Nana Shanna's Corner

Lindsay Renee Miller January 24, 1978-February 7, 1978

2012-01-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

The healing came. First the physical healing of my body from labor and delivery; that was in process of course from the day of Lindsay's birth. I remember having to bind my breasts so the milk would dry up. The pills that they give you in the hospital to dry up your milk (if you choose not to breastfeed or deliver a stillborn) won't work if you've already been nursing. It was almost a "good" kind of pain though, as it was a reminder that Lindsay had lived, even if it was only for two weeks. I was young so my body got back to its pre-pregnant self relatively quickly.

As for the spiritual and emotional healing-some parts of that took years, is still happening. I remember praying more fervently than I had ever prayed before. I also voraciously read books, articles, scriptures about this life and the next. I threw myself into service for others. I got a job outside of the home (I had quit my receptionist job right before Lindsay was born). Those actions helped. My sweet husband was such a strength to me. My parents and siblings loved me and tried to ease our pain while working through their own. There were dear friends who let me "borrow" their babies as my arms ached to hold a child.

Finally though it came down to this-if I did not have my testimony of Jesus Christ, that he lived, suffered for ALL of our pain and sins, died for us on Calvary and was resurrected this life would not have real meaning beyond our daily actions. How grateful I am to him and to our eternal Heavenly Father for the plan of salvation, the plan of happiness. I will see my sweet Lindsay again, and my sweet Lynette and all those that mean so much to me. That's what this life is about-it's living, growing, serving, loving and getting ready for what's next-forever!

As I continue to do my part, to strive beyond the hurt, whether emotional, spiritual or physical, I'll be preparing myself for eternity and true healing.

Always-

A different kind of Christmas - 2011

2011-12-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

The theme for our Christmas card and also this year's family Christmas ornament is:

It's interesting that I purchased the Christmas 2011 ornaments (see above) just after Christmas 2010 when Carynn and I were in St. George. (We found them at one of our favorite St. George places-Taipan Trading.) I put them away and I guess had "kind of" forgotten about them, but they and what they represent must have been at the back of my mind as that's what I ending up choosing as the theme for our Christmas card for this year. I like this on so many levels. Believing that Christ is our Savior; Believing that our Family can be together forever; Believing that we can, we will, we must all go on after Lynette's death; Believing.

As hard as it may be at times LIFE does go on.

Here's what we did for Christmas this year:

I made these denim and flannel rag quilts for everyone for Christmas this year. I used denim from all of our old jeans that I had saved over the years. As I wrote in the letters I gave with the quilts-"This quilt has been YEARS in the making." It was nice to get them done!

From left to right in front of me:

Blue & red striped denim: Michael and I

Green and brown pirate Ships and striped flannel prints: Lynette

(I mailed Lynette's quilt to her fiance' Chris)

Red cherries on white w/turquoise and turquoise & red flannel: Carynn, Jamie & Ty

Brown United States frontier map flannel and striped flannel prints: Bret, Laura & Ethan

Random colors and all kinds of flannel prints: Melinda and Landan

A different kind of Christmas Part 1

We celebrated Christmas in Liberty Lake on Saturday, December 10 with Carynn, Jamie, Ty and Melinda as Michael and I were supposed to leave for warmer climes the following week. Landan is still in the Middle East we miss him! Here are some pictures from our pre-Christmas Christmas-

Our children have always enjoyed arranging the little Nativity set that we always place on the kitchen counter every year. Ty carries on that arranging and rearranging tradition.

The Hudson Family - Christmas 2011

Melinda and Michael striking a pose

All warm and snuggly in their quilts

A different kind of Christmas Part 2

Michael ended up having some dental and other issues so we changed our plans and didn't leave for those warmer climes I talked about until Christmas Day. Yes, it was unusual to be traveling ON Christmas. But since it was not going to be like any Christmas we'd ever experienced anyway, we traveled on it. We were blessed with moderate (for the time of year) weather and great roads. We called the children wherever they were (Washington, Utah, Nevada) and wished them a Merry Christmas. We spent the night at a Motel 6 in the Pocatello area.

A different kind of Christmas Part 3

We arrived at Bret, Laura and Ethan's place around 1 PM on December 26. Now begins Christmas Part 3.

Ethan has grown so much in the 3 1/2 months since we'd seen him last. We really like how Bret and Laura have stamped their own personalities and showcased their talents in their home. We miss them when we can't be with them and are so glad that we could see them, if not on Christmas, soon after. We shared gifts and good food and were happy to be together.

In the photo below Ethan plays with a reindeer plush animal that one of my friends sent him.

That night the Miller trio (B, L & E) took the Miller duo (M & S) to see the lights on Temple Square. It had been years since Michael and I had viewed them; the last time I believe was when we lived in Utah-which would have been Christmas 1995. It was wonderful to be there. There were hundreds of other people there too, but it just added to the atmosphere. It's interesting that I found it reverent and joyous.

We also ran into Sister Eden Lake, a daughter of one of my friend's, who is serving a mission on Temple Square. That was fun too!

Yes, it was a different kind of Christmas, but the important part of Christmas is the message of hope, peace and love that it brings or can bring to each of us if we will let it. It's a message we should remember every day.

As I said earlier- BELIEVE!

Lynette Lorane Miller

2011-11-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

30 years ago today our daughter Lynette Lorane Miller was born in Yakima, Washington.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Lynette. I love her smile and how her eyes shine.

9 weeks ago today Lynette passed away. It has been the hardest thing I have ever experienced. I know what it is like to have a child die. Lynette's oldest sister Lindsay died as a 2 week old infant. I understand the grieving process, but it is so much harder the more time you have with them. 30 plus years of memories (after all I was pregnant with her for 9 months).

What has sustained me has been my faith, my family and my friends. Lynette's friends have played a role in the initial healing and grieving process too. Carynn and I organized the Lynette Miller Memorial LAFF (Laughter, Art, Films, Food) Festival to run from November 17 through the 20th. It has been a blessing to me to see how family and friends have celebrated her and supported us.

November 17 was and is a good day. I have felt peace, I have felt joy amidst the sadness and I have felt comfort in the knowledge that Lynette is okay where she is and that I can be okay here too.

I love you my sunshine girl.

Momma

aka NS

Time for Preschoola

2011-09-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read the heading right....It's time for Preschoola. That's what Ty calls preschool. The picture above was taken when we went to an Open House prior to Ty's first day of preschool. Papa and I couldn't resist the opportunity to see where Ty would spend his time. Note that he's wearing his backpack. Such a big boy!

While Papa was taking pictures of Ty, Ty thought he would take a picture of Papa too!

Ty is really enjoying all the learning opportunities that are a part of preschoola. So far he's painted, baked, played, counted, and played some more.

I say, "Yay to Preschoola!"

Ethan is a year old!

2011-09-10T14:21:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of his parents here are Ethan's 12 month stats-

Height: 30.75 inches

Weight: 21.13 pounds

One tooth

Still 100% Adorable

Pictured above with his beautiful mom at his 1st birthday party

You are loved so very much Ethan!

Birthday time again

2011-09-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

August is birthday month for 4 (that's right 4) family members.

My birthday is August 11:

It was handy blowing out only two candles. Yes, that's right, I'm 56 years old!

Carynn's birthday is August 21. This is how she looked the day she was born:

Here she is now with her sweet boy. It's hard to believe my little one is 32!

Ethan's birthday is August 26.

I remember waiting for him to arrive

safely last year. Here he is at his 1st birthday party.

He doesn't look too sure about the cake.

I think he likes his presents for sure. Happy Birthday Ethan!

My baby sister Karra's birthday is also in August. She was born on a hot summer day in Arizona on August 27. My brother and I traveled to Yakima/Selah to visit my mom and my sisters and their families. Karra and her family have just recently moved to Yakima so we were able to see their new place. Since we don't often have the time to be together we celebrated ALL of our birthdays. It was great to have we 4 sibs together. My mom's countenance always beams when she has her 4 around her.

Happy Birthday to ALL!

Love you forever,

NS (aka August birthday girl)

Nana goes to Camp

2011-08-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

I was very grateful that I had the opportunity to serve at our Stake YW Camp this year. I didn't get asked to help until June and camp was July 25-29, so it made for a very busy month and a half. It was wonderful to serve with the women I served with and to work with some very dedicated young women.

I don't have any pictures yet, but let's just say my good time was documented.

Here's to camp!

Time with B, L & Little E

2011-07-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

We were so thankful that Bret, Laura and Ethan were able to visit this summer. It was wonderful to have some time with them.

There was hammock time

and cousin time.

There was definitely bath time!

My personal favorite-Nana time.

And of course there had to be some Papa time too!

There's a hymn called "Improve the Shining Moments" in our church hymnbook. The second verse is a great reminder. It goes: Time flies on wings of lightning; We cannot call it back. It comes, then passes forward along its onward track. And if we are not mindful, the chance will fade away, for life is quick in passing. 'Tis as a single day.

I'm very grateful that our Utah trio made time to have time with us during summer time. They are loved so much.

Remember to be mindful and take time.

Of mail and lakes and walks and time spent with Ty

2011-07-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

Michael and I had Ty while Carynn and Jamie were "Ma and Pa" for a youth conference trek. We had him from Sunday night to Friday afternoon. We had a wonderful time; and though he missed his mom and dad alot I think he had a wonderful time too. Here's some of the things we did.

