Grateful Friday

at the Edmonds ferry terminal

We're home!

I'm happy to be here.  Even considering the laundry waiting, it's good to be home.

My plants missed me.  I went around deathbed repentance watering last night.  This may be Trayvion's last.  The majority of the plants were fine; the more finicky plants don't like being left in a hot house with no water.

I'm grateful it's cool and rainy here today.  It is a more gentle reentry from the Pacific Northwest.

I'm grateful for our trip!  We had fun.  We reconnected with family and friends, we went to a Mariners game (an amazing Mariners game!), we visited a few favorite haunts, we played ladder golf, corn hole and Code Names, we rode a ferry (we saw an orca!) and went to a National Park and several beaches, we took a few short hikes, we even went to my favorite store in Snohomish.

We packed a lot into a week and it was wonderful.

I will digital scrapbook/blog more about it in coming days. It is worth remembering.

Happenings

We are going to Seattle and we are happy about it.  In the past when we've gone, everyone has a long list of things they want to do, people they want to see, places they want to eat, water they want to swim in.  I think this time we just want to go.  We are happy to do whatever.  We just want to go.

So, Marianne, this is for you.  If I don't blog, I've neither died nor abandoned you.  I'll be back.

***

I moved Trayvion to my office where I can keep better watch on him.  I'm worried.  Especially since we're leaving.  I put him in the shower and flooded him with water to wash the soil of salt and minerals.  I hope it helps.

***

I talked to Braeden and he pointed out that all three of my children are growing up on the same weekend.  Mark and Braeden and Anna were already leaving the same weekend, now Emma is starting her new job that Monday too!  She got a job offer yesterday!  She will be working in financial aid at WGU.  I told her she's going to be the fairy godmother, granting wishes.  She said she's about to be the Oprah of higher education.  She's excited and I'm excited for her and yes, all three of our children have grown up.

I'm glad I have 32 and counting (gulp) third graders to soon fill my time and attention.  There will be shoes to tie and stories to listen to and stories to read aloud.

***

Last night Adam stopped for tacos on his way home from work.  Taco Tuesday.  It was just the two of us because Emma and Mark were with their friends.  

I like just the two of us just fine.

(And I'm also looking forward to a long car ride with the four of us.)

Precipice

Thinking about Mark going to college, thinking about Braeden and Anna moving to California...it all feels like a cliff I don't want to stand too close to.

Mark has been telling me daily in a taunting way, how many days until he leaves.

I wished he could be a little bit sad about it, pretend he'd miss me.

While we were away for the weekend, Mark said he started thinking about packing up his stuff and then it hit him.  He's going away to college.

Sunday night he hugged me about ten times.  He texted me Monday, "I sure love you."

I was sitting across the room from him.

I take it back, I don't want him to miss me.  I (maybe) can handle me missing him but I (definitely) can't handle him missing me.

I don't know what it will be like to have Emma as our only child at home.  The other day, I got a glimpse.  She told Adam about a video she watched of a British man doing Sudoku.  Adam was interested, so they watched the video, commenting on his strategy and murmuring appreciatively as he solved Sudoku.

I went to read a book, glad those two had each other.

My girls

Emma and Anna and I went to Starr Valley for the weekend.  It was Desi's bridal shower.  

Sunday morning I said something about "my girls" and Katie said, "I bet you like saying that."

And yes I did.

We gathered at Olivia's and Desi's aunts (except Melanee, who was visiting her sister in Texas) threw the party.  All our energies together cut flowers, prepped food, arranged flowers, secured tablecloths.  As sisters in Zion we all work together.

I love this life.

me, Olivia, Marianne, Katie and Jennifer with my mom in front

We took a picture of the girls.  All the granddaughters except Clarissa in Hawaii and Azure and Lucette in Texas.  My phone didn't handle the lighting well but they do look a little angelic and I'll take it.

Liliana, Liberty, Savannah, Olivia, Ruby, Deseret, Charlotte, Emma, Anna and Carolina

Those are the girls I would do anything for.

Sunday after church we had a picnic in the park and I tried to intimidate some of my nephews into eating leftover salad instead of sandwiches and they smiled at me and ignored me.

