Grandma and Grandpa

I started out this post telling you the amazing things about each person I saw on my trip. Each one has qualities I adore and that I would love to fuse into my own soul. However, it started to be the longest post of all posts ever posted into the blogging world. I mean, we're talking about extended family here. I decided, for now, to tell you about these two:

My Grandma and Grandpa

When I arrived, my Mom and Aunt Maxine were at grandma and grandpa's house raking leaves. My grandparents came home after peeling potatoes at the cannery all morning, and grandma refused to trade me leave-raking jobs. She bent over and up with handfuls of leaves to stuff into the bag that I stood there and held.

On Tuesdays, my grandparents work in the temple from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. They have a garden and a dog to look after. My grandma quilts and makes cards. They went deep sea fishing last year with family.

My grandpa also went this year with a group of cousins. We took advantage of that opportunity to invite grandma to her cabin for a night. Besides their afternoon naps, which any teen-ager would need after all they accomplish, they are always busy. Grandma makes me laugh with her temple escalator stories and the way she tells it like it is sometimes. By the way, a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to grandma yesterday! I love you so much! Would you ever in a million years guess that they are 79 and 80? I asked Grandma where she chanced upon the fountain of youth. I hope I inherited some of those genes.

Here are some pictures of our priceless night at the cabin with grandma:
She led the children on a hike through the forest

All of these fabulous kids slept in a big room together upstairs on rows of full-sized beds. Grandma slept downstairs on a hide-a-bed. She assured me that if any babies woke up crying in the night, we could bring them downstairs as to not wake the others. She said it wouldn't bother her a bit. And the thing is, I believed her.

Here she is loving our children

and teaching us how to quilt

After the kids were in bed, we spent the evening playing games and listening to stories of my grandma's life. We listened wide-eyed and with questions. It was a memory I will cherish. When grandpa returned after being away from Grandma for three days, Grandma said something like, that was the shortest three weeks of my life! :)

As I was about to pull out of their driveway to leave, Grandpa washed my window - because that's just who he is. He is the kindest, most Christ-like person I have ever met. I really think that he has obtained charity (something that I strive for, but that too often seems just out of reach). Being in his presence causes a person to feel loved. I can only remember one even remotely negative thing come out of his mouth during my whole life. But alas, it really couldn't be labeled as such because, well, you'll see..... So I was dating a guy who seemed very interested and whom I liked a ton. Suddenly, with no warning or explanation, this boy was cold and vanished. I was staying at my grandparents house for a week or two between semesters at school. We were eating breakfast and I was down in the dumps - heartbroken. My grandma lovingly asked about it. I told them it stinks. My grandpa said in the most kind way, "the only thing we want to see of that boy is his tail lights". I was honestly shocked for a moment. However, he said it in the most gentle way - a way that meant no disregard for the poor fella, only compassion and love for me. I wouldn't have thought that was possible. That's charity for you - when you have the ability to take sides, without really taking sides. I love love love this man!

There's so much I would love to tell you about these two - about their amazing marriage, grandma's many talents, how much I love listening to grandpa teach and give talks, their humor, grandma's childhood of experiencing the life of the rich and famous during parts of the year (with her father's family) and experiencing the life of a humble country-girl the other times of the year (with her mother's family), my grandfather's childhood of living in a small two-bedroom house as the youngest of nine children, the challenges they have conquered with grace. I could go on and on and on...........but then this would still be the longest post ever posted into the blogging world.

I always leave my grandparents' presence not only feeling that I want to be a better person, but feeling that I can.

Grandma and Grandpa, thank you for showing me how to live life. The way you live yours is a testimony to me of the blessings that come from living the gospel, the joy that comes from families, and the importance of a good old-fashioned sense of humor. I love you!

(Annika, I hope you don't mind that I stole pictures from your blog :) )

Spontaneity

...And so it happened on one ordinary fateful day: spontanious spontaneity occurred...

lotion stacking

bed spelunking

drum dancing

horse riding (employing the draw-string from my hoodie)

Secret's out. I'm most often a sweat-pants-wearing kind of mom. Gasp! What is Mary Kay going to say? Or the What Not to Wear crew? How could I "let myself go" like this?

risk taking

pillow climbing

portrait capturing

...And it bonded 4 souls for life.

