Just your normal evening

On our anniversary, Adam and I went to Sam Hawk, which is a Korean restaurant in Provo.  We had never been before.  It is nothing fancy (in a strip mall) but it was SO GOOD.  Monday I was eating my leftovers for lunch and I texted Adam, asking him how many more minutes until we could go again.

He wanted to go again and we wanted to take our kids.  Tuesday night Braeden was working and Emma was working so we just took Mark.

It was still just so good.  The beef and pork bulgogi just cannot be raved enough about (we shared both).  I especially love all the toppings:  kimchee, cucumbers, bean sprouts, black beans, potatoes.  You pile it all with a little rice onto a romaine lettuce leaf and it is pretty much heaven.

While we were at dinner, Braeden texted this:

I think "sitting here" autocorrected to "sorti. Here" which makes no kind of sense.

Adam picked up some saltwater taffy on the way out the door at the restaurant.

Then, because it's hard to be in Provo without our thoughts turning to Braeden, this happened:

We drove by the Marriott center and saw him sitting with some other counselors while the EFY kids were having a dance outside.  Adam handed Mark the candy and said, "Throw it at him."

Braeden saw us and came running over and Mark, who apparently had inertia on his side, threw the taffy for all he was worth.  Braeden was about two feet away and it glanced off his shoulder and landed across the street.

"I love you!" we all yelled to each other.  Braeden loped over to pick up the candy and we drove off.

These are the men in my life:  they get the idea to throw taffy at their son; they obediently throw the taffy, regardless of the target's position; they follow election results in the Ohio 12th Congressional District.

I love those weirdos.

Today

My favorite thing to do while I'm cleaning is listen to podcasts.  Wiping off counters and sweeping floors is sort of meditative anyway so listening to wise words just enhances the experience.

I love Emily P. Freeman's podcast The Next Right Thing.  It's wise and her kind, soft spoken voice soothes my soul.

Yesterday I was listening and these words shook me a little:

Maybe, you are having a hard time being here now because you’re concerned about what is coming next?

Take a moment to whisper the day of the week, the month of the year. Be here, in this moment, just as you are. 

And don’t discount yourself.

I am a planner.  At its best that means that I'm ready for Christmas early so December is a pleasant relaxing time.  At its worst that means sometimes I can't sleep at night because my mind is whirling with all of the what's-coming-next.

Taking a moment to whisper the day of the week and the month of the year is sort of genius.  Today is the day.  This is the only day like it.  I don't want to squander today by spinning my wheels about eventualities.

If you see me and I'm muttering under my breath, don't mind me.  I'm probably just whispering the day of the week, the month of the year.

Morning walk

Mark and I were walking along the Murdock Canal Trail yesterday morning and...

...he talked me into forgoing our plans so he could hang out with his friends.

...it was terribly smoky and I came home sneezing.

...it was cooler than it has been, as in the air actually felt cool.  It's been awhile, cool air.  Welcome.

...two kids--looked like a brother and sister--passed us on their bikes.  The boy yelled over his shoulder to his sister, "I'm going up the gravel hill!"

Mark said, "He's going to crash."

The boy veered off the paved trail and onto a gravel trail at full speed.  He wobbled and then he had a terrific crash.  He was OK (because kids are so bouncy), other than wounded pride and a skinned elbow (his sister had a water bottle and poured water on the elbow).

I looked at Mark like he was psychic and he said, "What?  Are you superstitious?"

Mark seemed to be a few years older than the boy who crashed.  I think it was the voice of experience rather than Mark's psychic ability that predicted the wreck.

Summer's lease hath all too short a date.  This is the last week I'll walk with Mark in the morning.

Sad face.

Books I read in July 2018

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ***

I think I read this in May and just remembered.  I liked it.  It was about a magical circus that was the backdrop for a competition between two hapless magicians who were being pawns in two other, sort of wicked, magicians game.  That's a terrible description, like most of my book posts are.  I mostly just want to remember what I've read....

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen ****

It is clear that I'm not going to get all the Jane Austen books read this summer.  I keep getting distracted by other books and other things.  Still.  I love Sense and Sensibility.  I love them all.  I realized I've seen the movies more than I've read the book and there are subtle differences, which I enjoyed.