I need to work on my nephew intimidation skills.

We drove home and brought Liberty back to Utah too.  It was a lovely time visiting in the car with the background of Emma's playlist.

I like girl time.

Grateful Friday

 

We celebrated this girl's graduation this week.  We're a little after the fact, but it's OK.  They both happened to be wearing WGU shirts, so I took a picture of them repping the W.

So there you have it.  Four graduates in one season.  When my three were all freshman, I realized this may happen.  Happily for us all, Anna added her graduation to the mix.

I'm grateful my kids could be educated and learn more about things they love.  It is wonderful to see the unique interests they have and the unique contributions they make to our family.

Emma has started the interview process, not for her dream job, but to land a job to support her passion.  She wants to pursue her music and art, and find a job that will allow her to do just that.  I love that she knows what she wants (she has known what she wanted since she was a toddler and good luck trying to talk her out of anything).  People used to ask me how I kept a hat on her when she was one year old and I knew even then that if she didn't want the hat, it wouldn't be on.

I am not a great cook (I am a pretty good dessert baker--if I take a salad to a potluck situation, I come home with a salad; if I take a dessert to a potluck situation, I come home with an empty tray) and I never really taught Emma much about cooking.  It was easier to get it over with myself.  

Somehow she picked up this intuitive pasta making skill.  Last night we pulled tomatoes and sweet peppers out that needed to be used and she started sautéing peppers while I boiled penne.  She added garlic and then capers and pepperoncinis and kalamata olives.  She added the tomatoes last and then a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  It was delicious and Mark even liked it (after he picked out the kalamata olives and forked them over to me, which I was happy about).  We sprinkled feta on top and I have no idea.

Emma just has pasta skills.

I'm grateful to have her home.   

Parenting: the most thankless job around

Mark:  I go to college in about a month!

Me: (hugging him) Don't go!  Stay home with me!

Mark: No, I've got to go.  I'm going to be an accountant.

Me:  That's right.  So you can do my taxes.

Mark: If you'll pay me.

Me: OK.  I'll pay you to do my taxes, but I won't pay for you to go to college; or I'll pay for college and you can do my taxes for free.  What do you pick?

Mark:  Can I get an advance on that payment for taxes?

Emma:  If you ever need some humanities pro bono work, I'll do it.

Later, Mark asked if he could hang out with his friend, Marek, after dinner.

I said, "Will you do my taxes?"

He said, "Yes."

So that settles that.

The temple

Yesterday we joined Olivia, Lili, Ruben and Marcos, Tabor, Olivia and Ruby at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  We snapped a few pictures before going in.

Ruben, Lili, Anna, Emma, Mark, Marcos, Olivia and Ruby

(Braeden was at work or he would have joined us too. Also:  Olivia and Olivia, Mark and Marcos, Ruben and Ruby, Liliana and Anna.  We don't need too many name combinations to be content.)

It was Ruby's first time going and I felt happy to be there with her.

I also felt happy to be there with these kids:

I think Olivia and I look happier to be there than Tabor but I also know that Tabor was making us laugh which is why we appear so mirthful.

It was my first time being back in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple in over a year and it felt really nice to be inside again.  Tabor baptized Mark for one of Stella's grandfathers.  

What a wonderful world!

The Thelma Davis Home for Plant Rehabilitation

When Braeden was home from his mission (the first time) we were at Home Depot and I bought a cat palm.  Braeden named it Trayvion.  

We have had quite a history.  That's been about 5 years (more or less?) and Trayvion slowly lost leaves and shriveled.  I moved him all over the house and Adam told me many times to give up and I have not given up.

I've considered changing the name of the plant to Jacob 5.

He finally liked a spot in the living room and then yesterday I noticed one of his leaves (and he only has two!) is turning brown.

We've traveled this far together; I'm not giving up yet.

I pushed him over by Felicia, the Fiddle Leaf Fig, who is thriving and needs to stop because I don't want to repot her.  I'm hoping she will be a good influence on Trayvion.

I have had the same geraniums for years.  They live upstairs in the winter and on the deck in the summer.  They do well in both spots.  

This year, I planted them in the front of the house, in pots by the garage.  It is more sun than upstairs and less sun than the deck.