Flying

This year, Jason and I combined our two anniversaries (wedding day, and the day we met) since August was so busy. Jason was in charge of the main anniversary and started the planning at least a month in advance. I love that about him! He really puts thought into these things. I'm still working on my part of it to do sometime this week - which will not be shared here.
A huge thank you to Sue and Casey who took care of our children!

Friday night, we went out for pizza and then to a movie. Afterwards, Jason hauled our mattress upstairs by the t.v. so we could watch shows until we fell asleep. Fun! I slept in until 8:45 a.m. I honestly didn't know that I was still capable of it. It felt nice - especially knowing that I had the whole day free.

I discovered something new that love about Jason (after realizing that it has become a trend): he is a gift certificate hoarder. When we have an event like this, suddenly Jason whips out a pile of gift certificates he has somehow accumulated over time and has saved for the occasion. It makes me happy to have so much fun and not feel like we're going way overboard with the spending. Not only that, but it's more evidence that he has been thinking about this for a long while.

On Saturday we ate breakfast at McDonald's. Then we went indoor skydiving. I was worried that a huge, fast drop would be involved. But, it was more like flying. They had an enclosed vacuum chamber with lots of air blowing in it. If you stayed in the correct position, the air lifted you off the ground and you flew. Fun! This is where people come to learn to skydive before they do the real thing. It was funny to see people's cheeks flapping wildly in the wind. What was more funny was seeing the video of myself with a huge perma-grin on in attempt to not have my cheeks flapping in the wind (and to look like I was having fun for the cameras). Anyway.....I looked just like one of the girls in the tutorial video. I laughed HARD when I saw it.

Does that girl looks like she's having fun, or what?! (you'd have to view the video to see how unnatural it really looked).

The second time around, our instructor took us up and down and all around in the chamber. If you keep going back, you can start learning to do tricks on your own. It was fun watching the instructor fly around at the end. He knew how to control where he was going way fast!

We ate lunch here

Then we were off to a Bodyworld exhibit at the Leonardo in Salt Lake. They had real bodies preserved through the process of plastination. The exhibit was focused on the heart. It made me reflect on how important it is to treat our bodies good (including eating right, being positive, laughing, loving, smiling, exercising). Also, how does anyone learn about the body without having a belief in God and a reverence for life? Our bodies are amazing! I can see why we were so excited to come to earth to recieve one. It also made me think how we should be less focused on how our bodies look and more grateful for what our bodies can do. Our bodies help us achieve all of our goals and dreams - including eternal life with our families.

Jason drove to the temple and walked with me to the spot where he had given me a huge bouquet of roses 6 years ago when he proposed. The proposal occurred after taking me to every place around town that had significance (including "Cold Stone" where I rejected an offer to go to a "Harvest Ball". He had invited me with a bouquet of flowers and a sweet note, and the dance was one that he and his roomies were planning in a roommate's family barn with decorations and everything. What was I thinking?! Not exactly sure). At each place he handed me a poem that he had written around the time the event occurred. For example, The Cold Stone Poem:

Your Coldstone talk doesn't even phase me-

Countered with bold tenacity.

My poor heart broken in a creamery-

Ignored-by sheer audacity.

I'll wait for you to look softly-

The sweet glance of love's complicity.

Love it :) He pulled out my ring from a small red drawstring pouch (the ring had been at the jewelers getting cleaned and tightened). He asked "Will you stay married to me?"

YES!!!

I love you, Jason!

Chuck the Kiddo

A family favorite past-time



I love when they say, "Daddy, chuck the kiddo!"



What do your kids like to do with their daddy?



Oh, and if you, like my mom, sometimes wonder where my boys' pants have been for most of my posts, mystery revealed. There they are, next to the wipes of course!

Dreary Day

It started out a dreary day. Ya know, one of those days where you just feel dreary. Do you know what makes you feel even more dreary on a dreary day? The fact that you can't think up a good solid reason to be dreary. That's just enough to push you over the edge. Without a good reason to throw a rockin' pity party in which you can conjure up all the reasons-why-everyone-should-be-knocking-on-your-door-and-telling-you-how-hard-you-have-it-as-they-spoon-feed-you-chocolate-cake-and-give-you-a-foot-massage, you are just left with dreary. Understand? Well, since the party wasn't an option, I decided to accomplish something. I had all these projects and ideas on my mind and did not know where to begin.

