Family Time – Page 22 – Letters from Home

Winter light

There are few dependable things right now, but if I had to choose one creation on which I could depend, it would be the sun. The sunsets this month have been glorious and encouraging.

We are working on home improvement projects this weekend. It’s a domino game: if we want to create a better home office, we need to schedule carpet installation before we move in the furniture. So, we need to finalize carpet choices, a process we began 1 1/2 years ago. When we shop for carpet, we remember we want a new medicine cabinet. As we look at medicine cabinets, we remember we really want to replace the bathroom sinks and one of the faucets. When we take down the old medicine cabinet, we realize we need to patch the walls. You know.

I guess that another thing on which we can depend is the avalanche effect of home improvement projects.

December Snapshots

We made gingerbread houses with Grandma and the cousins over Zoom.

Timothy turned 18 and one of his gifts was a quilt I made from his baseball uniforms.

I spent a lot of time planning this year: consolidating errands, creating more handmade things, shopping away from crowds, finding good music, and organizing creative ways to visit and give safely.

My brother Joe and his family delivered their gifts to our porch with a song.

Richard was awarded a patent. On the plaque, he is titled, “Inventor.”

Grandma Ruth really liked her Squirrel calendar and held it up to the screen for a good 5 minutes.

Our dog is really showing his age right now. He is cold and off-balance, confused, and nervous. Some days are better than others. Aging stinks.

With nowhere to go, we gave enormous Lego sets to keep everyone busy.

I made nachos instead of turkey on Christmas Day. I made beautiful dinners each Sunday, but Richard decided to photograph this meal from every angle. 😀 Everyone lingered and smiled through this gathering. Mark is sporting new contact lenses this month. He is thrilled!

Advent Day 14

The hope of the righteous shall be gladness.
Proverbs 10:28

We made this video eleven years ago, and I’m so glad that we did the work. I blinked, and the kids were too old to do things like this, so I am grateful for record. Hope fuels so much of parenting, and when you’re in the middle of it, you can’t always see the wonder happening in front of you.

Eagles

There are some things for which we should just leap for joy. (Tim did a leap picture, too, but I promised not to share it. But trust me, it’s adorable.)

Remember when we danced?

The end of the Virginia Reel, August 2019 with my nieces and nephews

While Covid-19 Rages

We’re all home again because case counts are too high at the high school and in the state. Mark has ordered a new game. Tim works on his Fiat in the garage. I read, continue to rearrange these shelves for a change of scenery, and make people paint peg dolls with me. Richard’s employer is demanding a lot of overtime, so we don’t see much of him, but he is here at the house, too.

Upon the kitchen table

This is what was on our kitchen table this morning:

A plant, still sitting in the Christmas pot I decided to use a year and a half ago, “just until I found a different container.”
License plates for a new car
Ballots for Richard and Daniel, and a new adult driver license for Daniel
A trophy for Mark, signifying three years of great concerto performances
A note from Jordan High, telling Tim he has been selected as the Instrumental Music Sterling Scholar
A packet of information about graduation
A college flier
A laptop
A tray left over from the meal we took to Richard as he recovered from his scuba trip
Various place mats in disarray
Mark’s James Herriot book
A recipe and containers for a pasta salad I am making for a funeral this weekend

I am having a couple of rough days with my health, so I just picked up a few things to put away today. The table is large and can hold all the magnificent evidence of our lives. It’s unlike me to glory in the mess, but I kind of like this one. It shows that we are moving forward.

Dutch Oven Dinner

Richard had an idea to visit his parents and cook them a Dutch oven dinner in Pine Valley, so he and Mark went down for a visit. Paige and Michael joined the fun, too. Looking at pictures of the event, I see the original plan evolved quite a bit. 😀

Payson Lakes

While I was in California, Richard took the kids (minus Daniel) camping at Payson Lakes. He took our small popup trailer and a tent, and cooked a nice Dutch oven dinner for everyone. I’ve always thought that Richard knows how to make the most of every opportunity. He has done things like this for the kids their whole lives.

Shuffling

Last week we sold our old black 1999 Toyota Sienna. It sold immediately after we listed it, and the emotions caught us a little by surprise. I guess it symbolized the adventures of raising our kids. It was a hassle-free car, with very few repairs needed during the past 18 years we owned it. I gave it a good pat and said thank you before it left our house for the last time.

During the past few months we have sold the van, Richard’s car, and three trailers, but Timothy fills in the spaces with his hobby cars. One of these must go before the snow arrives.