Dinner at Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler ***

Ever since I picked an Anne Tyler book for book club and everyone hated it, I realize Anne Tyler is an acquired taste.  Her books are full of quirky characters and are generally sort of depressing but I still like them.  This book is about a family where the father leaves and the mother tries her best but isn't the easiest person to live with.  The kids are mostly sympathetic except one brother.  He was just mean.

Death of a Maid by M.C. Beaton **

This book was OK.  It is one of a series (and not the first in the series) so maybe I would like it more if I read the entire series and understood the overall story arc.  It's about a bright but unambitious police constable who lives in Scotland, in a little place where there are apparently a lot of murders (hence the series).

Grateful Friday

After Mark was born, the doctor who delivered him told Adam and me we were a good team.

I agree.

Tomorrow we celebrate 23 years of marriage.  I'm grateful for Adam.  Being married to him tops my list of things I'm grateful for on any given day.

When we look back on our life together, we usually marvel with appreciation that it's been a good life.  There have been the not good times.  There have been times when things were hard and I felt scared or impatient or frustrated or unhappy.  It buoyed me without exception at times like that to have Adam by my side.  Shoulder to shoulder we've faced things and we've strengthened each other and strengthened our bond in the process.

Marrying Adam was the best idea.  The end.

I don't think it was particularly windy when this picture was taken.  I think my hair was just particularly wonky.

(I'm also grateful Adam and Mark are getting home from scout camp today.  Yesterday I was driving home from the grocery store and I saw a Mark-sized kid, even wearing gray pants and a teal shirt, which is sort of his uniform lately, pushing his bike up the hill.  It made me realize how much I've missed that ginger.)

Emma and ABBA

Emma's fish, Bruiser, is the most boring fish alive.  You don't know how many times I've announced to Emma, "Brucie is dead." (because my nickname for him is Brucie).

She says, "No he's not, he's just a chilled out fish."

Then one day Emma showed me that he recognizes her.  His fish bowl was on the counter and I stood in front of it and Brucie played dead.

Mark stood in front of it and Brucie played dead.

Emma stood in front of it and Brucie started swimming around and flipping his little fins.

He loves Emma.

EVERY time I see Bruiser, this is what he's doing, hanging out near the surface of the water.  The laziest fish alive.

Then, yesterday I was watering plants and listening to ABBA on Alexa (by the way, Alexa also likes Emma more than the rest of us--she can get it to listen sometimes when we can't).

Braeden had requested Alexa to play Waterloo by ABBA and when I was in Emma's room, watering her plant, I glanced over and saw Bruiser dancing along to the music.

I went to tell Braeden and then I went back and Dancing Queen was playing and Bruiser was doing his thing, which is nothing.  I said, "Alexa, play Waterloo by ABBA."

Then I started recording.

I guess I have something in common with Bruiser.  Emma and ABBA make me happy too.

Good little bits

On Sunday Braeden and I substituted in Primary and I loved it.  If I could pick my calling it would be all Primary all the time.  I know, maybe I should be a school teacher!

The class wanted to have time to share their good news.  I think something like that could go either way.  There is potential for some members of the class to feel bad.  When some kid says, "I had a birthday party!" and another kid realizes they were the only one not invited, that's lame.

It has its upside too though.  It is nice to celebrate the good little bits of life.

Here are some good little bits from me.

Adam has good phone service where he is so when he drives to town for things, he calls me.

He sent me these pictures of the boys doing service at the Star Valley, WY temple.

That cute boy with the bright blue shoes?  He's mine.  And I love him.

Also, the boys performed 119 baptisms in the temple.  They were names people in our ward had found (a few of them by me).  I cried a little (not a hard feat) when Adam told me about the priests baptizing each other and the teachers.   Such good boys.  Such a good way to spend the morning.

My other boy went with me to get my hair cut because he can't be in the house for more than 12 hours without going stir crazy.  He came in the salon to meet the ladies and they told me he was so cute!  He is and I was glad to show them the boy in real life because they had heard all about his mission, including the health misadventures.

After dinner last night he said he wanted something sweet.  I told him too bad (in not so many words).  Then I remembered we had leftover peach crisp in the fridge!

I told him we'd split it and he said, "Let's save some for Emma."  (She was at work.)

That kind of seems like the thing the mother should think of, but still.

I did save her some.