1. We started a tradition! When his parents were away in March every morning Ty would look outside his room and there would be mail for him from his mom and dad. Well, every morning while they were away on the trek Ty would look outside his door and there would be mail in his basket. The mail consisted of a note with a goodie or toy from his mom and dad. So now that we've done it twice, it's officially a tradition. Ty LOVES mail. (Nana loves mail too!) The bubble gun was one of his "mail" items.

2. We went up to the cabin on Monday and had a wonderful time. Ty helped Papa fish. We also played with cars and had snacks, watched movies and played on the beach. Ty was wearing his rain boots when we first went down to the beach. He was able to walk in the water a little ways because he was wearing them. Oops, he walked out a little too deep for the boots and then the boots were wet inside AND outside. Boots and little boys can be dried off so they were. It was still a bit too cold to swim in the lake, but it sure was fun being there.

3. Ty loves helping Papa in the yard. We had a major plumbing disaster (major to us anyway), and we had excavating equipment in our side yard to help find the problem (broken sewer line from the house to the septic tank). After the plumbers, equipment operators, etc. got done with their part there was still lots of clean-up. Ty likes to use the small shovel, rake and what he calls a "cracker" (forked tool for weeding) to help. He used the "cracker" to "crack up" dried mud and as another digging tool. I was his assistant. Ty always likes to help, but he also says, "I need to take a little break." Papa needs to take little breaks too sometimes.

4. Ty and I sometimes take walks on the paths around our home. We've been doing this for a while now. We like discovering flowers and pine cones and rocks and other interesting things like that.

5. Ty has such a great imagination! We practice using his imagination when we play. He and I had a fun time doing that with toys and books during his time with us.

6. He's such a sweetie! Carynn and Jamie have his night time rituals down to a science. They are such faithful parents. He always has prayer and a story (or stories) each night. Sometimes he gets a little drink (a very little one) so as not to have "issues" in the middle of the night.

The following picture is my current favorite of Ty.

And a wonderful time was had by all! (Yes, I used "wonderful" alot in this post.)

NS

PS. Carynn and Jamie had a wonderful time too.

More Ty-isms

2011-06-07T10:26:00.001-07:00

I should have titled this more Ty-ias. Because that's Ty's favorite suffix right now. I've heard these come out of his mouth.Try them on for size.

Obvious: Momia, Daddia, Papaia, Nanaia. Melinda is still Mina (sounds like meena)

Others: Bearia, giraffia, tigeria (these are all animals that live on his bed). Every now and then he'll come up with a new one.

Byia for nowia,

Ethan is 9 months old!

2011-06-07T10:08:00.001-07:00

August 26, 2010

Welcome to the World, Ethan Thomas!

May 26, 2011

You're getting to be such a big boy!

Ethan had his 9 month check-up on June 1. His parents report that it was a "happier" check-up since it was a "no shots" check-up. Here are his stats:

Weight-19.81 pounds

Height-28.5 inches

100% Precious

We were able to Skype with Ethan recently (his daddy and mommy helped). It was fun to interact with him. I love technology!

Skype: The next best thing to being there.

Fireman Ty

2011-06-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Children grow and change so quickly. Ty is wearing his fireman (firefighter if you want to be PC) raincoat and hat that his Aunt Lynette sent to him. So cute!

But then, he is so cute!

NS

Ethan Time

2011-05-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Top of the list of my favorite things we did on the way home was stopping by to see Bret, Laura and Ethan. Here are some great pictures of my favorite grandson born on August 26:

It was fun feeding him. I made the bib, by the way.

Ethan with two of his favorite "girls."

Happy Boy

So kissable

I LOVE making Ethan laugh.

I just wish I could see him more often. He is a delight!

Kitchen Craziness

2011-05-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Late last fall we determined to do a small kitchen remodel-(counter tops, new sink and stove top). We were fortunate in that a lot of the work was able to be done while we were away so we didn't have to deal with it. Special thanks to our home teacher and his wife for being our representatives and supervisors to the granite crew.

I picked out the granite when I came home to watch Ty in March. Things were well underway by the time we got home late on Easter Sunday.

Let the craziness begin:

Too much water, not enough water, too much water again

The water had been turned off through out the home which was a good thing because when we went to turn it on when we got back late Sunday night there was a major leak in one of the water supply tubes. So the water got turned back off because of course, Home Depot is not open late on Sunday night. I had some water in gallon jugs for emergency purposes. This qualified as an emergency, so we used it. Michael got a new shut off valve on Monday and took care of that little situation and then.....the MAIN water supply shut off started really acting up-really leaking all over the place so, off goes the water again and out comes the emergency water again. A call to the plumber and by Tuesday afternoon we had a new main shut off valve!

Too much water again

Two days later I thought I heard a mouse and sent Michael to check it out. He stepped on a soggy rug downstairs. Yep, turns out that the fitting for ANOTHER water supply tube had worked itself loose. He tightened it, we dried out the carpet, all is well with the world.

The moral of the story:

When dealing with 30 year old plumbing check and double check every water supply tube when you turn everything back on. Also, ALWAYS have some emergency water in gallon jugs on hand.

Yes a stove, No a stove, Finally a stove

I had found a really great deal on a new cooktop. I bought it in November of last year knowing that it wouldn't be installed until later. So later finally came on Wednesday, April 26. When the gentlemen from the Heating and Cooling company went to hook it up they found that threads were stripped from the fitting that hooks it up to the gas line (not a good thing) AND that it had pipe dope on it which means that the stove I bought as new was really not new.

I was still willing to live with it, but unfortunately, no matter how they tried they couldn't safely hook it up without gas leaking. So, out comes the stove and I head back to the store to see what I could do. Fast forward to three weeks (and some more $$$) later and we finally have a new stove. In between Michael got tired of me complaining about the gaping hole in the counter top so he "made" me a stove out of cardboard. He even put the right amount of burners on it and controls too. It made me smile.

Now my kitchen isn't 99.9% done! I'm just tweaking some little things.

Over the river and through the woods

2011-04-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

We took our time getting home this year from our sabbatical from Northwest winters. We stopped by Bret, Laura and Ethan's (more on that in the next post), and visited some spots that were known for great birdwatching. Which means they'd probably be great places for taking pictures of birds. Boy, were they ever!

Antelope Island

These are avocets. We first saw them at Antelope Island. After a while Michael started calling them "avatars." The name stuck and that's how I remember them.

This chukar looked like it was posing for us. We came across it as we were driving to the old ranch that's on Antelope Island.

Bountiful Lake

I call these ducks "Mohawk Dudes" because of their radical hair styles. We also saw our first pelicans at Bountiful Lake.

Bear River Bird Refuge

We hit the mother lode with the Bear River Bird Refuge! It's just about an hour out of Salt Lake City. Our heads were turning (just like the little guy below) trying not to miss anything during our visit there. We ended up doing two 12 mile loops through it one day and briefly stopping by on another!

I've posted some of my personal favorites from Bear River. It was really hard to choose; but here they are:
These male yellow-headed blackbirds picked just the right spot to gather, didn't they? Color coordinated signage and birds. Amazing!

Near the end of our first loop around the refuge we came across these sandhill cranes and witnessed part of their courtship ritual. Wow, talk about being in the right place at the right time!

There were loads of swallows too. This is a close up of nest building using mud.

Now for some "stranger than fiction shots" from the refuge.

We'd see these columns from a distance and were trying to figure out what they were. We'd drive up to them and they'd seem to disappear. It's a matter of perspective as these were insect swarms. Crazy! Thankfully they were non-biting flies or the trip through the refuge would have been really uncomfortable to say the least.

The picture below is the one I rate the most "bizarre." Can you guess what it is?

At first when I saw this I thought it was a snake. Turns out that it's a carp. The carp grow HUGE and when the wetlands start drying out they swim in just inches of water. They were introduced to the area (probably by some well-meaning person) years ago. While they weren't part of the "original" habitat they do serve their purpose. As the water dries they make good fishing for the pelicans and other larger birds.

Summary
We looked and found so many beautiful birds and interesting things to see while on our way home. I guess you could say my eyes have been opened. Now, I try to look and really see.

It's a wonderful, diverse world we live in!

NS

Fort Pearce---Finally

2011-04-23T19:37:00.001-07:00

So you've looked at this picture and you're not necessarily impressed and perhaps you're saying, "What's the big deal about Fort Pearce?" Let me tell you. This post could also be called Fourth Time's a Charm. Yes, you're correct. It took us four tries to make it there.

Background in a nutshell. Fort Pearce is about 12 miles from Washington City, Utah. Washington City is just north of St. George. Fort Pearce was an outpost to protect a water source during times of trouble in pioneer times. Water is the most valuable resource in the desert. As Michael and I enjoy historical sites and ruins we determined to go there. Here's our Fort Pearce chronology:

During our first winter (Jan-March 2009) we picked a warm day and drove out there. We ran into mud that was treacherous when we were about halfway there. We turned around and said we'd try another time when everything was dried out.

During our second winter (Jan-April 2010) we didn't go out that way.

Third winter (Jan-April 2011) we waited until February for a dry day to make our second attempt. We ran into this huge sand drift over the road and opted not to try to cross it since we couldn't tell how far or how deep it was. So much for that try.

March 2011 we called the Bureau of Land Management and found out that there was a back way from Hurricane to Fort Pearce. We drove the way we were directed but never found the Fort. We turned back when we came to a fork in the road that the BLM guy didn't mention and we didn't want to get hopelessly lost. The adage "Third Time's a Charm" didn't work this time.

Finally-April 2011 Warm, beautiful day, mud dried up, sand drift passable AND we made it! We nearly had the place to ourselves. While the site may not be overly impressive, it made me think of the men who served there away from their families. We also did some bird watching and I scouted around a found a bullet casing on a ledge below the fort ruins mixed with some rocks and stones . It may not be a real old one, but it was cool to find it.

