Category: Family Time

Snippets

We have some lovely grapes in the backyard which the kids have enjoyed eating.

Richard has a new lawn edger.

All of the kids are registered for school. Yes, this was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I know it’s the right thing to do, but I’m not talking about it, so please don’t ask.

Most of the boxes are unpacked, but we don’t have many pictures hung.

My favorite parts of our house are the kitchen, mudroom, backyard, and the basement library.

We have had different neighbors stop by nearly every single night to bring us goodies to welcome us.

Daniel is part of a thriving scout troop and Deacon’s quorum.

When you walk out of Paige’s school, three temples are in view.

Yesterday Paige and I filled two five-gallon buckets with therapeutic weeds.

ALL people want to talk about here is education. They ask our name and then they ask the names of our children’s teachers. Pretty much. I think it’s a good sign that the community is so invested in their schools.

I discovered someone with whom I can quote Shakespeare.

The neighbors said that a general authority lived in this house 10 years ago.

Our closets are improving, thanks to help from my parents and Joe.

Life is much easier with good shopping nearby.

I love the evenings here.

I am very grateful to be here. The timing was perfect for our family.

Daniel starts school tomorrow. The rest of the kids begin on Monday.

If you wonder what we are doing, we are either playing in the backyard, playing with boxes and styrofoam, organizing, or eating goodies from the neighbors.

 

We celebrated our girl and our house

We enjoyed some family time to celebrate Paige’s Sweet 16. Everyone signed a book for Paige and she received many thoughtful gifts. We filled the house with people who love her. Aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, parents, and grandparents were all there to cheer as she reached this milestone.

For entertainment, we gave house tours and the girl cousins tried on Paige’s ballet costumes. The boy cousins played in the moving boxes.

Paige’s license will be delayed a bit because of our move, but at least somebody can drive around in our yard. These are some of Paige’s cousins. Too cute.

Wrap-up

Mark jumped from this ledge over and over, landing in the sand in a heap. Our eventful summer continues to demand our biggest efforts and some adventurous spirit.

Last night was the first time in a month that we were all home together (in Arizona). Its normalcy was soothing, although it’s really not normal for all of us to be home together. We let the dishes sit in the sink and we watched the Olympics and forgot about bedtime.

We’ve learned some things this summer living in two different states, not the least of which is how to text. We’re high-tech, but until now, we haven’t seen the need to type with our thumbs. Who knew how comforting this little exchange could be?

Are you there?

Yes.

and,

Good morning, Beautiful!

(That was from Richard.) 😉

When we need a break, Richard and I list good things that we know will come and good things that we hope will come with our move. Proximity to family and the temple rank very high, of course, but I’ll just share some light-minded ones with you:

  • Restaurants!
  • BYU football tickets
  • grass
  • trees
  • fireworks
  • seasons
  • food storage items in grocery stores
  • fry sauce
  • parades
  • Utah peaches
  • that General Conference feeling as it plays in almost every home in the neighborhood
  • Western Family brand
  • KSL radio
  • the lights at Temple Square

Arizona will always be with us, just as Texas is. Yesterday I had my first Sonoran hot dog and that will be something I’ll work to replicate all the rest of my life.

Hey, Utahns, what other (positive) little things do we have to look forward to? And no teasing about the cold, please. I know that 15 years living in cauldron states leaves me ill-equipped to handle the cold. Comment! Comment! I need company during these last days in the desert.

Oceanside

Here we sit restfully right by the sea,

Some of us building, digging and finding,

and some of us reading and thinking.

There are a lot of smiles.

Onlookers abound,

Grandpa is beaming.

If we could hear these crabs talk, I’m sure they’d be screaming.

(This is not supposed to be a poem, but I couldn’t help myself.)

The bikers are out in great number,

While a wave dashes all their hard work back to sea.

A pirate was seen on the grounds of the temple!

We paused and enjoyed the peace we found there.

The tide pools were teeming with critters and squishies.

The ocean seems to gulp down the sun in just minutes.

Richard makes everything better. Amen.

Good night and thanks for reading our blog.

