Sad sigh

This morning Braeden flew back to Virginia.

It's a mix of emotions.  I am happy and grateful he could go back.  I'm glad he's serving a mission.  I can't live in vacation mode forever.  And I feel like someone ripped my heart out of my chest.

So, you know, no big deal.

Yesterday we went to Cabela's to look at shoes.  There's a pond with fish in it and a dispenser for fish food.  Braeden smiled at me in his sheepish and sweet way and said, "Mom, do you have a quarter?"

I did and he fed the fish.

He's probably the biggest kid to ever beg a quarter off their mom to feed the fish and I'm pretty sure he's also the cutest.

In an effort to ease the separation of his leaving again, he left his stuff all over the place the entire time he was home.

A very sweet woman in our ward drops off notes and candy when people speak in church.  Braeden ate the chocolate and left the rest behind.

And then the socks.

He just drops them wherever.

Right. In. The. Walkway.  Who does that?!?  Braeden.

I love him anyway. 

His time home was a gift and I'm grateful.  

A good-bye brother hug, complete with smacks on the back like they do.

We arrived home from the pre-dawn airport run a weary bunch.  The house is definitely different without Braeden.  I sat down to blog and noticed the blanket that usually goes in the basement and wrapped up in it.  Braeden had used it upstairs last night.  It's sort of handy to have a kid who leaves things around the house.

My smiley sunshine boy.  He heard where he's serving upon his return and he was happy about it.

Six more months.  Let's do this!

Magic

I've written a lot on here about how much I have missed Braeden while he has been serving a mission.  Is this a magic blog that grants wishes if you write about them enough?

Because I maybe have some other topics to address....

This is us Thursday night.

Braeden looks unhappy about having his picture taken but he's actually the one holding the camera/phone.  He has long arms.  In related news, he changed the light bulbs in our room standing on the floor and just reaching.

Friday Braeden and I went to Provo and visited the Museum of Art with Clarissa and then visited the Monte L. Bean museum.

Braeden wanted me to text this picture to Stella because there are a lot of these birds on the lake that sits between where she lives and where Braeden used to live.

Also, Braeden asked me if I would get him a treat "if he was good."  He knows how to charm me.  When he was a toddler he would get treats if he was good.

I told him he had to be really good.

And he was.  I used to have to chide him to not run away from me and now he holds doors open for me and entertains me endlessly.

We ran out of time and didn't get the treat though.

Saturday morning found us at the church for basketball with the highly acclaimed stake sports director (Adam).

When Braeden let her have her glasses, Emma was in charge of the scoreboard.  She took it very seriously (like she does).  She said, "This is so intense that I like it."

Mark was playing and we cheered for him (and possibly made the sign for a field goal when he shot the ball over the backboard).  The other team basically destroyed Mark's team and Adam told Emma she should mess with the score to see if the boys noticed.

Emma was horrified.

Saturday afternoon Emma had to do something else (like she does--this time it was prepare boxes for the French club's refugee drive so who was going to argue with that) but the rest of us went to SLC for an exercise in futility a.k.a. me looking for shoes.  I have found the shoes I want for a birthday present that seem the right amount of comfortable for when we go to France.  I want to try them on before I order them online.  I googled which stores sold them and found Nordstrom.  But it turns out Nordstrom only sells them online too.

At least Mark (who took his money when he heard Fashion Place Mall--because the Lego Store) went away happy.

My throat was hurting and I told Adam that something cold was necessary to my happiness.  Braeden remembered that I owed him a treat.  Mark decided he had been good at the store too.

So Adam bought us milkshakes.

This is before the milkshakes but I think they'd been promised because of all the smiling.

I was supposed to take dinner to a woman in our neighborhood who had just had a baby.  I realized we were going to be late.  I had the soup in the crockpot but needed stuff added to it.

I called Emma--she didn't answer.

I texted Emma--she didn't answer.

Because why would she?

