sure I'll be a little sick when the final bill arrives since this is an old home and every time we go down there we think of something else that needs to be fixed.

I have made countless junk trips from the basement to the sheds outside. That's my contribution to the project. I am hoping all of Nat's collection finds another home, but that requires a real shop and more debt and construction so some of it might make its way back downstairs. *sigh*

Extra other things: Nat rocked the 75th anniversary of North Hiway cafe back in June sometime, we all got to go since it wasn't a bar. He also went hiking to upper palisades lake with the girls camp group. We decided not to buy a digital converter to try life without a t.v. and it's pretty nice (in the summer anyway). The kids loved the 4th of July parade and backyard fireworks. We went on a hike when Elizabeth was at "art camp" and Buddy brought home a pet snail. I can deal with this kind of pet.

The hollyhocks were doing really great until I realized there was a kind of fungus nicknamed rust spreading through all the flower beds. I hope the spray works. There is an owl that is often in the craggy cottonwood looking trees on the south end of our property. He is so fun to watch and hear "hooting" at night. The sunsets have been amazing. I told Elizabeth that if she grows up and moves away she will probably miss these big sky-many colored-cold hay-cool evening summers in Idaho. She wondered why she would move anywhere else. Eventually she decided maybe she could move if it was because she married someone from Vashon Island.

I think I covered most of the recent happenings. Sometimes I feel like only two or three people read these posts so comment away so I can hear from you.

June fun

2009-07-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

We recently took a last minute trip up the Columbia river gorge to the Seattle area and stayed at an adorable little cabin on Vashon Island.

Our first fun stop was the sturgeon and trout ponds near Bonneville dam. You can view the giant fish underwater and the grounds are lovely. We especially liked that it was free. Just down the road from there, near Multnomah falls, are lots of little hikes to other water falls. We chose horsetail and pony tail falls. I love the smell of northwest forests.

We stopped by Voodoo doughnuts in Portland. The maple bacon was our favorite.

Where we stayed turned out to be a lucky little bit of last minute planning. The view, the forest surrounding the cabin, the nice artistic touches, the hot tub and small hike to a private beach were all favorites.

There is a jelly fish in the water that we are all staring at in this picture.

We were having too much fun finding crabs, shellfish, anemones, and jellyfish each morning to get anywhere that day. We planned a day of driving out to Ruby beach and Third beach on the other side of the Olympic Penninsula but got as far a Port Angeles and turned around. We did stop and learn that if you catch jellyfish when they are small enough they won't sting you. Some kids at a pier let Elizabeth and Buddy help fill a bucket with jellies and then watch as they dumped them all back. We saw starfish and crab and ate italian ice to cool off.

The ferry on and off the island was pricey but the kids loved it so much we all didn't get enough.

The weather was in the low 70's which is our favorite and for a road trip with 3 children everyone was pretty well behaved.
Even me and Nat!

May (finally)

2009-05-30T15:53:00.001-07:00

We've been enjoying the weather lately and haven't posted in too long. We went for a walk just outside of town through some old lava flow called "hell's half acre." That was probably in the end of April or the beginning of May.

I thought I'd get a few sink baths in for Evan before he grows out of them and I think I was pushing it. He crawls pretty fast and sits up. He says "dadda" more than "mamma" and waves to people. He continues to smile most of the day and has 2 1/2 teeth.

We took a drive over to Jackson, WY on a beautiful sunny day. There was snow all over the hike we tried to go on, snow on the pass, snow in string lake. We got sunburns and had fun exploring.

Buddy was found playing outside one morning in his pajamas and cowboy boots. His dirt is slowy disappearing as we add to the garden and yard and he doesn't like it very much. He toured Grandma's Montessori preschool this week and he was very excited. I selfishly want to send him in the afternoon so I won't have to worry about driving him there in the snow when it comes, but he is too much a morning person and I'll have to adapt.

We had a space themed party for Elizabeth's birthday and I managed to make it a surprise party. She was very tired after going to a sleepover at the museum of Idaho the night before and then having her gymnastics "show-off" day that morning. She had some friends come to a local playland and arcade called "Blast-off." I made a Jupiter cake and the four main moons. Can you name them without looking it up? She certainly could.

Since the main celebrations happened on a Saturday and her actual birthday was on Tuesday, we also went to Yellowstone and the Grizzly Wolf Discovery center. She picked out an ammonite fossil at the gift shop and has been studying them since.

Evan

2009-05-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

I forgot to let family and friends know how Evan is doing on the last post.

He did a sort of army crawl for a few weeks and then he decided to crawl, sit up on his own and start saying "mama" all within a few days. He still does a cute little yoga looking move somewhere between triangle pose and downward dog. I'll get a picture up soon.