They've not been happy.  They are leggy and stunted (depends on which one) and suffering.

I repotted them and brought them inside for consideration and hopefully to find a solution.

I think it's sort of like figuring out why a kid is struggling to read.  I don't always succeed, but I like to try.

Hazy days

Fire season has started and on day two I am tired of it.

I don't like the otherworldly light and I don't like the hazy sky or the acrid air or the itchy eyes.

Oh, summer.  Why do you have to be like this?  

You can't even see the mountains in the distance.  The temple is blurred.  Everything looks weird.

The flag has been in the canyon but the weird light makes it look less dazzling.

After our day of Sunday meetings, we packed a picnic and went to the mountains.  We took the Alpine Loop and got up above the smoke.  I would have taken a picture but I was busy trying not to be carsick on the winding, narrow road.

We went to Cascade Springs which is always lovely.  The ice cold water gurgles over the rocks and causes cold air currents to swirl around you as you walk along.  

Adam took a picture of us.

It's a happy place.

We drove back home to the smoke.

Just a few more months of smoke....

Grateful Friday

I keep thinking about our family reunion.  I loved it so much.  I loved talking to my cousins.  There are 11 girl cousins approximately between the age of Marianne and Olivia--so about a five year span.  If you don't think there was a lot of mean girl drama amongst us growing up, you were not one of 11 girl cousins.

It is completely gone though.  Vanished.  I truly loved talking to them.  We talked about anecdotes from childhood. My dad was at the door and Leslie went to tell her mom but refused to open the door because my dad was so big and scary// Catherine said my dad would call her mom and Catherine would answer the phone and my dad would ask, "Why did you call?" and she'd get completely flustered because she hadn't called.  I think what it comes down to is my dad can come across as scarier than he actually is and he also will ever be the waggish youngest brother.

Here's a picture Jennifer took at the anniversary party and I love it for many reasons:

My mom was showing us a book her college roommate had brought of pictures of their freshman year of college.  (Enoch is sporting that apron because he sliced all the roast beef for the party which was no small feat.)

I love my beautiful cousin Leslie and her husband Joel talking to my dad in the background.  Leslie is laughing her wonderful laugh so you can see she recovered from her terror of my dad.

My cousins and I also talked about the need for reading glasses (Margaret has a contact that corrects for near and one that corrects for far and I'm intrigued) and adult children.  These are the girls I played dolls with and Dukes of Hazzard.  (Somehow we were all Daisy Duke and I'm not sure how that worked.)

How did we get old enough to talk about reading glasses?

We talked about Wells, where we all went to school, and getting treats at the Frontier Market and Quilici's.  Catherine and Margaret would get raw hot dog from Quilici's when they shopped with their mom.  What?!?

Leslie said that they always were more savvy than the rest of us.  They knew things like the actual names of sports teams.

It's true.

I'm so grateful for cousins and the way they make me feel grounded and connected and remind me of who I am and where I came from.

***

I'm grateful for friends.  Wednesday Adam and Dave both had to be at the stake center at 7:00 and Nola wanted me to weigh in on carpet samples so we arranged that I'd come over at 7:00.  We sat on the floor amidst carpet samples and pretty much talked about everything except carpet.  One of the samples was the carpet we just had installed so we walked over to our house to look at it.  We talked awhile inside then walked outside and talked about the neighbors' construction site that may someday be something more than an eyesore but isn't yet.  We talked about our yards and plants and then ended up talking in the middle of the cul-de-sac and it started to get dark but we kept talking.  Then headlights came up the street and we moved aside because it was Dave, closely followed by Adam so we went back into our various homes.

It was 10:00 pm and we'd surely made zero progress on carpet choices.

I'm grateful for friends and summertime when I can stay out late chatting.

***

I have started spending a little time in my classroom.  It's at the overwhelming stage but it also makes me so happy.  I love being in that place.  It feels like my magical little kingdom (if a magical kingdom had hideously ugly cabinets from the 70s).

Conceding the battle, but not the war

Mark started his new job about month ago.  He liked it quite a lot at first.  Adam and I both commented on how happy he seemed, using his muscles and being active.  He has always been a using his muscles and being active kind of kid.