Adam, who is a genius, told me I should use Find My Phone which emits a loud sound until you make it stop, even if your ringer is off.

Emma immediately responded.  I told her that from now on, that would be my strategy.  "Please don't do that during school," she said.

We'll see.

I told her what I needed her to do.  She said, "Whoa.  Can you text that all to me?"

For the record, she executed her mission perfectly.

After delivering soup and then eating some of our own soup, we went to BYU again for a Living Legends performance.

Clarissa and Desi (who gave me the idea) were seated a few rows in front of us.

I love BYU and these kids (and Adam who was seated on the other side of me).  Living Legends is a  group of BYU students of Native American, Polynesian and Hispanic or Latino origin. They perform traditional dances from their cultures and they knocked our socks off.

At the end we were all crying (except Mark).  Clarissa and Desi too.  Mark said he got chills but didn't cry.  I told him to wait until he's older.  It seems to be the birthright around here.

We were walking back to the car and someone mentioned we'd had milkshakes earlier.  Emma said, sadly, "Really?"

I said that my throat was still hurting.

And the boys, of course, were hungry.  You can give them as many bowls of hearty soup your heart desires, they will be hungry hours later.

We went to Chick fil A for the frozen lemonade (for me).  Adam told the boys he'd get them chicken strips.  He asked what size they came in and the perky girl on the other end of the intercom talked him into the 24 piece tray.  (I think her summer job is working at the Story Book Canal ride at Disneyland.)  Adam agreed to the 24 pieces because he had little chicken nuggets in mind.

It was a WHOLE lot of chicken.

And there wasn't a piece left by the time we got home.

Sunday I had six and a half hours of church.  And also I didn't wear very comfortable shoes for that sort of business.  When I told Adam that it was too much church, he said I should call Robert (he's in a stake presidency) and talk to him.  Or Tabor. (He's a bishop.)

Fine.

Emma sang in church which I loved and Braeden spoke in church which I loved.  He used the word ethos in his talk.  After, Adam said, "Ethos?"

Braeden said, "Yeah, I thought I'd drop down some Latin."

In the evening we got to spend time with the BYU girls.  I always enjoy having them over.  We did love language tests after dinner and had fun together.  Hannah feels like one of the family--whether she likes it or not.  (She is very good-natured about it all.)

Braeden's mission president called Sunday.  We are hopeful that he can return to his mission soon.  (I'm a tiny bit not hopeful because I love having him here.  But I'm keeping that to myself.  Except for that part when I put it on my blog.)

More blogging about Braeden

He's been gone a long time.  I have catching up to do with writing about that kid.

1- I was down in Braeden's room hanging up a shirt and he. Had. Made. His. Bed.

2- I said, "Who are you?"

3- Also he will occasionally unload/load the dishwasher with zero prompting.

4- Why is he the one that doesn't usually live here?

5- Emma and Vanessa are performing a pantomime for Drama Regionals.  They practiced it for us last night.  Emma kept losing concentration when Braeden laughed.

6- Braeden told her, "That's funny so you have to get used to people laughing."

7- Emma and Vanessa smiled at each other in pleasure and sort of wonder.

8- Braeden and I looked at the BYU class schedule so I can be prepared to register for him in June.  He was looking at the kinds of classes that Adam took:  Principles of Comparative Politics and the like.  What really seemed to interest him were things like Arab-Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.

9- This is what happens when a boy grows up talking to Adam.

10- We have been using one gallon of milk per day.

11- By we, I mean Braeden.

12- Yesterday we were going to meet Adam for lunch.  I said, "Maybe we'll go in his office and he can show you off."

13- Braeden smiled and said, "I like being shown off."

14- We've always been worried about his self esteem.

15- Before leaving I told Braeden I wanted to put lotion on his dry scaly cracked and bleeding hands.  (Those poor hands are used to humidity.)  If there's anything Braeden detests, it is lotion.  He resisted and I insisted and we went back and forth.  Finally he said, "I'm grown.  You aren't in charge of my hands."  I said, "When you are buying your own lunch, you will be a grown up.  For now, I'm putting lotion on those hands."