The desert was starting to bloom. Isn't this a beautiful photo?

So I see this as a lesson in determination. Fourth time's a charm.

We also went out to see the dinosaur tracks which are just a few miles from the ruins of the fort. They were something!

Keep on keeping on whatever you're trying to do. You can do it!

NS

Zion National Park 2011

2011-04-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

We have enjoyed living so close to Zion National Park. It takes us just under an hour to get to it. We usually buy the $25.00 pass that's good for a week and then try to go twice. This year we went on Wednesday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 29.

We had great weather both days. It was cold when we got there on March 23. We decided to do the hike to Angel's Landing. Michael's in better shape than I am so he ended up doing some waiting for me and since he'd stop to take some pictures I'd end up doing some waiting for him so it was all good. The "Walter's Wiggles" switchbacks near the end were crazy! I've never seen anything like them. We stopped our hike before you had to hold on to a chain to finish the last little bit. It was so vertical that we opted to not chance it. The hike back down seemed to take hardly any time at all; probably because it's downhill almost all of the way. Also don't you find that the way back seems shorter since you've already covered that ground and know what's coming? I think so.

After the hike I decided to take a snooze in the back of the car. Michael decided to do some bird watching with the hopes of getting some good photos. He lucked out big time when he got these shots:

This is a blue heron. Michael was happy to get this shot.

After he'd taken it he noticed that their were some ducks in it too.

The heron decided to leave.

The ducks hung around for a while. They're a different breed than we've seen before. They're called "Common Mergansers." Look closely at the duck on the left. That's the female. I wouldn't call her "hair do" common at all!

We left Zion National Park that afternoon and on our way back home we decided to revisit Grafton-a ghost town across the river and a bit of a drive from Rockville. We hadn't been there since 2009. The weather was a whole lot better this visit. The scenery was lovely. Here's a picture of one of the few full-time residents of Grafton:

Can you see him (her) peeking out at you?

On the 29th we decided to stay closer to the river to possibly get some more bird shots. I was on the lookout for birds and didn't notice a rock in the path. As they say, "Have a nice trip. See you next fall!" I did both. Fortunately I still had my gloves on so the only thing injured was my pride. After that I looked at the path AND THEN looked (and listened) for birds.

We also took the river walk as far as we could. The Narrows were closed, but we noticed scores of these cairns made by visitors.

I decided to make one too!

The last trail we went on that day was one we hadn't been on before. It too followed the river. We saw a few birds and Michael took a few pictures too. It's always interesting to see how they turn out. The little bird below is called a Juniper Titmouse.

This new passion of Michael's (bird photography) is contagious! One of the benefits of it is that I'm noticing MORE now. More of the birds and animals around me, more of the beautiful scenery and yes, more of the world. Maybe it's because I've slowed down enough to do so.

Something to think about.
NS

Ethan 6 1/2 month stats

2011-03-17T09:01:00.001-07:00

Sweet Ethan continues to grow! His weight is at 18.5 pounds (59th percentile) and his length is 27.25 inches (69th percentile).

It was so fun to have the trio here to visit. I was away at another activity so missed out on Ethan's first hike during their visit. This picture with his Papa while on the hike is one of my new favorites. Happy Boys both of them.

Families can be forever!

NS

Swimming Boys

2011-03-09T20:31:00.001-08:00

Both of my grandsons had swimming adventures during the month of March.

Swimming Boys, Part 1 - "The New Kid on the Block"

Ethan had a few firsts during his family's visit to our home in March. Swimming was one of them. Here's proof:

Time to ease him into the water (I love his belly!)

He's not quite sure if he likes the pool

Smiles from Mom and Dad, Ethan's undecided

It was fun to witness this first of Ethan's and to see how his parents tried to make it as positive an experience as possible. His papa and I took him for a "spin" around the pool too. He's a cuddly one!

Swimming Boys, Part 2 - First "Official" Swimming Lessons

Ty had swimming lessons at the YMCA during the month of March. Since I was taking care of him while his parents were out of town I had the opportunity to take him to his lessons.

On the bench waiting for lessons to begin. Ty's favorite thing is jumping in. He's the best jumper in his group (And that's not just because I'm prejudiced either.)

In the background you'll see Ty with his swimming teacher Carolina cruising through the water tied up in a swim noodle.

Boy did all this bring back memories! I can't tell you how many times over the years I sat waiting for our children during their swimming lessons. I remember hoping they'd do well and take to the water. I'm so glad to say that they did!

A new generation of cute swimming boys!

Away from home, but at home

2011-03-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

We've been enjoying winter in southern Utah where the skies are bluer and it's definitely warmer. In fact Michael tells me it's going to be in the 70's.

Right now I'm away from that home and closer to home as I'm staying with Ty while Carynn and Jamie are enjoying a cruise celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary.

It's actually kind of "weird" to be here (meaning Washington state) as I've been spoiled by the southern Utah sunshine since January.

What is wonderful about being here is spending time with Melinda, Ty and my dear friends here.

I'm not able to download pictures here, but will have some when I get back home-the other one.

Bloom where ever you may be planted-even if it's only temporary.

Amanda Barnes Smith

2011-02-27T15:33:00.001-08:00

I was asked to participate in a dramatization of women in the LDS church who were examples of different aspects or roles women have. The sister I portrayed was Amanda Barnes Smith.

She was a survivor of the Haun's Mill Massacre in Missouri and was blessed by her faith in the Lord to do what was needed to help her son heal from an awful wound.

To quote Amanda:

. . . .When the firing had ceased I went back to the scene of the massacre, for there were my husband and three sons, of whose fate I as yet knew nothing . . . . Emerging from the blacksmith shop was my eldest son, Willard, bearing on his shoulders his little brother Alma. “Oh! my Alma is dead!” I cried.
“No, mother;” he answered, “I think Alma is not dead. But father and brother Sardius are killed!”
My husband and son murdered; another little son seemingly mortally wounded; and perhaps before the dreadful night should pass the murderers would return. But I could not weep then; all my mother’s sense was absorbed in anxiety for my precious boy whom God alone could save by his miraculous aid.
It was night now. We laid little Alma on a bed in our tent and I examined the wound. His entire hip joint had been shot away by the muzzle of a gun, which a ruffian had placed to his hip through the logs of the blacksmith shop and deliberately fired. It was a ghastly sight. I knew not what to do. Yet was I there, with my dead and my wounded, and none but God as our physician and help.“Oh my Heavenly Father,” I prayed, “what shall I do? Thou seest my poor wounded boy and knowest my inexperience. Oh, Heavenly Father, direct me what to do!” And then I was directed as by a voice speaking to me.

She continues to care for her son, prays for additional guidance and says, " I was again instructed as distinctly as though a physician had been standing by speaking to me."

Amanda follows the instructions that she was given and eventually shares this:
"Alma laid on his face for five weeks, until he was entirely recovered—a flexible gristle having grown in place of the missing joint and socket, which remains to this day a marvel to physicians. It is now nearly forty years ago, but Alma has never been the least bit crippled during his life, and he has traveled quite a long period of the time as a missionary of the gospel and a living miracle of the power of God.

It was a privilege to share part of her story. Thank you Sharon K. for loaning me your pioneer gear. Pictures are of just before the event and during my performance.

What an example of turning to our Heavenly Father and our Savior and being blessed by listening to the guidance we're given.

NS

Snow!

2011-02-20T20:05:00.001-08:00

We woke up this morning and it was snowing! After awhile it even stuck. Crazy!

It just doesn't seem to go with palm trees does it?

There's still snow on the mountains, but it has already completely melted everywhere else. The weather should be back to its pleasant self (in the 60's) by mid to late week. Yay!

Sweet Ethan

2011-02-09T20:09:00.001-08:00

I titled this post "Sweet Ethan" because I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend some time with Ethan and his parents this last weekend. It would also have been perfectly accurate to title this post "Sweet Michael" as my dear husband was the one who suggested that I go up to see them.

After a 4 1/2 hour drive with my 12 new friends in the van shuttle (actually due to the way the seats are I only could speak easily to about 3 or 4 people, but we had a good time), Bret picked me up at the drop off spot and took me to their home. Laura was a sweetheart and delayed Ethan's nap so I could see him. Isn't he a cutie? He's growing so much too!

While I was there I was able to observe how well Bret and Laura have taken to parenting. They sure do love their little guy.

One of my favorite activities (though I don't have any pictures of it) was getting Ethan to laugh and "talk." There's something about a baby's delighted laugh that just warms you inside. Ty's laugh does that to me too. I also enjoyed reading him stories, testing his motor and cognitive skills (he's brilliant) and encouraging him to jump in his jumper.

It was a wonderful weekend. I'm so glad I got to spend some time with Ethan and his mommy and daddy.

(Oh, I also ate a lot of good food and watched some good movies too.)

Sweet Ethan, Sweet Michael.

NS

Another Birthday in January

2011-01-24T17:56:00.001-08:00

It's between 4:30 and 5:00 AM Tuesday morning, January 24, 1978 and we're all set to go to the hospital. Michael put the camera on the tripod and set the timer so that he could be in the picture too. I'm feeling pretty miserable and did not really want my picture taken. I find out why I'm so miserable when we get to the hospital and learn after the examination that I'm already in transition.

My navy plaid coat's on the chair, and though I won't be able to button it since I'm so hugely pregnant, I'll still wear it on the ride to the hospital. It is January after all. We still have the afghan that's draped across the chair. It was a wedding gift. As a sign of the times note the blue shag carpet (not my choice, it was already in the house when we bought it), wrought iron and panelling.