The honeymoon started to wear off.  His ripped his sensor off, twice.  He had a hard time controlling his glucose levels.  Moving heavy objects all day every day is hard work + it has been stupid hot.

Still, I was his cheerleader.  "You can do it!" I said.  "You're making great money!" I said.  "I'm proud of you!" I said.

Privately, to Adam, I was less of a cheerleader.  His blood sugar was all over the map.  I'd talked to Enoch about it and he recommended fruit snacks for when his glucose went low but they'd spike his levels up and then his pump would correct and give him more insulin and he would plummet again.  Up and down and it all made him feel awful.  Feeling awful + moving heavy stuff + 100 degree heat is not a winning combination to make you happy about your job.

"It's good for him," Adam said.  "He needs to learn to manage it."

And I agreed to a point but only to the point that I didn't want Mark to die. (Who me? Exaggerate?)

Enoch advised him to turn off the part of his pump that is smart enough to correct when he goes high.  He tried and it turned itself back on.  There's a learning curve and we don't know it.  Also, I swear that little pump loves Mark and I'm grateful for that.

I knew Mark was miserable.  He confided in me, "I'm scared.  Every day when my blood sugar gets so out of control, it's scary."

That is not what you want to hear from your 18 year old.  18 year olds are supposed to be bullet proof and foolhardy, not scared.

We problem solved and Adam and I went to the store and got him glucose tablets which are only 4 carbs each so that he could tighten up control on correcting when it plummeted.

I told him, "I know this is hard, but I don't want diabetes to win.  I don't want it to limit what you can do in life."

I pray for my kids every day.  I had the idea that we should pray as a family, specifically, about this situation.  Adam agreed.

He prayed Monday night.  He asked to be led to know how to best take care of Mark.

Tuesday, Mark ripped another sensor off.  It was on his stomach and he needed to use straps to move a 400+ pound gun safe.  The straps were right where his sensor was attached.

We've spent hundreds of dollars on damaged medical equipment with this job, at this point.  It's not a great perk for parents.

I had the distinct thought that Mark should quit.  Enough was enough.  I didn't think Adam would agree.  He did.  I felt really good about the decision that I'd felt conflicted about for weeks.

Our prayers were answered.

Mark is finishing out his schedule but he already told his boss he's quitting.  I feel peace about giving this one to diabetes.  It's not that the job was too strenuous for Mark.  He could handle that.  It is just not a job that is conducive to being a diabetic.  It just isn't.  

I also feel grateful and I recognize our privilege.  Mark is greatly blessed by the medical equipment he has.  It makes his life better.  I am grateful we can provide it.  I'm also beyond grateful that Mark has a chance to go to college.  He can earn his living doing something that doesn't rip tubes and needles out of his body.

And that's worth something.

I've got texting to keep me company

Yesterday I cleaned the dungeon.  It was as ominous as it sounds.  The dungeon is our cold storage room (it's not as cold in July as it is in January).   

Fortunately, I had my text messages to keep me company.

Emma was up in the West Wing organizing her stuff too.  She came across this picture:

I found these gems:

Adam and his friends had an intramural ultimate frisbee team:  The Wild Stallynz.  I clocked a certain amount of time watching, especially after we were married.  Mara Sundwall and I would sit together and try to pay attention so we could talk about the game later with our husbands, but we also got distracted visiting sometimes.

Emma texted that she loved how happy I looked.  Of course I looked happy.  I just won the husband lottery!

I found these pictures:

Anna sent a re-creation of the photo from Virginia:

That Virginia humidity is allowing Braeden's hair to reach new heights....

Not to be outdone, Emma took a re-creation picture using her photo timer:

I also came across this:

You can't beat a small town paper when it comes to getting attention!

Despite all the distractions, I did get the dungeon clean finally.  Well, as clean as a dark and spooky place with concrete floors and walls can get.

It's organized at least.

Love hate relationship

I hate hot nights.  I love to sleep under a pile of covers and I can't imagine our dodgy AC ever getting cool enough for that even if we wanted it to.

I love having a less rushed pace.

I love blooming flowers and fragrant lawn mowing and the sound of sprinklers.