16- He smiled and relented. And then he winced and acted tortured when I put on lotion.

17- Later he told me thanks for the lotion and his hands felt better.

18- He liked meeting all the people at work.  He shook hands and smiled and chatted and was in his element.

19-  The other day he said he didn't like being home all day.  He likes to be "out among the people."

20- I think we'll go to another museum today.  Gotta keep the extrovert happy.

A new spin

In addition to Not My Email, I think I could create a Not My Missionary blog series.

I get periodic text messages--with pictures--of a few missionaries that...aren't mine.

Both the other mothers are responding to the texts, so it's not like I'm taking someone's place.  It is a number from VA and one of them is apparently an Elder Davis, but why am I involved?

Life is mysterious.

Speaking of my missionary, he has done everything he can (doctor approval plus proved his stamina) toward getting back on his mission.  It is now in the hands of the mission department and for someone like me, who is a planner, I'm a little antsy to know what is happening. 

In the meantime, I'm dry cleaning ties and washing sweaters and replacing exceedingly worn white shirts and holey socks.

And buying milk.

Last night we went to the art museum in Springville.  When we were walking in, Braeden looked around in wonder and said, "I love art museums."

There are plenty of times when I feel like a sub par mother, but in moments like that I think I must have done something right.

Slow down

Life has been joyful and people-y and busy lately.

Last night I went to bed exhausted and with a snuffling cold.  Somewhere during the long night of tossing and turning because of my congested head, I looked out the window and saw the snow.

Lately it has felt positively springlike.  Yesterday Braeden and I took a walk with no jackets, just sweatshirts.  There have been flitting birds and I even saw a squirrel a few days ago. 

And today this.

I will take it.  Perhaps the universe is telling me to stay in my pajamas and get cozy.

(And do some laundry.)

Yesterday

I feel like something of a failed blogger, because I didn't take one picture, but yesterday was a great day.  It was a jammed pack and exhausting day but also great.  In other words, I'm not doing a single thing in my housekeeping role.  How important is that anyway?  I mean maybe I truly can just stop doing laundry?  It's a theory I've never tested.

Since it was President's day, it's one of the holidays that we place flags in the neighborhood.  It was the YW turn so I took two sledgehammers, my daughter, my strong husband and my two strapping sons.  (These are tools every young women's president needs.)

I always get the worst route and it takes way longer than the other routes.  Also yesterday the other groups had more people.  Emma said, "Should we have someone else come with us?"  I compared the size of Braeden to some of the little 12 year old girls. 

"I think we're good," I said.

And we were.  Emma drove, Adam had one sledgehammer and drove stakes while I placed flags and the boys had the other hammer and they did same.  At one point Emma was driving a little lurchy (she's not the best driver in America and my strategy is to just not drive with her and hope for the best).  I cautioned her to drive less lurchy (because her brothers' long legs were dangling out the back end of the van.  She usually treats any kind of criticism with serious disdain and this time was no different.  I told her to stop being sassy or I would drive and she could put up flags.

What can I say?  It's good to have leverage.  She was as pleasant as a peach after that.

We finished well ahead of everyone which never happens.

Emma had to stay home and do homework but the rest of us headed to Salt Lake City.  We went to temple square:  the church history museum, the visitor's centers, the Joseph Smith building.  It was a nice time.  We also stopped by Maverik's "base camp" on the way home and Braeden hardly appreciated it enough.

Maybe we'd built it up too much.

We pretty much got home in enough time for flags.  Braeden and I took a preliminary walk beforehand and met the rest there.  Picking up flags with my crew was a breeze too.  Right after that we had a presidency meeting and right after that Braeden and I headed to Provo.  Phew!