He said "dadda" one morning but hasn't repeated it.

He isn't the ideal nap taker and sleeper anymore. Something about my boys and mobility gets them a little cranky.

Spring is here and I need to go get my hands dirty!

2009-04-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

Earth day weekend was full of activities. We took the kids to the last session of swimming for the month (and maybe year since they mostly get to goof off in the pool). We had a picnic at Tautphaus park funland and then picked a ride each. Elizabeth and I went on the ferris wheel. Buddy picked the airplanes and then was really mad when he didn't get more.
We made crafts at the earth day exhibit building. Nat's work buddies were demonstrating at a booth. Lots of advertising for earth day, not a lot of earth. We did get free lupine seeds, some hummus samples, and pencils made from recycled money. I could have recycled their money in a better way!
The kids got into the zoo free with a can of food donation. The animals were very active and fun to see. The weather was in the high 50's and very little breeze. Lovely. We really liked the red pandas, they moved them to a different exhibit so you can really see their cute faces.
That day was also the grand opening of the skate/bike park. It is pretty fancy and there were lots of people there. Nat's old boss' band was there playing music like the Pixies and R.E.M. which was good enough for skaters when I was a poser but, as Nat pointed out it would be like playing Boston for a bunch of skaters in the 80's.
Next was the art museum family day. More craft activities for the kids. The art to look at was from elementary schools mostly so that part was less than educational. One kid had used a color wonder page and just colored all the coating off. Very imaginative.
We took so long at everything else that we missed the kite festival. Too many choices in one day.
The next day we woke up to snow!

Red Rock vacation photos

2009-04-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

So much fun. The kids loved trying out a mini van and we loved that it was someone else's.
The hot spring was a definite highlight. Hiking around the red rock area is always beautiful. We love the food and sights. Best of all is the escape to spring between Idaho blizzards. Maybe we'll do Seattle next. I just have to sike myself up for the long drive. I'm very motivated after hearing my relatives did a Forks/La Push weekend. I need to see the ocean again.

Second vacation

2009-03-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

When the weather is terrible and Nat has 4 days off every week it seems like a good idea to get out of town. (again!)

We toyed with the idea of driving through the night to give us extra time and maybe go to Zion. Instead we got up at 4 am and had a twistedly fortuitous breakdown around Bountiful. The car had some oil pressure trouble and while that and the costs were terrible we were grateful for not being there at midnight. Also, we had free towing and the kids loved it. The driver got us all buckled in our seats and hoisted us onto the flatbed tow truck. "We're flying!" yelled the kids. We were all a little giggly because it was pretty cool. We were not too far from Nat's favorite VW repair shop in Salt Lake City, which also happened to have an enterprise car rental shop across the street. They gave us some cheap price but only had a mini van available. Free upgrade that the kids loved. I may be closer to converting to the mini van life, if only for road trips.

We heard about a hot springs to swim in in the middle of Utah, near Fillmore. That was also very fun (and fortuitous again since the hotel we picked had closed their pool and that is all Elizabeth wants to do on vacation).

We stayed with Paul and Janette the first and last nights of our visit and, as usual, they made a lovely dinner. They also introduced me to sushi done correctly so I could understand the craze. Okay, so if i'm hooked is there a way to enjoy it around here? I'm afraid it will be on the list with Indian food as a once or twice a year kind of meal. That makes me appreciated it more and save money too.

We went hiking around red rock canyon. It was perfect weather and gorgeous scenery. Before the park there is a turn off to a spring and we spent most of our time there. There were lots of climbers out. Elizabeth has been studying lizards and got to see lots of them too.

I found a deal at red rock resort.
http://www.redrocklasvegas.com/
Ahhh....Nat and I both loved the clean modern decor and the elegance without the poufiness of some fancy places. There is a spa that we took turns chilling out in after exercising. It was lovely. I love steam rooms...I can't explain but I guess I love luxurious pampering for free. The room came with free dinner and there is a babysitting place off the casino near movie theaters and a bowling alley. So the babysitting fees replaced dinner charges and we had a real date! The room also came with movie tickets (another activity I never allow myself at full price) so Elizabeth and I saw Coraline in 3D since we both read it recently.

We came back to a spring blizzard weekend in Idaho. Where will we go for our next getaway?

Pictures to follow soon.