A List

Mark and Timothy’s room

This week…

we sold our house.

we signed 6,000 documents.

we endured our third week in a different state than Richard.

we reupholstered the kitchen chairs.

we watered our new flowers and watched them die anyway.

Richard got his first paycheck from his new job.

we took down many things from the walls. One little friend came over and told us our house sure looked plain.

we have some family visiting us!

Next week…

we hope the buyers still want our house.

we will be with Richard!

Our fortunes

I took the boys out for Chinese food recently and these are the fortunes from our cookies. Thinking about moving to a house that Richard had not yet seen, and with hope for good things, we took these messages a little more seriously.

“An unusual dream will come true.”

“You are admired for your impeccable tastes.”

“Forge ahead with your new ideas.”

“When the flowers bloom, so will great joy in your life.”

Yesterday each of the kids had a friend at our house. I watched them marching in a line on top of our wall in the backyard and smiled as they played Twister. They have all grown taller this summer, their tan legs like stilts. Later, I heard a friend’s sweet laughter echoing down the hall and felt guilt and sadness for the change that we’re introducing to these children. I am so grateful for the little family across the street whom we have loved for six years. Friendship, which comes so naturally to children, is a greater treasure than they know. When I say goodbye, it helps me to remember that eternal things aren’t governed by time or distance, but how do you explain that to little ones?

And then there are silly things like the lizards, and the summer monsoons, and the funny radio stations in Spanish… “The meanest thing to which we bid adieu, Loses its meanness in the parting hour.” -Elliott

Yes, I am feeling sentimental today.

Lost

I lost the diamond from my wedding ring today. I had been everywhere inside and outside the house. I was calm, but felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. Things have not been easy lately, but I have felt supported and strengthened by unseen hands. I knew that I would find the diamond if it was important that I did.

So I prayed, and asked myself if it was important.

I knew that the diamond didn’t define my marriage. I knew that Richard wouldn’t be angry. I lost it because I was working so hard that I didn’t even notice that my ring was smashed, the prongs all askew.

As I searched the gravel of our yard and through boxes and shelves in the garage, I tried to gain the courage to not tell Richard until we had money again, maybe in 15 years or so.

I thought of all the women I know who have lost a diamond. I thought of the reward I would offer the movers if they found it.

My kids helped me look, and somehow I knew it had to be in the gravel in the front yard, which meant that it was gone forever. I pulled out one of the several rings that Richard has given me over the years and slipped it on my finger, ready to live without my wedding ring.

But then Timothy ran inside. He was holding the diamond, not daring to believe that he had found it. It was in the gravel in our front yard. When I hugged him, I felt his heart racing. What a lovey. I hugged and kissed everyone and said another prayer.

I guess that it was important to find it. Although I knew that my marriage and my faith didn’t hinge on the diamond, I was reminded that I’m known and loved. God is in the details of our lives.

This has been a summer of miracles for me and our family. In my efforts to be in charge of my life, I have been humbled as I have had evidence that it’s not my hands which control what happens. That’s a great comfort, because I’m pretty weak and shortsighted.

A House, the Frog Pond, and Sparklers

We had a great Independence Day.

The sellers accepted the offer we made on their house in Utah. Here is a sneak peak of what it looks like. I’ll post more pictures when it’s really ours.

We went to the annual Troop 54 breakfast and visited with old friends. We went to the parade, Spring Lake, looked at new lambs, ate fried cookie dough and cheesecake, participated in Tank Wars, and watched the fireworks from Fox field with a pile of little kids.

Here are some photos of the kids playing at the frog pond at Spring Lake.

Daniel has a mouse in that container. Mark’s smile is so charming.

Daniel is showing everyone the mouse they caught.

My sister’s kids are so cute.

Grandpa and his namesake enjoy some time in the shade. It was hot!

It was such a fun family day. It makes me happy that we will live so close to our people. My kids love their cousins.

Backyard helpers

The other night Timothy and I weeded my parents’ garden. It awakened all kinds of old memories for me and hopefully created sweet remembrances for him.

We filled two five-gallon buckets with weeds.

The boys helped Grandpa paint the fence. There was no Tom Sawyer trying to sell the idea. They just loved it. Those are my boys.