Tackle that junk pile that accumulates next to the washer? (Don't pretend you don't have your own junk pile - or 2......or 4).


Continue writing the music to Brooke's song. Sadly that option isn't available until I replace my speakers that have died. (I'm no Beethoven - I've gotta hear it to believe it). Otherwise, writing music is a fabulous thing to do on a dreary day!

Finish quilting and binding Ethan's quilt (my goal was to have it done by the time he was 2 - "was" being the key word in that sentence).

Start working on Asher's quilt. Here he is snuggling up to scraps. Poor kid.

I was determined to accomplish something. I decided to work on the kids beds (sanding and painting). I told McKenzie that if she wanted to come sand beds with me, she could have McKenzie Time before quiet time. Otherwise we'd do something after quiet time. She came out with me and pulled up a cooler to sit on. It was the saddest sight: McKenzie sitting on a cooler watching me with a blare-your-ears-out sander; Quite the quality McKenzie Time.

A few minutes into my rather important project, I looked up to see McKenzie with pants rolled up and muddy feet. She said something like "Why would you want to do that, when you could play in the mud?" I thought, "Dreary day or no dreary day, this is pretty low to try and fanagle myself out of McKenzie Time". Besides, Why would I rather do this when I could be playing in the mud? Why why why why.

And this folks, was the first real moment I didn't feel quite so dreary. Toes squished in mud can have that affect. Especially while squishing to the music of 4-year-old laughter. I actually felt like a child for a moment. I might as well have had braids in my hair tied off on the ends with bright red yarn bows - ya know, the kind that only the 80s could produce.

And so McKenzie started the process of lifting my spirits and each family member had a turn before the day was done....

Ethan found a caterpillar. And couldn't have been happier.

This kind of excitement has a tendency to rub off.

I caught Asher saying a prayer with his naked chubby arms. This kind of squishiness has a tendency to make a person smile (even if it dishevels a dreary day).

Jason came home excited to open a package he had ordered last week. It was a book called "Zoom". He cut out the pictures and laid them randomly across the floor so the kids could help figure out the order they should go in. The first picture is a small planet. Each picture zooms closer and closer until you get to the very top of a roosters head.

This kind of family time has a tendency to magically transform a dreary day into a delightful day.

I love my family!

And that is the end of my perfectly good dreary day.

Pimp Jacket

Yes, I knew that title would catch your attention. You see, this was my first impression of Jason. He came to my apartment dressed in a vintage 60's leather Jacket, inherited from his uncle that had died at a fairly young age. He looked dapper - and that is the word that I would have used, had I been responsible for naming the jacket. "Dapper Jacket". That has a nice ring to it, don't you think. O.k., maybe not. Anyway......He did look handsome and I forgave him of the black socks underneath brown sandals on that crisp October day. However, it was a little more difficult to forgive the fact that he referred to his jacket as the "Pimp Jacket". That didn't leave me with a good impression and, unfortunately, I think he paid for it for months. Sorry, Jas. It's your own fault though. :) However, Jason, a lover of words, knew what I didn't: there is more than one definition of Pimp. The definition he was going by was, "1607, perhaps from M.Fr. pimper "to dress elegantly" (16c.), prp. of pimpant "alluring in dress, seductive." You can go look up the other definition which is what I was thinking. (Yes, not a good picture).
I interviewed Jason briefly about his choice to call this a Pimp Jacket at such a critical moment -like a first impresson (which still, to this day, sends my mind into a quandary). "Didn't you think that it would give a bad first impression to call your jacket a Pimp Jacket," I asked? He explained that to everyone else it just meant it looked good, in kind of a fun way...ur something. He said "That's actually something I like about you - you're ultra conservative". Awesome. So ... some things to learn about this post:

1. Don't judge someone based on your first impression. Luckily, I finally found out that he wasn't actually that type.

2. Jason likes to play around with words - so watch out and be prepared. Also, it would be helpful to bring along a dictionary. He will often use a word in the correct way that is most popularly used in an incorrect way just to confuse you and make you think. I tell him, "Whatever the majority of people think a words means, that's what it means". He disagrees.