Vacation Pictures

2009-03-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some favorites:

Spring Wishes

2009-03-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a taste of spring. We went to Las Vegas and stayed at the Luxor (Elizabeth's request) and really enjoyed the weather.
My Dad is here visiting and between him not missing the snow and winter and Elizabeth putting together a travel brochure for a math project, we decided to take a few days off down in the nicer weather.
Nat and Elijah went down a day early and went hiking around Red Rocks with Paul. We visited with the Kelly family and came down the next day.
The first night at the Luxor we were up for a few hours around 1 a.m. while some loud plumbing repairs went on but got the rooms for free that night.

Monday we walked around the Venetian, ate lunch at the Bellagio (my favorite part of the trip) and drove over to Hoover dam. The new bridge looks halfway finished. The day was really nice. Evening sun over that canyon is beautiful.

Tuesday we got to the Lion habitat at MGM a little early so had a great spot under a tunnel that the lion walked right over. It was as close as I'll ever be to a lion I'm sure. We tried a new buffet and wished we hadn't (Carnival at the Rio). I took the kids swimming while my Dad went for a helicopter ride over the strip and Nat watched the baby up in the hotel room. The kids didn't want to leave the pool for rides and the Adventuredome or anything else.
We met Paul and Janette at the Paris for a "street"side dinner of crepes before watching the Bellagio fountains.

We returned to snow and very strong wind gusts and only got over the post vacation blues by comsumerism all day on my birthday!
Our computer is about as old as Elizabeth and is too full for the photos from the trip so they will be up in a week or so.

Cute story about Buddy:
Elizabeth was studying Lincoln in February and Bud was talking about "spaghetti's berged dress" at breakfast one morning. Elizabeth had to translate that for me as the Gettysburg address. Sometimes four year olds are adorable.

winter update

2009-02-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

Evan is still a joy. The kids are having a great time with a new brother. He and I love the new crib we borrowed from a neighbor. He rolls over and has started eating solids. Mostly they end up on the bib and I am reminded of why I nurse for so long.
Nat and the kids went sledding a week ago and Grandpa met them at the sledding pit.

I finally got a chance to upload the picture of the sewing project results from "The Cute Book." The hearts and small black snake were improvisation. The project last week was a report on Abraham Lincoln; Elizabeth branched out to memorizing the Gettysburg address.

Update

2009-02-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

I noticed it has been a month since the last post (sorry about that). I must be hiding from winter and that sort of thing.

Elizabeth has been learning to sew, thanks to Grandma Pearl and the box of fabric scraps she sent. We checked out a cute book at the library. It's called "The Cute Book." We make little Japanese felt creatures and I dream of the day that I won't be afraid of my sewing machine.
Home schooling is coming along and Elizabeth seems to love it. I am not a great motivator but once she is interested in a topic she dives in. Thanks to Heather Lords and some lovely math book donations I am not slacking as much on that subject.

Evan learned to roll over a few weeks ago and he now rolls off and blankets or padding I put him on. He ends up on the cold hardwood floor occasionally, so rug or remnant carpet shopping is on the agenda for the week. He is still the cheeriest baby we've had.

Elijah alternates between adorable and disconcerting. He loves to say "Mom, I love you" and "Mom, you're beautiful." But then nice people have offered to carry the baby to the car after church while I carry a kicking screaming Buddy (Nat works 4 Sundays in a row). Someone is sure to call Super nanny on me one day.
He has been reading for awhile now, I'm not sure what all the debate on teaching kids to read is about since both my kids have kind of just figured it out. Margaret says it is because I read to them and around them and that that is enough.

Nat has been exercising, skiing, reading and playing the piano more. He is doing great at eating better too. He went to the twilight movie with me and put it at the top of his worst-movies-of-all-time list, but hey, he came and the grandparents watched the older kids so for me it was a success! He must love me! (I have to admit the movie wasn't great).

I have found ways to exercise that I don't hate and have incorporated more vegetables into family meals. I can't give up the treats yet. I don't have many updates about me. I'm thoroughly uninteresting as I do typical mom stuff all the time (kids to gymnastics and library, do the laundry, dishes, go to church, start all over again the next week).

What else? We have discovered the joy of snow tires this winter. We still have three Siamese cats that hang out in our garage. My Dad is coming to visit in a few weeks. We have plans to remodel the basement this year so Elizabeth doesn't have to share her bedroom with the boys. We would love to go to Vegas and Seattle sometime this year.

Picture posts to follow soon.
-Shannon

Christmas Fun

2009-01-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

Nat did some excellent snow tunnel construction the day after Christmas. The grandparents seem to have a great yard for snow fun.

It was strange and somehow not as Christmas-y without the cousins and aunts and uncles there to distract everyone.
The favorite presents seem to be the main ones from Santa. Elizabeth's roboreptile and Buddy's chainsaw. I found a nice mobile that works with a playpen for Evan and he enjoys that.