Here's the newborn picture the hospital took of Lindsay. I can't remember if they did it the day she was born or the day after. I love those chubby cheeks. I think this picture makes her hair look lighter.

Michael did a photo session with Lindsay when she was a week and a half old. These would be the last pictures we have of her. I'm so glad that he took them. I still have the blue blanket and sleeper. I keep them in a little trunk along with her baby book, cards, funeral program and a dried pink rose from her casket spray. Reminders of her, of us, 33 years ago.

See also my posting titled "Reflections" February 2008.

Sweet eternal daughter you are loved and remembered.

21 years ago today

2011-01-12T12:44:00.001-08:00

Here I am on the monitor in the labor room the day our youngest child was born.

I'm feeling very uncomfortable.

Now, we're getting down to business. I'm moved to the delivery suite. Note the little bed waiting for our baby. At the time we didn't know if we were having a girl or a boy. Our baby was too modest during ultrasounds. :)

Welcome to the world Melinda Renee!

Here she is getting weighed and measured.

Look at her now! My, how she's grown.

You've grown into a beautiful woman inside and out.

Happy Birthday with love!

NS aka Mom

4 Generation Greats

2011-01-11T21:42:00.001-08:00

So Ty and I were spending some time going through his digital photo album on iPhoto this afternoon. He had some favorites that he kept wanting to go back to over and over, but what he said when we looked at this 4 generation picture was, well . . . great!

I said, "Here you are with Great Grandpa, Mommy and Papa."

Here's what Ty said back to me, "That's Great Grandpa. That's Great Mommy. That's Great Papa and that's Great Ty!"

Out of the mouths of babes. I thought Ty was really accurate in his description.

Love,

Ethan is 4 months old!

2011-01-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Ethan turned 4 months old while he and his parents were visiting. He had his 4 month appointment today, January 3. Here are his stats:

Weight: 16.25 pounds (in the 71 percentile)

Height: 26.75 inches (in the 94 percentile)

His doctor thinks Ethan's eyes will stay blue. We'll see.

He had his shots too. All is well with the little guy.

Hip hip hooray!

It's Ethan Time!

2011-01-03T12:55:00.001-08:00

Here are Ethan's parents, Bret and Laura.

But where is Ethan?

Here he is with Chris, Lynette's boyfriend.

Sometimes Ethan was with Nana

Sometimes Ethan was with Papa

Sometimes Ethan was with Nana AND Papa

Here he is with Uncle Jamie

Here he is with Aunt Lynette

He also spent some time with Aunt Melinda

And his Aunt Carynn couldn't wait to hold him too!

Ethan was a popular little guy at our house during his visit.

He didn't mind all the different arms that held him.

We're so glad that his mommy and daddy were

so willing to share him

with all of us.

I think he knows that he is loved, because he certainly is!

All in a row, fruit snacks and departures

2011-01-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

One of the blessings of having Christmas fall on a Saturday is that everyone was still here to go to church together on Sunday. I'll always carry in my mind the picture of us all in a row at church on December 26. It was a happy time.

As a funny aside to that...Ty was in good spirits and began passing out fruit snacks to family members sitting close to him. His exact words were, "Fruit snacks for you. Fruit snacks for you." And then very expansively, with arms outstretched and a bit too loud for church, "Fruit Snacks for everyone!"

Lynette, Chris and doggies left after church for the westside. They had no major travel issues and then headed to Chris' parents to retrieve Chris' dog, Max.

Melinda left Monday to fly down to California for a celebration honoring Landan's grandparents. She was able to connect with our neighbors and dear friends one evening while she was there. She'll get back just in time for school.

Bret, Laura and Ethan had their own late night adventure trying to fly out of Spokane on Wednesday. The weather was awful so we got them to the airport early, hoping that they could get on an earlier flight. They didn't make it on to the earlier flight which was good because that flight sat for at least 2 hours on the ground waiting to leave which wouldn't be a lot of fun, but definitely would have been ultra uncomfortable with a baby; even one as good-natured at Ethan.

The plane that Bret, Laura and Ethan were to take was 3 hours late getting to Spokane so that meant they were over 3 hours late departing. By the time they got back to Utah they had endured a marathon evening of waiting and hoping and then finally leaving Spokane. We're so glad that they got home safely.

What a difference a half hour makes! After dropping Bret, Laura and Ethan off Michael white-knuckled it to get home. Seriously, there had be an accident every 1/2 mile. Most of them were westbound I 90;we were going eastbound, thank goodness. It would have been difficult to have even gotten to the airport if we had left any later than we did. Besides the multiple car crashes there was a semi-tractor trailer that had jack knifed over all the westbound lanes right by our exit. It was crazy out there!

Stay safe in 2011!

All together (Almost) for Christmas

2010-12-27T19:17:00.001-08:00

Our home was filled with laughter and even more love this Christmas! Carynn, Jamie and Ty who live locally; Lynette, boyfriend Chris and Lynette's dogs Sammy and Daisey from the Seattle area; Bret, Laura and Ethan from Utah; Melinda from nearby and finally, thanks to modern technology, Landan from the Middle East joined us for Christmas. Follow the pictorial and narrative below for more.

A shot of our Christmas Eve dining table. Many hands in

the kitchen (and dining room) made cooking, set-up and

clean-up non stressful for Shanna Claus!

Michael and Shanna with newest family member Ethan Thomas

who turned 4 months old during his visit

Lovely Laura and Adorable Ethan

The children take turns putting the angel

on the tree.This year was Lynette's turn.

She used a "human" ladder to help her reach

the top of the 10' tree.

One of our traditions is reading Polar Express after the tree

is decorated. Ty really enjoyed listening to it

and following along this year.

Everyone stayed over Christmas Eve and on Christmas

morning here are the children and grandchildren

(and grand dogs) as they wait

in the stairwell for the all clear to come up and check their

stockings before presents are opened.

Left to right. Chris, Lynette with Sammy; Melinda holding Daisey;

Carynn holding Ty; Bret and Laura; Jamie holding Ethan.

All right everyone come on up....It's Christmas!

Melinda and Landan Skyped this Christmas after

presents were opened. (With the 12 1/2 hour time difference

it was late at night in the Middle East.)

In the background you see Carynn, Jamie and Ty

enjoying our traditional slow baked (all night) ham,

potato rolls and orange juice Christmas morning.

It was wonderful to be all together (almost) for Christmas!

Love, NS

Batteries Not Included

2010-12-20T19:17:00.001-08:00

Another fun "Ty" thing....He's made the connection that batteries are sometimes needed to make a toy work. His mom told me that he sometimes runs out of batteries and you have to get him new batteries to make him "work" again.

Michael and I saw that during one of our visits in December. Ty "ran out" of battery power and his mom and Papa pretended to open up his back and put in new batteries.

In real life... he is more like the Energizer bunny-his batteries seem to seldom need recharging or changing.

Sometimes my batteries do!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-16T12:02:00.001-08:00

We did a different format for our Christmas card this year, Because I don't consider it a family picture unless we are ALL in it and we weren't ALL in the same place at the same time this year, I opted to do something that would have us all together. So here we are. I've included the narrative that I put with the card.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

NS

2010 Miller Family Pro’s and Con’s
Listing the positives and negatives about a proposed plan can be a great strategy when making decisions. This year we thought we’d share with you a different sort of pro’s and con’s inventory: a brief catalog of some of the times we have felt protected and have connected as a family.
Beginning clockwise on the right you’ll see our lovely LYNETTE. She and her dad connected this year when he made a trip to Seattle to watch his favorite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox, play the Mariners. They really enjoyed attending the game; and though she would usually be pulling for the home team, this time Lynette cheered on the Sox. :)
BRET, LAURA AND ETHAN standing outside of Laura’s parents home in September. We’re so thankful that Laura and Ethan were protected through a difficult delivery this past August. We were able to connect with them this fall both in Utah and when they visited us in Washington. Ethan is adorable and we’re excited to welcome him to our family.
MELINDA AND LANDAN celebrated their first wedding anniversary in 2010. In a skateboarding accident in August Melinda fractured her pelvis in 2 places and cracked it in another. Her bones have reconnected nicely and she’s almost at 100%. Landan is in the Middle East on assignment for the State Department. We pray for his continued protection.
Our Hudson trio, CARYNN, JAMIE AND TY, would love to be a quartet! If you can help them connect to birthparents that would be wonderful. Their blog http://carynnandjamie.blogspot.com has a link to their adoption profile that you can share. We love having them live in our area and connecting with them often.
MICHAEL AND SHANNA-This fall we took the “long way” home from Utah after connecting with our Miller trio and revisited some of our favorite National Parks. We are grateful for the foresight of those that set these beautiful places aside for protection.
Not pictured is our dog, CLAIRE. 2010 brought an end to our earthly connection with her. She’d been part of our family for 15 ½ of her 16 ½ years. She was a good dog and a loyal friend.

May you be protected and stay connected with whatever is most important to you in 2011!

Latter Day Sentinel

2010-12-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

Copy, cut and paste this link:

http://spokane.latterdaysentinel.com/archiveStory.asp?theArticle=319

to find out what our ward's been up to this year.

Yours truly,

Welcome to my Playroom!

2010-12-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

We stopped by Carynn and Jamie's home yesterday after we'd been to a movie. (Unstoppable--it was good!) We chatted with Carynn and Melinda (She had also stopped by) and were getting a bit "antsy" because we wanted to see Ty and he was still taking his nap.