I love long twilight evenings.

I love the flag flying in the canyon.

I love having a day stretched ahead of me that I can choose how to fill.

I love fresh fruit in season.

I guess, on balance, the things I love about summer win.

Just, those nights....

Oh what fun!

It was a quick whirlwind of a weekend, but wonderful.

Friday we went to Nevada and helped prepare for the big party.  It was all hands on deck and what do I do now, Marianne?  She was stellar in her role as our leader.  When you match Marianne and Olivia, you pretty much can accomplish anything I think.

Love those girls.

My dad hung the quilt we made them for an anniversary gift.  I was concerned about little kids getting jam hands on it (we weren't even having jam) and Emma and Mark said they'd guard it.

My cousin Hannah sent me this picture:

(They didn't do that during the party.)

Olivia and crew had wrapped 250 bundles of silverware and after the party she counted the remainders and there were 41.

So, yeah.  We had a lot of people.

There was a lot of family and familiar faces.  I introduced Emma to Elaine Swanson who was my 6th grade teacher and I was her teacher's aide my junior and senior years of high school and I wanted to be her when I grew up.

Later Emma told me that she felt like she'd met a celebrity because she'd heard so much about Elaine Swanson all her life.

Then I met some new people.  A few couples from my parents' mission came.  A woman who they'd never met in person who lives in Las Vegas came.  They are Pathways missionaries and she is one of their students.  One of my mom's college roommates and her husband came. 

It was a party!

I loved catching up with my cousins.  The older I get the more I love catching up with my cousins.  

My aunt Mary and uncle Steve brought my grandma to the party.  I found this picture on Mary's Facebook page (I go to Facebook occasionally to steal pictures from my nearest and dearest).  It's my uncle Joe (my dad's brother) with my grandma.

Long before I was born; before my parents were married, the two families were connected.  I love that.

Marianne had given us all shifts and Tabor and I had the last shift when the food service had kind of died down.  My kids and Tabor called me the shift boss and I ran a tight ship: me mostly telling Tabor and Mark to behave.  

I am pretty sure it wasn't a coincidence that Marianne gave Tabor and me the last shift when the food service had kind of died down.

Here my parents were cutting the cake:

We tried to get them to smear it on each other's faces and they both just said, "No."

Then there were twin Herculean efforts:  to clean up and to get my mom to sit down.  We finally managed both.  I love working with people I love in a united cause.  It just feels good.

And my feet were tired.

Saturday my dad and Adam and I went to what everyone started calling The Home Place after my grandparents died:  my grandma and grandpa's house.  Walking around on the lawn I could hear the echos of No Bears are Out Tonight which the cousins would play after dark and I could smell the smoke of weiner roasts and my grandma's yellow roses.  I could hear my grandparents calling, "Come again!" from the front porch.

And, I mean, I'm not even sentimental....

Ha.

That feels like sacred ground to me though.

We went to the park in Wells for the reunion where my uncle Drew's family had provided a catered and delicious lunch.  The reunion hosting rotates through the siblings and my dad is up in two years.

We'll be ready.

There was more visiting with cousins.  Wonderful!

My aunt Jennifer shared a history of my grandparents' ranch with us.  I don't care how many times I hear it, I will always be blown away by some parts of their story.

My grandpa worked in the Department of Agriculture during the Eisenhower administration and so they lived in Virginia briefly.  One summer they sent my dad's two oldest brothers, Demar and Joe back to the ranch in Starr Valley to work.  They were 11 and 9.  A fifth grader and a third grader.

I know a lot of third graders.

They put them on a bus and Demar and Joe accidentally landed in Maine.  They got on a different bus and finally made it home.

They were 11 and 9.

When Demar was 12 he headed up the haying operation with his siblings, while my grandpa worked for the Department of Agriculture.

I can't even imagine, but all the native confidence God bestowed on Dahl men is probably a good thing.

I also loved hearing the stories about my grandma who willingly packed up her household to move to Virginia and to move to South Dakota when my grandpa was a mission president and to move to Florida when he was asked to manage a ranch the Church owned there.

Her blood is in my veins.  I so want to channel her strength!

I've heard all the stories and I won't ever get tired of them.