Here are some pictures too (I tried to compress them this time, as Nat requested):

Celebrating Early

2008-12-23T18:01:00.001-08:00

We decided to open a few presents over the phone each day with Grandma Sherri. It makes us feel a little like we are visiting. This is as close as I get to a webcam so far (video and then post later). The kids have been having fun enjoying the games and things while we have been snowed in. I'm sure they appreciate me putting down a book and playing with them too.

recent videos

2008-12-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

Videos for you. More to come if I get this right.

Christmas shopping

2008-12-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

I love the Internet and all the benefits it brings me this time of year. Ignoring your kids while they play around the house for an hour here or there is much better than dragging kids to a mall or stores over and over. If any of you have seen Elijah in one of his past-nap-time fits you will understand it isn't just the dragging 3 small people to stores they don't like. It's the embarrassing scenes created. I also enjoy it because there are just somethings you can't find in Idaho Falls; too many things, actually. At Christmas time I begin to understand how certain people I know can spend the better part of a day on the computer.

Now, when the Internet can actually bring families and friends together without the airport hassle that will be something.

P.S. I just learned that Internet is a proper noun. Ah, now I can give it the respect it deserves. :)

Kids' Santa List:
Elizabeth: magic set, dragons, Barbie mariposa, train set, green roboreptile (2006 edition).
Elijah: chainsaw, excavator, and whatever he sees on the shelves while we are shopping (guns, motorcycles, skateboards, robots).
Evan: something to look at while sitting around all the time. softer baby towel.

Amazing how complicated wish lists get as kids get older. I found everything except the towel for Evan, the very specific dino I'll have to win on ebay and the train set we'll get someday when we get to an Ikea.

I told Elijah I got him a present he could use before Christmas (warm bathrobe, our house is cold often) and he said "I don't want the present from you I want Santa to bring me the chainsaw!"

This fall

2008-11-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

New pictures:

We had a short trip down to see extended family in Utah in October.
I was craving Tucano's so we talked Grandma Pearl into coming too since it was almost her birthday. It was as good as I remembered it. It was extra good to share with others. I remember vividly going with my Dad when it was Elizabeth in the baby carrier.

Elizabeth and Grandpa on Halloween.
He was reciting most of the Gettysburg address. She seems a little confused. Elijah was spider man, but he was attempting to get lost at the time I think.

Evan's blessing day. We took so many shots trying to get a decent family picture but the best family picture was the one with Elijah losing it. (Best for the rest of us anyway)

Grandma Sherri and Grandpa Real came for a visit. She wanted to go the the place where she had seen pictures from when Elizabeth got baptized and Buddy was eating a giant ice cream sundae. (Leatherby's) We saw Wall-E finally and the baby slept the whole time. The kids had fun swimming at their hotel and getting haircuts. On Sunday I made Ratatouille and it wasn't a hit with the kids. Too many veges. "Vege bad" as Wallace would say.

More pictures to come I hope. Though at my current rate it won't be until after Thanksgiving.

2008-10-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today's weather update:

I think summer was about two weeks long.

Last weekend I was thinking about life as a mom at this stage, things are more stable than when I had Elizabeth, I missed enjoying how adorable she was because I was busy worrying too often. I also think a lot of moms forget any hint of who they are because there's no time for that to matter. I think I was getting a little down about all of that and then I was really comforted by a few talks during conference. President Monson used a quote from The Music Man that I liked. Professor Harold Hill says
“You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”
Here is a link to the whole talk.
http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-26,00.html
I needed the little reminders he gave that day.

I can never go back and hear Elizabeth sing in her 3 year old voice. Elijah won't always look at me with his sparkling giant brown eyes and say "mom, I love you." And Evan will only be snuggly tiny for a few more months. Appreciating all of what I have now matters so much more than what I am not able to do.

And with that, here are some pictures of now in our life:

I love the pictures Nat takes. We had a spontaneous trip to Yellowstone two weeks ago. We stayed at a hotel with a pool ( Buddy's favorite part). Not a great wildlife viewing trip but the weather was really nice and Evan was good. It felt refreshing to get out. I really liked the hot springs.

Here is Evan:

2008-09-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

I was thinking I should post something more recent and then remembered we had a birthday last week! Oops. I didn't really plan to have the birthdays that close together. This time of year will be eventful in our family from now on. I even missed mentioning Nat, Grandpa and the kids going to the fair while I had a quiet Saturday nap with the new baby.

Love the attitude.

On September 12 we took Buddy and a few friends from church to a playland called "Blast Off." Cake and ice cream with family presents was Friday night when Nat got home at 8 p.m.