Michael finally went into Ty's room to encourage him to wake up from his nap (which is Nanaspeak for what Michael actually did which was practically jumping up and down to encourage Ty to wake up.) Ty did wake up (No surprise there-given what Michael had been doing) and enjoyed a snuggle with his Mommy while he was fully waking up.

He played a while with his little train (the one from his birthday cake-see a previous post) and then invited me to go to his playroom. While they're waiting for another child to adopt Carynn has set up a playroom for Ty in the spare room upstairs. Ty loves his playroom. What he said and did next was priceless!

After I walked in after him he stood and spread his arms wide and called out with enthusiasm, "Welcome to my Playroom!"

We had a good time, but then again, we always do!

Love,

Squeaky Clean Boys

2010-11-29T21:37:00.001-08:00

Both of our grandsons enjoyed visits to Nana and Papa's bath. Ethan in the sink and Ty in the big soaking tub. They were so cute, I had to post these pictures. By the way, these were taken on different days. :)

Don't you just "dig" this mustache? It's from some write on the tub (or on the Ty) kind of soap.

Ty loves his bath!

See the yellow, green and orange bath toy? All of our children

enjoyed playing with that. I'd say it held up well for over 31 years wouldn't you?

Gentle, loving hands for their sweet boy.

Look at Ethan! He's a healthy little guy!

Oh, I had a third bath time picture of Ethan (I do try to treat them equally), but it showed his little boy parts and I didn't want him to look at his Nana's blog some day and be embarrassed.

Precious, precious boys!

I love them!

I got here as soon as I could

2010-11-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

We feel so blessed to live near Carynn, Jamie and Ty. Because we live just 30 minutes away, we're used to seeing them frequently. With their trip to Portland and then the busyness of getting back, etc. it was nearly a week since they'd been by.

We were excited to see them when they got back and to hear first hand about their adventures. Ty was excited too. Let me set the scene for you...

I'm in the kitchen (probably doing dishes) and I hear the garage door open. Ty comes in quickly, takes off his jacket, takes off his hat, takes off shoes and says, "Guys, I got here as soon as I could."

I loved it that he missed seeing us and enjoys coming to our home. I'm glad that he got here as soon as he could.

Love,

Ty is Three!

2010-11-19T16:36:00.001-08:00

Since Carynn, Jamie and Ty were going to be celebrating Ty's actual third birthday with Jamie's family in Oregon this year, we decided to do a Pre-Three Family Party on October 24. The above picture is taken from that night. Ty's practicing his three fingers and Mommy and Daddy are helping too.

I volunteered to make Ty's cake and I had such a good time planning it out. I found the Thomas the train piece at Target. I used black licorice for the railroad tracks and red licorice for the railroad ties. The rail car is carrying a load of candy corn. It was a fun to make and good to eat! (If I do say so myself.) ;) The expression on Ty's face is him practicing blowing out his candle.

Above and below you see what I call the "Halloween Costume Preview." I found the rear view with the tale pretty cute too.

Here's Ty on his birthday. Note the treat bag that Carynn and I made for him. It should work for awhile...until he gets old enough that he decides a pillowslip would work better.
Happy Halloween, but more importantly Happy 3rd birthday Ty! You are loved so much!

Ethan is Two Months Old!

2010-11-18T18:11:00.001-08:00

October 26 Ethan turned 2 months old. His vital stats are~

Weight: 12 pounds 8 ounces

Height: 23 1/2 inches

Here is Laura with their little Halloween Bear

Our three in Utah-Laura is a beautiful witch, Bret is Steve Jobs of Apple with his new invention "the i-Hand", Ethan is a cuddly brown bear

Happy Halloween and Happy Two Months Ethan!

Love you three!

What a difference a month makes!

2010-11-18T17:48:00.001-08:00

We left Utah the day after Labor Day. A month later Bret, Laura and Ethan came up to see us. Ethan had changed so much. Here he is with his Papa, notice how their heads are connected. Look how happy they both are!

Michael and Ethan are checking each other out in this photo.

SURPRISE!

This is a Four Generation picture. My mom was visiting my brother (he recently moved to the area), I had picked her up for a beauty day (hair and toes) and suggested to her that she stop by our home to see how Michael was recovering from his tonsillectomy. She was delighted and surprised to find that Bret, Laura and Ethan were visiting.

And finally this is such a cute picture, I just had to share....

My friend had given her guests goodies to us at a pre-Halloween celebration in the little jack-o-lantern. I saved mine for Ethan. Isn't just the right size for him? I sure think so.

I love him!
(Oh, and his mom and dad too.)
:)
NS

Ty takes a train ride

2010-11-08T08:32:00.001-08:00

Ty loves anything that moves...maybe because he's such a mover himself! We have toy trucks, tractors, trains, planes and automobiles among his toys here, and he has just as many of those at his house along with his birthday present-a Brio type train set.

When a friend sent out an e-mail talking about an old-fashioned train ride to enjoy Fall colors, I thought it would be a fun thing to do with Ty. I realized that he was a little on the "young" side for enjoying it; but knowing his fascination for all those things I've listed above, we decided to give it a shot.

Because it was a 2 1/2 hour drive to Ione where the Lions club there coordinates the train rides as a fundraiser, we asked Carynn and Jamie if Ty could spend the night. They agreed and we began our preparations. My friend, Ellen, was a great resource for preparing for the train ride. It's something she and her husband have done with their children off and on over the years. Well, now their children are grown and she and Gary still like to ride the train. So....Ellen recommended quilts, hot chocolate, snacks and warm coats, gloves and hats. Though we hoped for good weather, it's always good to be prepared.

Besides the things that Ellen told me about, I planned for a brief road trip with Ty-so diapers, snacks and drinks for the car ride, DVD's (just in case) were also on my list. The day dawned and we quickly got up, breakfasted and headed out.

The drive there was uneventful...We didn't even need the DVD's for the trip up there. Ty enjoyed looking around, talking to us and snacking occasionally. We stopped every now and then when Michael saw a great photo opportunity, but made good time and were at the train station early enough to pick up our tickets and then wait to board.

ALL ABOARD

Ty was so patient! He REALLY wanted to board the train and the steps were so close, but he waited patiently and when the car was ready for us to get on, he did and we did.
I asked one of the volunteers if someone could say "All aboard" since I had told Ty that someone would say that so everyone would know that they had better get on the train. The volunteer (I bet she's a grandma) was nice enough to ask someone to do that; and in a little while we heard someone call out those magic words.

On advice from our friend, we had opted to ride in one of the open air cars so we were very glad that we had all of our "supplies." Though the day wasn't cold, there was a bit of Fall briskness to the air, so having quilts, gloves, hats, coats (and hot chocolate) were very good ideas indeed.

Other than the time that he bumped his head (before the train started), Ty was as good as gold. He was very fascinated with the train tracks. So, being safety conscious, I let him observe them sitting near me as he could look through the slats and see the tracks and the train moving along them and I could keep my arm around him. Sips of hot chocolate and our other snacks helped an already happy camper to be an ecstatic one.

The noises that the train made were sometimes loud. We explained to Ty that when the train crossed a road it had to sound it's horn so that people driving cars would know not to try to cross the tracks. We even crossed a bridge that was high up off the ground enough that you didn't like to think about how well they maintained it. The trees were just getting their fall colors and the ride was very enjoyable.

The rhythm of the train lulled Ty to sleep and he slept for over half of the ride. When he woke up we were already on our way back to the station (it's an out and back ride). After we disembarked he would have gotten right back on to do the ride again. When he realized that wasn't going to happen, he decided that he wanted a closer look at the engine again.

He also allowed himself to be persuaded to watch the next group of passengers board the train for their ride from the comfort of a nearby picnic bench and a few more snacks. When the train with it's new load of passengers pulled out, we got ready to pull out too.

I'd like to say that the ride back home was perfect, but realistically, it'd already been a long day not just for Ty but for us too, so suffice it to say DVD's saved the day (along with more snacks). We all had a marvelous time and I know this is something we'll want to do with Ty again.

There was definitely joy in this journey (and love too)!

NS

Michael and Shanna's Excellent Adventure 2010 Part 2

2010-11-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to Michael and Shanna's Excellent Adventure 2010! Now it's time to explore Waterton and Glacier National Parks. Again, we hadn't been back to either park since the 1970's although we live much closer to them both now.

We decided to "do" the Canadian side first. Armed with our passports we drove and drove until we reached the Waterton checkpoint. After being looked over carefully by the RCMP border agents we were cleared to enter Canada. While we didn't have the roads completely to ourselves; again, due to the time of year, the crowds were much smaller.

We turned off onto one small road and followed it and found a rainbow following us! Michael had some great shots of the rainbow. I picked this one to share with you.

In another section of the park we stopped to visit an outhouse that was part of this little picnic area and had a serendipitous (spelling?) find--see the picture below for the little creek that was splashing along. I loved the coloring of the rocks and the clarity of the water. Michael took this photo to document our stop there.

We also went into town, saw the Prince Edward Hotel, found a hat by the lake, ate an ice cream (and were very thankful that they took VISA since we didn't have any Canadian money) and generally enjoyed ourselves.

GLACIER

While Waterton didn't disappoint, Glacier was different from my memories. After doing some driving in the park, we figured out why...Between the time that we'd visited the park (mid 70's) to 2010 there'd been some forest fires that had done tremendous damage to the forests there. Yes, it was still beautiful, but we were saddened to see the scarred trees on the horizon and up the slopes of the mountains as we drove through the park.