Adam was refereeing, Emma and Mark were involved with "mini missions" which is a thing in our ward where the youth, with a companion, go visit a family in our ward who feeds them dinner and then the youth teach the family a lesson.  Mark's group got assigned to our bishop's family and Emma went to the stake president.  They both had a great time though, despite what could have been a little intimidating.

Braeden and I were going to meet David and Shari.  We got there a little early so we swung by the Creamery to see if Clarissa was working.  She wasn't, but her roommate was so we got to chat with her briefly.  We met David and Shari at the bowling alley in the basement of the Wilkinson Center.  Being on BYU campus made Braeden and me both excited for him to attend there in the fall. 

It was great to see the young Jorgensens.  When I was paying for bowling shoes, David said, sort of in jest, "Is there a discount for missionaries?"

The guy eyed Braeden (and the name tag) and said, "You're a full time missionary?"

Braeden said yes.

"Well then you can bowl for free."

David and Braeden speculated on all the free stuff he could possibly get on campus.  Ice cream?  I said, "Let's go bowl."

Shari confided that she was a terrible bowler and I told her I was too.  Then I bowled a strike and two spares.  Then David facetimed Janet and while I was chatting with her, I had Braeden bowl for me.  He only knocked down one pin and I guess that broke my will because after that I bowled terribly, which is my lot in life.

After bowling we went to Chom Burger which was delicious.  We had never been there before but we will go back.  It was comfortable and easy to be with David and Shari.  All those Jorgensen kids feel like beloved nephews and nieces.

As we were leaving the restaurant, we encountered a young couple whose front tire was stuck in one of the irrigation ditches that line the streets of Provo.  Tiny Shari marched over and offered help, then she gestured back at David and Braeden.  "We can help," she said.

David and Braeden went next door and borrowed a big rock from a yard.  They wedged it under the tire.  We pushed and zing!  The car was back on the street.  The grateful young man (who had been contemplating his jack when we approached) looked like he may cry or at the very least throw his arms around David and Braeden in gratitude.  Instead, he shook their hands.  It was dark but he noticed Braeden's name tag, "Wait!  Are you a missionary?"  Braeden said yes.  The guy just kind of shook his head wonderingly and we were off into the night.

You just never know what kind of adventures await when you swerve from your path.  Again, how important is laundry anyway?

The weekend

We celebrated Emma's birthday on Friday.  Emma left school early and Adam and I had lunch with the two older kids at Emma's favorite spot, Harmon's.  Yes, the grocery store.  I don't know.  She just loves the place.  We played games and went out for Thai food for dinner.  I love needing a table for five again.  Later, Grandma and Grandpa Dahl stopped by.  It was a happy celebration.

Saturday morning we continued the party and had Kneader's french toast which is all kinds of delicious but the kind of thing you can only do occasionally.

We played more games and happily received more visitors.  I didn't get pictures of everyone but here are some:

Olivia, Braeden and Edgar

Missionaries--future, present and past:  Desi goes to Hong Kong in June, Braeden is heading back to VA soon-ish, and Clarissa returned from New Zealand in December

I love how much these cousins love each other (Emma had left for work).  Most of them were looking at Marianne while she took a picture but Carolina is looking right at me.  She said, accurately, "This is going on the blog."

In between hands of Monopoly Deal and UNO and rounds of Codenames, Braeden and Mark have been spending some quality Lego time together.  I love hearing them laugh.  Saturday afternoon I walked downstairs and Braeden said, "Mom, Mark is hilarious!"

When Braeden left, Mark was his lovable and sort of pesky younger brother.  Now, they seem to be closer to the same age.  And it's true, Mark does entertain me every day of my life.

Sunday we had what I fondly refer to as the BYU Babes over, Clarissa and Desi.  (Sometimes Clarissa's roommate Hannah comes too.)  We had dinner and played Codenames.  It was Emma and the girls against the boys and me.   The boys and I lost every round.

Today is no school because of President's Day.  Every day sort of feels like a holiday though.

Table for five.