3. One of the miriad of reasons that Jason and I make such a great pair: I often say the wrong word that sounds similar to the correct word. He started calling me "Mrs. Malaprop" early in our marriage. Mrs. who? The irony of Jason's love and intellect for words and my throwing around words that sound good whether it means what I'm trying to say or not, is funny.

Jason wears the pimp jacket every time we celebrate the day we met, which I love. He has, however, given up on using black socks with brown sandals to win over my affection, which is also nice. He is in Boston right now for work, living it up. We're at grandma's house, living it down. Have fun, my love! Oh, and thanks for posing GQ for this year's pimp jacket picture (7 years later, I still grimace as I type it. However, that's the jacket's name. It may be bad, but if you have a friend named Helga, for example, you don't just go around calling her Jane). By the way, I've actually grown quite fond of the pimp jacket and for this dapper man who happens to wear it.

Tribute to Love

Jason and I were watching the Vice Presidential Debate when he turned his back to the t.v. and started playing with the colorful blocks strewn across the floor. It was surprising because he is definitely more interested in politics than I am. I was mysteriously abandoned to figure out if Palin could hold her own - on my own. "Strange", I mused as I looked at him from the corner of my eye...."and attractive - a man playing with his children's blocks....but strange". After quite a few minutes, Jason revealed his block tower and announced, "I built this in tribute to our love"

Me: "Nice!"

He: "Don't you recognize it?"

Me: "Uh......no, what is it?"

He: "It's you"

Thanks, my love! I hold you in just as high regard. I like the way you depicted my ears. And I adore that you threw politics to the side to think of much more important matters.

It's the simple things, I tell ya :)

Creation

I had a vision in my mind of what I wanted Ethan's home-made Thomas Train costume to look like. I was frightened. I lacked confidence in my ability to pull it off. Remember my February Family Home Evening post? If not, and you have a little time, and could use a good laugh, you should read it. Well, yesterday after reading my Mom's latest post (go to Mom and Dad blog on the right), I took a flying leap over my perfectionist hurdle (that often gets in my way) and mustered up the courage to try. It didn't have to be perfect, right? I mean, this is a costume for a 2-year-old, not the Taj Mahal. Well, I am so ecstatic right now! It turned out even better than I had expected from myself. I did it! I'm so proud. Yep, that's right. Proud - with a capital "P". I had no idea I could do this. How fun! Also, I recently returned my sister's sewing machine after borrowing it for years. I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm experiencing sewing machine withdrawals. I don't think of myself as a seemstress by any means. But, I'm learning something new about myself: I love to create. Who would have thought years ago while I was avoiding girls-camp-craft-time like the plague that I like to create? Remember Elder Uchdorf's talk during the Relief Society broadcast? He talked about how wonderful it is to create. We should create a spot around us that is beautiful! Awesome. His talk was just the motivation I needed to go find that last piece of material I need for Asher's quilt and splurge the few dollars on it. Now I just need that sewing machine back.

Two thoughts that I had while painting my masterpiece:

1) Creation is eternal. Heavenly Father created us. He created this world. He is constantly creating. If we can eventually become like Him, we will also be creating in the next life. It makes sense that it should bring us joy.

2) I think in the next life we will spend time developing a wide range of new talents. I used to think that we would all automatically have every talent and I thought "how lame if everyone had my talent in the next life. That would diminish my talent". Now It makes more sense to me that we would spend time on talents just like we do now - because, really, part of the joy is in the learning process, right? I have also discovered, as I've gotten older and wiser, that it makes talents more fun when you have someone to talk to about them. The more people that share your talent, the merrier! I love talking to people about music theory. It completely intrigues me. How much fun would it be if more people that I knew enjoyed it as much as I do? (hint, hint!). I'm thrilled that we have an eternity of time to discover and experience it all. Awesome!

So, to those inhibited by perfectionism, apathy, or fear (just like me), go create, girlfriends! Take a chance. You may just be down right pleased with yourself.

These are painted on cardboard. I'm going to attach them to eachother with ribbon and then drape them over Ethan's shoulders. This one on front.....


and this one on back.