We traveled the Going to the Sun Road, always beautiful. The construction they were doing on the road made it a bit interesting, not hazardous, just "interesting." There were plenty of people in Glacier-we hit it on a weekend. With time on our hands, we didn't complain. (Neither did this park resident we encountered-see below.)

I may write more on Glacier later. We continued going through Montana on the way home and stopped at Kalispell, which reminded us alot of Spokane. It was settled near the same time, is near a river and has areas of town that are very similar. We found a good Mexican food place to eat that was close to the hotel, took a walk downtown and spent an uneventful night.

ALMOST HOME
Sometimes, the memorable stops are the unplanned ones. We noticed a wayside park for Kalispell Falls and decided to stop there. We hiked (mostly walked-it wasn't THAT kind of a hike)to the Falls which were spectacular! Michael took a ton of pictures. The other trail in the area took us over the Swinging Bridge. It reminded me of all those old adventure movies that have a dilapidated bridge between a canyon that the hero and fair maiden must cross to safety. Well, this one wasn't dilapidated and no bad guys were chasing us so that it made it a bit easier to take our time across it. Michael took this picture of me "conquering" the bridge. I highly recommend the stop at Kalispell Falls!

GLACIER PARK Post Script

It seems to me when you're on a trail, there can be a bit of camaraderie with people you encounter coming or going. We ran into these two guys that had also been at Glacier Park around the same time we had been. They mentioned the same Big Horn sheep that we had seen. We teased that perhaps it was a robotic sheep that the National Park Service staked out there every day.

Life is good!

NS

Is it already November?

2010-11-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Frequent readers of my blog will note that a whole month has gone by without a posting....I have lots to say and lots to document so stay tuned. I'm going to have a Blogathon-to catch up.

NS

Real or Pretend?

2010-09-28T14:38:00.001-07:00

Last night Carynn, Ty and Melinda came up to help me with a project. We invited them for dinner (pizza-always a favorite) too. Note: Jamie was at class and Landan's still in the Middle East.

As Ty was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying his dessert he noticed the decorations I had out to celebrate Back-to-School and September. They're over my desk in the kitchen in the shelves. Some of the apples are "pretend" some are "real." The real ones came from our apple trees.

Ty pointed out the ones he knew were pretend, identified the ones that were real and then wasn't quite sure about another one. I told him it was pretend (It was an "old" wax apple-I've had it for a long time.) I took it down and handed it to him. He hefted it and then decided to take a bite out of it even though I had told him it was pretend. Well, you should have seen his face! He definitely found out that when Nana told him something was pretend, it really is!

The picture above is one that Carynn took this summer. Can't you just see the love in his face? I sure can. It's real.

Love,
NS

Michael and Shanna's Excellent Adventure 2010

2010-09-23T23:45:00.001-07:00

We've been back in the beautiful Pacific Northwest for over 8 years and haven't been back to some of our favorite national parks for 35 years! It was more than time to do that.

Michael, also known as "He who plans wonderful itineraries," figured out that after visiting our newest grandson and family that we could meander home instead of doing our usual 10 hour drive straight home.

The first stop on our tour: Jackson-also know as Jackson Hole. Here's yours truly posing under one of Jackson's famous antler arches. Note: No elk are harmed during the annual antler harvest. They shed them yearly and the local Boy Scouts harvest them and then they're auctioned off.

Then it was on to the Grand Tetons. The pictures below were taken in what is known as "Historic Mormon Row." It's very interesting that you're supposed to maintain your distance from the wildlife, but that the wildlife doesn't always maintain their distance from you! I guess the buffalo/bison was ready for his (I think it's a he) photo opportunity! Talk about a beautiful backdrop.

One of our last stops at Grand Teton wasn't actually offically "in" Grand Teton, but is contiguous with it-The Laurance Rockefeller Preserve. It's a gem! On our way into the preserve we saw a moose drinking in a small pond. At the end of a brief hike we came upon Phelps Lake and this delicate butterfly.

On to Yellowstone! 35 years ago when Michael and I did our National Parks Tour we rated Yellowstone the most diverse. It has it all- wildlife, waterfalls, geyers, scenery. It did then and it does now. We took the time to do the park "right" this time, by taking more time. We saw lots and lots and lots of geysers (including Old Faithful), more bison, our first bear, the waterfalls and finished up the park by going to Mammoth Hot Springs and then through this huge arch that marks the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park and is inscribed: For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People. These people (Michael and I) sure enjoyed it!

We're not done yet. Stay tuned for more National Park Adventures!
NS

More with Ethan, of course!

2010-09-23T23:37:00.001-07:00

Aren't they a good looking family? To me they look very happy, and with a brand new baby, they're also very tired.

This is me less than five minutes after arriving in Salt Lake. Happy Nana, Happy Mom (Laura) and Happy (Sleeping) Ethan.

I arrived Tuesday, Michael came into town on Friday afternoon. Here we are with the newest member of the clan!

Sunday afternoon at Laura's parents. Here are three generations. Aren't they all handsome?

I love them!

NS

Summer revisited

2010-09-23T23:30:00.001-07:00

As promised here is a picture with Ty and his great-grandpa (Michael's dad). Great-grandpa was visiting this summer. He rented a spot at a local RV resort and was able to visit often. He and Ty had a great time connecting during visits to our home and also to the cabin. In this shot great-grandpa and Ty are playing with cars in the front yard at the cabin. Ty also loved to have great g-pa help him with bubble blowing.

Great-grandpa called Ty his "Little Man." They had fun and it was fun watching them together.

Yours for inter-generational bonding,

NS

Welcome Ethan!

2010-09-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce the safe arrival of Ethan Thomas on August 26! Ethan came a week early and gave his mom (and his dad) a bit of a hard time getting here, but all's well that ends well! He weighed in at 7 pounds 10 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long at birth.

I am very pleased (no, really, I'm very excited) to say that I made his PERSONAL acquaintance yesterday. It was just like it was with Ty-I felt this instant outpouring of love for him the moment that I held him in my arms. He is such a little sweetie! There'll be more pictures when I can get them downloaded!

Now I'm a Nana X 2! I love being a Nana!

NS

Summer FUN 2010

2010-09-01T20:40:00.001-07:00

I've been very remiss in my blog posting. My apologies. We've had a busy and great summer. We've especially enjoyed going to the cabin this year. I'm away from home so don't have access right this moment to all of our pictures, but wanted to get this one up of Ty jumping to Carynn. He's got no fear when it comes to jumping into a lake or a pool. Thank goodness someone (usually Carynn) makes sure that he ALWAYS has his lifejacket on.
We also have some great pictures with Ty and his great-grandpa at the cabin playing with toy cars. I'll post that when I have access to our photos.

It's been a great summer!
NS

Nana goes to Camp- AMAZING!

2010-08-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

Back in March I was asked by Craig Moore if I would help with our Stake YW Camp. He asked me to be 4th Level Leader. At the first meeting that I was invited to attend I decided on the spur of the moment to bring an AMAZING! sign that is a conversation bubble. So when I was introduced at the meeting I held the AMAZING! bubble sign over my head. That's kind of how the whole thing started. I ended up (with the help of Nikki) making AMAZING! signs for the other Level Leaders, some of the stake leaders and our level's leaders and youth camp leaders. Camp was an AMAZING experience. I got to work with the beautiful on the outside and inside women you see in the picture below-Jayne, Lara and Nikki. We called ourselves the Heartbelly Sneetchettes (our group used the Dr. Seuss book "The Sneetches" for its overall theme) and had a grand time! Thanks Darbi for making the shirts!

One night we had a meeting with our bishop. We all posed for this shot. Bishops' Night is also a Crazy Hair night, so make sure you look at some of those hair dos! I do not have Crazy hair this year, but have in previous years.

I got along well with everyone and nearly everything. I did have a fight with an inanimate object: the tent you see pictured below.Here's the back story:One of the other levels puts up the 4th Level tents as a service project as we're away the first night of camp. The girls put up the tent you see pictured, but....had leftover parts...Note to all: YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAVE LEFTOVER PARTS WHEN YOU PUT UP A TENT! (File that one away...) Anyway this tent was donated by some people at least 6 or 7 years ago-maybe longer and had definitely seen better days. Two of the ladies pictured above, Jayne and Lara, slept in the tent the first night, but as the tent was leaking and it was very hard to zip up and it had personality issues, they switched tents. We moved what I call the "bad tent" and used it for storage. I was trying to either get in or out of it one day (I can't remember which) and had issues with the zipper so I took scissors to it-the zipper was no longer a problem. I needed to blow off a little steam so I took on the rest of the tent too. You see me victorious below. This was one of those cases that I asked for forgiveness rather than permission. :) I did confess my "sin" and was promptly forgiven. The "bad tent" went to the dump.

Camp really was an AMAZING experience for me this year. I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to spend 5 days with a dedicated group of women and young women. The growth we saw in our campers (as well as ourselves) was AMAZING! Getting the young women away from the distractions of their usual everyday lives helped them to focus on spirituality, individual worth and gain a greater appreciation for our beautiful world.

I felt that too.
NS

Goodbye Old Friend

2010-07-30T16:54:00.001-07:00

It was time to say goodbye to our old friend. She'd been with us for 15 1/2 years. Here's a brief synopsis of her life. From birth to around age 1 we don't know her history. We first met her when we lived in Sandy, Utah. Lynette and I had gone to the animal clinic with her sick hamster. While we were there we met a buff colored cocker spaniel. She was very skinny but friendly to us. We asked our vet about her and the vet told us that they had a program where they would take dogs that were due to be put down at the animal shelter but were considered adoptable. This practice made a lot of sense to me; after all-the people that go to animal hospitals like animals and that could increase their chances of being adopted.