Saturday was the Threshing Bee down the road. Tractors, horses, food. Nat's work paid for a family night at the Riot Zone in Rigby. The kids got to go on their first go-kart rides. Elijah got out after one lap. He didn't know how to go slow and just floored it, bumping into corners pretty hard. Elizabeth was slow and steady but really loved it. We made our first appearance at church with the new baby. So, it seems we had an eventful weekend.

I'm not sure why there is no sound in this video but it's my first try at posting one. Mostly its Buddy making tractor noises.

This is the third birthday where Buddy eats his cake with the tractor toys that decorate it. This year Grandma made a yummy chocolate bundt cake that was a nice dirt substitute for the tractors to dig in. He didn't really eat very much.

Evan's middle name is officially Gregory after Grandpa Meacham in case I forgot to mention it before. Hope to post more cute photos of him soon. He's very determined that I carry him around the house most of the day. That means I do the laundry and dishes wearing him in a sling!

Evan Meacham

2008-09-02T12:17:00.001-07:00

August 31, 2008 5:30 pm. 8lbs 10 oz. 21 1/4 inches long. Arrived after 4 hours in the hospital.

The nurse was busy telling me something while Nat took this one. I just wanted to look at the baby while he was staring at me so cute.
The kids were very excited to hold and see him. When they came to visit Monday morning.
We were fitting him for the ride home. Two different nurses check the seatbelt fit and then walk you to the car to make sure everyone is buckled.
Grandma teaching Elizabeth about little pats to calm the baby while you hold him.We are glad to finally have him here. In a family there seems to be so much room in your heart for one more when they get to you.

August for us

2008-08-17T11:22:00.001-07:00

At Rigby lake. They charge money now and Elizabeth found a leech on a rock. I think we had fun anyway. Our two trees that were eaten by beetles.
Not sure if we can save the rest but we kind of like the space and views.
One week until one of the due dates. We are all getting anxious about the new baby.

2008-07-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Family Home Evening

This was an edible re-creation of King Benjamin's tower. I fell off the Family Home Evening wagon years ago and just started up again. The kids love it and I wonder why I waited so long.Camping and canoing on Stanley Lake. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. This is the kind of beauty that makes you forget your car almost got you stranded 3 hours from home, you yelled a lot, camping involves: bugs, being hungry and not much sleep, and camping at 7 1/2 months pregnant is a bad idea. We ended up feeling glad we went and decided the whole thing was worth it. I love my inflatable canoe. Nat got it for my 30th birthday and its one of my favorite presents ever. Some day we'll climb that mountain in the picture.
Here is a small part of my garden that is finally filling in after 3 years. I'm really comforted by it and it was perfect timing with the pregnancy. All the perennials finally filled in a bit so I can enjoy more than weed and plant. It's amazing how much we love having grass too, after dirt for years.

2008-07-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Chillin at the parade in Idaho Falls. Buddy was only into the treats.
Elizabeth lit her own fountain. She was nervous but did it anyway!
Earlier this week: Elizabeth cat napping with the mama cat "moonlight."
Elijah looking better in my glasses than I do.

We haven't been up to much besides work and gardening. The kids love it outside after that long winter. I'll try to get a good pic of me looking pregnant since I only have a month and a half or so left.

2008-06-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was beautiful, which is a big deal in Idaho Falls lately.
Elizabeth was the star all day.

Activities included: Baptism, lunch and ice cream at Leatherby's, visiting the Rexburg temple grounds, hot dog roast in backyard.
We even saw a bald eagle fly over our house.
Wish we could have seen all of you.

Elizabeth is 8!

2008-05-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had a dragon party on Monday for Elizabeth's 8th birthday. Luckily she has a collection of toys for most of the decorations. The cake turned out like I hoped. Tips from the internet saved me.

She is going to be baptized on May 31st at 10 am. Wish so many of you lived closer so she could come.

recent vacations update

2008-05-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Las Vegas and Yellowstone.
Las Vegas was Easter weekend and Yellowstone was last weekend. We stayed in Gardiner, MT. Its amazing how much the kids love staying at even the cheapest motels. Jumping on other people's beds is the best!

blog attempt

2008-05-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'll learn more about all this and do better later. Here are a few tidbits to update you on us:

I'm due with our third baby (a boy) on August 23, 25 or 29th.

Elizabeth is going to have her 8th birthday and dragon party next Monday.
Her baptism will be May 31st.

Elijah thinks he actually got to have a say in having a boy or not.

There are 3 or 4 new kittens in our garage.
There is also talk of a chicken being added to the family (not my idea!).