We took the compulsory girl and boy cousin pictures.

This is all the girls, minus six:

Leslie, Sarah, Britta, Molly, Hannah, Marianne, Olivia, Jessica, Catherine, Dixie, Margaret
Me, Elizabeth, Erica, Danielle and Gretchen

I sat in front with the other short girls.

These are the boys, again minus six:

Austin, Micah, Tabor, Ira, Enoch
Jordan, Ammon, Alexander, Jason
Lincoln

Did anyone tell them all to wear blue?  No, they did not.

Here's my dad and his siblings (also accidentally color coordinated):

Jennifer, Claudia, Olivia
my dad, Drew, Joe and Demar

My cousin Leslie told me that the first time her husband attended one of our family reunions he said it was like the Amish mafia.

We relocated in the evening at my parents' house for a weiner roast.  More visiting.  Our family ducked out sort of early to make it back to Utah for Adam's early Sunday morning meetings.

I'm so glad we could go.  You can't put a price on family time.

Grateful Friday

I'm grateful for time and energy and health.

I'm grateful for Adam.  He's had an incredible busy and intense several months.  It's a good thing he is the most even keeled person alive. Despite his natural sunny disposition, it is wearing on him but he. Is. A. Champion.  

I read an article in the Liahona recently about the challenges some couples face when confronted with the empty nest.  They find they have nothing in common.

Adam and I are going to be just fine as empty nesters.  We like being together.  A lot. 

I'm grateful.

I'm grateful for time with our kids.  Braeden called from Virginia yesterday to tell me all the National Parks posters he'd found.

I told him which ones we needed.  (Need, not want....)  We collect them at National Parks we visit but we don't have all the ones we've visited yet.  I chatted with Braeden for a little while.  I said, "I miss you!  This is what it will be like when you move to California and I don't like it."

He said, "I don't like it either."

Nevertheless.

It is good to talk/text with him.  He'll always be my boy.

Emma and Mark and I got the garage totally cleared out yesterday.  It was a feat!  Mark left partway through and Emma and I finished assembling bunk beds and moved lots of heavy boxes and stuff.  She is taking over what we affectionately call the bunk room (where the bunk beds are...it's a really subtle name) which is across the hall from her bedroom.  I decided to call it the West Wing (another really subtle name because guess which side of the house it is on?).  

As a reward for our labors, we decided to paint our nails and watch a movie in the evening.  We tried to decide between an actual good movie and a terrible movie because we love to watch terrible movies together and talk to the TV the entire time.  The movie we landed on was neither good nor terrible enough.

Halfway through, Mark texted that he was done with work but really sick.  He'd had a rough glucose level time starting the night before and then the house where they'd been moving was super dirty and he was super allergic.  I told Mark Emma and I would come and get him.

We decided it saved us from the dumb, but not dumb enough, movie.

Emma drove Mark's car home and Mark and I rode together.  He was 50% in pretty good spirits and 50% out of it.  We were almost home when out of the blue he said, "I think Mambo #5 should be included in the new hymnbook." 

Even when they don't feel all that well, my kids entertain me.

I'm grateful for my sisters.  They are doing most of the heavy lifting for the anniversary party for my parents (which is tonight). Along with my mom and dad, they have carried the mental burden of figuring it all out.  It's sort of the role Marianne was born to play, but I really appreciate them all the same.

I'm grateful for the opportunity this weekend to spend time with my siblings and their families, time with my parents and then as a bonus cherry on top, we are having a Dahl reunion on Saturday.  

I probably won't take enough pictures but Olivia will and I'm not afraid to steal hers.

Hammertime

If I didn't tinker with things so much, I would make a lot more progress.

I made a new arrangement above my desk in my office.  

Adam's initials are AND so I love me a good ampersand.

It must be said that the wall above my desk in my office is basically a cheese grater by now.  I'm not afraid to use a hammer and nails and...it shows.

I fetched Emma a few times to have her advise me.  I would yell, "Emma!  I need you!" and she would patiently come.

On about the third time, I said, "This isn't going to help you want to stay here for very long is it?"

She smiled and said, "I read one time that when you live with your parents, you have everything except peace."

She's not wrong.