The little dog (we think she was the runt of her litter) had already won my heart and Lynette's, but as we hadn't had a dog for a few years I wanted to make sure that Michael was okay with adding her to our family. Later that same day (after I learned how to give Vitamin K shots to a hamster) he came down and met the little spaniel. She won him over too. We paid the fees and brought her home. After considerable discussion it was decided to name her Claire Cherie Miller. Her adoption date was February 11 (don't ask me why I remember that) so we decided that we would have her birthday be February 14.

She didn't take a long time to settle down, but did have one bad habit: in her quest for food she would climb the highest mountain (or in our case) the kitchen table to get food. She enjoyed running in our backyard and would wipe out when she tried to corner too quickly. She wasn't a cuddler but did like being near you. We tried to feed her what she was supposed to eat (dry dog food) but sometimes couldn't help ourselves and gave her "people" food too. She loved watermelon!

Through the years she became a part of our family. In fact she's in nearly every Christmas picture and graduation picture. She almost died in 2003 while our son was on his mission in Brazil. Who knew that cocker spaniels were prone to an auto-immune disease. Great doctors, medication and two blood transfusions later she pulled through. Now, blood transfusions might seem excessive to some people, but they did give us nearly seven more years with her.

The past few years have been pretty rough for Claire. She lost most of her vision, her hearing and her sense of smell. She remained physically fit (we think it was the blood from they greyhound)and able to do her favorite things: sleep, eat, sleep and eat in that order. Last year she started exhibiting other behaviors that are considered symptoms of canine senility,but she hung in there, so to speak.

Last year, she nearly passed away the day of Melinda and Landan's wedding. She had some kind of seizure. We knew it was just a matter of time before she would leave us. We had hoped that she would die quietly in her sleep so we wouldn't have to make the decision to have her put down. That was not to be the case.

It was a hard decision, but it was the right decision. With the support of family and our vet, we made the appointment for July 20. We made preparations and I made the long drive to the hospital. There were some other incidents that precipitated the need, but to give Claire some dignity, we won't mention them.

The staff at the pet clinic was wonderfully supportive. She is no longer in pain and I believe that all good dogs do go to heaven.

Claire was a goood dog.

NS

Samuel and Spider

2010-07-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

Ty and his Papa have a very good time when they are together. Papa, being Papa, is still very much a kid at heart. One of the games that they play is Samuel and Spider.

Samuel and Spider have been around for a very long time. In fact I remember Samuel and Spider from when OUR children were small. I actually think that Samuel and Spider is a new incarnation of Dee Dee and Gung. Dee Dee and Gung was something that my husband played when he was a small boy. He would have one of his hands be Dee Dee and the other Gung. Dee Dee and Gung would walk up to each other, wrestle, fight, play, etc. Michael's mom told me that she remembers Dee Dee and Gung from car trips and that Michael would use the top of the front seat for battles and so forth. I think Dee Dee and Gung got on her nerves. :)

Anyway, let's fast forward to 2010. Our children are grown and we're enjoying being grandparents. One day earlier this year, Papa introduced Ty to Samuel and Spider. Samuel (either right hand or left hand)likes to walk up to you (think index finger and forefinger) and talk to you. Samuel is friendly. Spider on the other hand (think of walking your hand like a spider) likes to get you and tickle you. Spider sometimes roars, I don't know exactly where that sound effect comes from, but that's part of the game. So Papa taught Ty about Samuel and Spider. Ty will sometimes say, "Not Spider, Samuel!" and laugh with delight.

Of course in the old tradition of be careful what you teach your children (or grandchildren) Ty's hands have now become Spider and/or Samuel. He seems to like being Spider more-complete with a roar and a, "I'm going to get you!" We are all properly scared by his Spider and say, just like he does, "Not Spider, Samuel." He is turning into a big tease just like his Papa.

No picture of this but I can sure picture it in my mind, and when I do I smile.

NS

Wait, there's more about the water!

2010-07-12T06:35:00.001-07:00

Ty and family were invited to stop by and swim at Melinda's in-laws last week. I popped by with Laura (Bret's wife who was visiting from Utah) to catch some of the action. This picture is one of Ty "in-between." I say "in-between" because he's in-between jumping in the pool or swimming around in the pool. He much preferred being "in" rather than "in-between." :) He had a grand time.
Being a mom/nana I was a bit nervous the first time I saw him walk to the diving board. But, no worries, he walked to the end of the board, and jumped SPLASH into the water all smiles and laughter and did it again and again and again! I can still hear his delighted laugh in my head.

It was fun to watch!
NS

Saying Goodbye or Good Night

2010-07-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

Ty is a smart little guy. He's figured out that when it comes time for him to either go to bed or go home after a visit that Nana and Papa love hugs and kisses. So he'll shower us with even more hugs and kisses than normal when it's time for napping/sleeping or going home. It's the classic "stalling" technique-Give the adults more of what they want and he'll get to stay up or not have to leave for a little bit.
Carynn has a great way of addressing this. She gives Ty two minutes (or three or four) and then says that it's time to leave or go to bed. He still tries delaying at times, but she reminds him that he already had his two minutes.... Smart mom!

Smart boy!

NS

Water Boy

2010-07-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

Ty loves the water! Readers may recall my post from winter recounting Ty's words, "I love swimmings!" Well he still loves swimmings! He also loves dirt/sand. So the lake's a great place for him to enjoy the combination of two of his favorite activities-"swimmings" and digging! Here are some great shots taken from some visits Ty and family made to our lake place.

Happy Summer!
NS

New Favorite Picture

2010-06-23T22:43:00.001-07:00

It's wonderful to have a grandson that is so photogenic. Of course, I'm not prejudiced at all, right? It probably also helps to have a husband that is is such a great photographer. When Michael showed me this image I think I said to him, "This is my new favorite picture of Ty." The composition of the picture itself is wonderful with the lake and the wildflowers, etc. But darling Ty is what takes the picture from just a pretty scenic shot to a character shot.

What I mean by that is not that our grandson is a character; though he is-he's got a great personality. No I mean that I think the photo shows Ty's willingness to explore and experience life. He is very much a sponge at this point, soaking up ideas and trying new things.

He has great verbal skills too. Tonight when I said goodbye to them and added, "I love you." He piped right up with, "I love you too." We're starting to get to the point where our conversations are not his mom telling him what to say and him parroting it, but his very own observations and opinions expressed (sometimes strongly).

Ty is an original and I love this picture!

NS

Carynn, Jamie and Ty 2010

2010-06-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Aren't they a gorgeous family! I love this picture taken not too long ago in their backyard. The happiness on their faces is real. I'm so thankful that they are an eternal family and part of my eternal family.

I love them!

NS

Happy Birthday to Papa 2010

2010-06-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Michael's birthday fell on a Saturday this year and he was remembered by our children, his dad and brother, my mother and of course me. We decided to celebrate his birthday on Sunday with a barbecue. Jamie and Landan were our grillmasters. I cooked the corn on the cob and we had watermelon too. Yum!

After our tummies settled a bit it was time to get the party started with the birthday cake. As you can see from these pictures, Ty was very excited to help his Papa. Papa was happy for his help. Ty had a tough decision to make-though he really liked helping Papa open his presents, he really wanted birthday cake too, so there came a time when he opted to not help with the presents. It was a fun evening and we're so blessed to have family close.

Happy Birthday to Papa.

NS

Yes, she can be taught!

2010-06-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

I've always been a pretty fair typist. Actually I'm being uncharacteristically modest, I trained as a secretary when they were called that instead of the politically correct term "administrative assistant," so I type quite well. When computers/word processors etc. came on the scene it was an easy transition for me on the typing part; some of the other stuff wasn't intuitive for me, but I like to think I can learn.

My last few blog posts are illustrative of that as Carynn taught me how to insert pictures on my posts and I've done it enough times now that I can say with just a tiny bit of confidence that I know how to do it.

I may add some pictures to some older posts. If I do, Dear Reader, I will make a note of it in a separate blog post referring to the old posts if you'd like to reference them. So I can say,

"Yes, she can be taught!"

NS

Rainy Days and Mondays

2010-06-01T06:40:00.001-07:00

There's an old song by The Carpenters about rainy days and Mondays. The chorus of it talks about how rainy days and Mondays always get them down. Au contraire! Rainy days and Mondays can be quite fun as we witnessed yesterday.

It had been a weekend of travel for our children-Carynn, Jamie and Ty went camping; Lynette and some of her friends went camping somewhere else; Bret is traveling to Brazil as I write this, Laura, his pregnant wife, is not traveling; Melinda and Landan traveled to the cabin. Since we'd done some traveling earlier in the week, Michael and I opted to stay closer to home, literally.

I had decided to run out and get some material for a project-taking advantage of a great coupon when I received a call from Carynn and Jamie. Since the weather had been uncooperative they had ended their camping trip early and were wondering if Nana and Papa would like to watch Ty so they could go out. Of course I said yes, we love having Ty over.

We had a fun afternoon playing. These are some of the things I heard Ty say while he was over:

As he was all tucked into his car seat and we were leaving the parking lot of Target, "We're coming Papa."

As we were driving to our house he observed, "The trees go up, up, up to the sky."

Upon arriving at our house and seeing Papa, "Ty's back!"

When I offered to help him put together the tractor trailer that he was playing with he said, "No, Ty fix it."

In the kitchen and having a snack he looked outside and said, "Hummingbird" and then "Baby" as it was so small.

Placing himself in front of the freezer in the garage and saying he "wanted a treat." Then he further defined it by saying, "popsicle." I was so surprised that he remembered the popsicles from last summer that I looked into the freezer, found one and then instructing him to say, "Please, may I have," which he did, I then gave it to him. I know, I know, I shouldn't have caved, but... it was a very small popsicle, it wasn't going to spoil his dinner AND I'm a Nana and that's my job. Really, I found it in the job description: Give your grandchildren what they want, within reason. Okay, I made that up - it's not officially in the granparent handbook but every grandparent knows this unwritten rule. If I ever write a grandparent handbook it'll be in there.

Rainy days and Mondays are fun!

NS

Of Tractors and Such

2010-05-21T11:03:00.001-07:00

Ty loves tractors! Here's a picture of him on his tractor (thank you Ellen and Gary) next to Papa on his John Deere. Aren't they handsome!

The other day when I had popped by Carynn and Jamie's while out running errands I asked Ty if he wanted me to read to him. He didn't want me to read TO him; he wanted me to read MY book and he to read HIS book. His book of choice was "Ty's Tractor Book." He's had this book, it's actually a catalog, for a few weeks. The cover of the catalog came off so I made a cover for it when he was over for his day of play.
Back to my story- here's Ty VERY carefully turning the pages of his tractor book and me reading various board books. It was fun to read WITH him even though he didn't want me to read TO him. He's definitely getting more independent.

Back to tractors: Ty loves calling out "TRACTOR" whenever he passes one. Depending on where one is driving there are quite of few of them around. He identifies other heavy equipment as tractors as well.

He doesn't mind taking a ride with Papa on his mowing tractor (just around the driveway), but doesn't much like the noise. I think it might be fun to take Ty to a tractor dealership so he can see some up close.

I love my tractor boys!

NS

A Day of Play

2010-05-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to have Ty over for a day to play last week. I actually called Carynn and asked, "Can Ty come over to play?" She worked it into their schedule and it gave us a wonderful opportunity to have our grandson over for an enjoyable day and it gave her a chance to have lunch with her husband and run some errands without a 2 1/2 year old helper.

We played inside and outside.
Happy May!
NS

Trip Home

2010-04-24T11:45:00.001-07:00

We decided to vary our trip home a little bit this year. The first part of our trip we drove up to Salt Lake to see Bret and Laura. Laura's parents are always so gracious, they invited us to spend the night and we were happy to.

Because we spent the night Bret and Laura invited us to come along for Laura's ultrasound. We were excited to do this. Laura's mom joined us as well. Since they limit the number of people in the ultrasound room, Michael, Cathy and I "tag-teamed" our participation. Bret stayed in there the whole time of course.

It was a comfort to see their little guy (Yes, it's a boy!). They can already tell by the ultrasound that he has his fingers and toes and his spinal column is good and he doesn't have a cleft lip. There is such amazing resolution nowadays. I remember my first ultrasound over 30 years ago, it was hard to tell that the baby was a baby. By the time I had Melinda 20 years ago, the technology had improved significantly and it has only continued to do so since then. After the ultrasound Cathy had errands to run so Bret and Laura joined us for lunch at 5 guys Burgers. Great food!

We left after lunch and headed to Rexburg. We stayed with some new friends. We had been planning on just eating dinner, but they insisted we spend the night so we did. It was an unusual experience, but not uncomfortable, to spend the night in someone's home that I hadn't "officially" met before. Sure, we'd talked on the phone and e-mailed, but never met. They're great people. They invited their bishop and his family to dinner and Family Home Evening as well. We had a wonderful time. After the bishop and family left, we spoke with them about their experiences of teaching English in China. Michael and I are applying to be part of that program. We turned in after visiting a few hours and woke up to....SNOW .

So here it is mid-April and we look outside and it's snowing! After a yummy breakfast we headed out, a little concerned about the passes, but confident that all would be well. It was well, but the snow in Idaho and Montana caused us to drive a little slower than we normally would. The snow finally stopped and turned to rain about 2 hours from our home. We arrived home while it was still daylight. Claire took the trip well, she slept nearly all the time.

I'm glad that we were able to take the extra time to visit and so thankful that prayers were answered and we ALL arrived safely home.

NS

All in a Row

2010-04-24T11:34:00.001-07:00

One of the things that Ty enjoys playing with at our home is a small bin of cars, trucks and airplanes. In fact I've written before (a long time ago) about when we would play open & shut the car doors and his instructions to me to "Fix it!" when the semi tractor/trailer would separate (which they do ALl the time).

Ty's been consistently doing something else with the cars,trucks, airplanes, Nephi (a Book of Mormon action figure that we gave to him that happens to live in the cars and trucks bin. What is that, you may ask? He likes to arrange them all in a row. I haven't necessarily noticed a pattern (as in colors or types), but there may be one. So I looked out the other day and there they all are-a line-up about 3 or 4 feet long all in a row of all the items that live in the car and truck bin.

Now, here's something else he does. When he takes one of them out to play with, he moves all the other items in the row in to fill in the blank spot. Then when he's done playing with the item, he puts it at the end of the row. He's been very meticulous with this. For a 2 1/2 year old, I think that's great. I'm going to observe him to see if he continues to do this.

Carynn says that she first noticed him lining up the toy cars and trucks when Jamie lined up the cars in a row one time. Ty sure picked up on that quickly. Isn't it amazing how the power of example is evident even in small things? Amazing and a little scary. Our little ones (and others) definitely notice what we are doing and they learn so quickly.

It only takes one time.

NS

Lip Smacking Delicious!

2010-04-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

Ty's always been very expressive verbally. One of my new favorites is the way he says the word "delicious." Yesterday at A & W he was enjoying some rootbeer. He smacked his lips, breathed out and said "Delicious!"

Another thing that Ty thinks is delicious is chocolate milk. Since chocolate milk and A & W rootbeer are two things I think are really delicious, I'm glad to see that my grandson and I have the same, shall we say, excellent taste!

Delicious!

NS

Less than 6 degrees of Separation or It's a Small World!

2010-03-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Who knew that St. George, Utah area would be such a gathering place! Here's what happened:
Friends from our church in Washington started wintering here a few years ago. We saw them last year and they said, "You need to come to the Hee Haw next year." So they got us tickets and we went. It was crowded to overflowing. We sat next to our friends and two strangers sat near us. During the intermission a lady came to talk to the strangers. Her voice was very familiar and so I asked her if she had lived in Yakima, Washington. She said she had. I asked her if her if her name was Margaret and she said it was. She didn't recognize me, which considering she hadn't seen me in nearly 29 years isn't that unusual. That plus my hair color has gone from blonde to brown to blonde to silver would have also made identification a bit more difficult. Plus I no longer weigh 120 pounds. She looked nearly the same, but of course older. We determined that we'd see each other before I left to head back north.

Margaret's life has been busy the past 29 years. She was able to fill in some missing pieces of people that I knew but hadn't stayed in touch with. It also turns out that she knew my mom, which I hadn't realized. Margaret's husband died in November so she's missing him terribly, but has stayed active and busy with her two children and their families that live in the area.

So time passes...Margaret and I tried to schedule something, but the timing wasn't right. Finally about two weeks ago the stars were in alignment and I made an appointment to go see her. I arrived at her home and she showed me around. We were also killing some time as Margaret's daughter LeeAnn, that I remember as a teenager, was going to stop by. As we talked about what her future plans were she indicated that she felt she needed to go see her aunt as the aunt is very aged and in poor health. She didn't want to make the trip up north by herself necessarily, but felt she could go. She indicated that her niece by marriage, Dorinda was going to caravan with her. The wheels started turning in my head and I said "Dorinda P.?" and Margaret said that was her name before she married and then it hit me...That was the same Dorinda I had worked with 31 years ago at Longview Fibre in Yakima. Margaret indicated that Dorinda was in town visiting her mom and said I'm going to call her and see if she can come over. She did and Dorinda did.

I didn't work at Longview Fibre very long, but remember Dorinda well. I was a hazy memory for her, but after speaking a while she was able to dredge up a remembrance of me. I always remember that she thought my husband was cute. She had made a comment when she saw him in the parking lot not realizing that he was my husband. It was a compliment to his physique and well, a girl/wife doesn't forget those things even after 31 years.

But wait, there's more!
As Dorinda and I were talking it turns out the she's married and living in Vancouver, WA. When she told me her married name I said, "Oh, a friend of mine married a guy from Vancouver with that last name. So now it's time to start singing, "It's a Small World After All" as that man is Dorinda's stepson.

We had a great reunion! They took pictures and I took pictures and we determined to meet again for lunch before they headed up north and Michael and I headed home. Margaret called (or was it Dorinda?) and we arranged to meet at Dorinda's mom's home. Margaret was going to be there and wanted help tying a quilt. I helped her do that (as did Dorinda). I also met Dorinda's daughter (I only remembered her as a little girl) We decided to go to Oliver Garden for lunch. LeeAnn and one of her children met us there as did Dorinda's sister and some assorted nieces, and also another friend of the family. Dorinda rode with me to the restaurant. It was great to reconnect with her. There were about 16 of us in all. We had a great time chatting.
We've exchanged e-mail and other contact information so if I'm ever in the area Dorinda and I can see each other.

So it is a small world after all!

NS

Ty Michael

2010-03-22T22:31:00.000-07:00

I met another Ty Michael! I had stopped at a new friend's home. She had just returned from a LDS mission to Oregon and was having an open house at her parents home. Her sister, brother-in-law and their children were there for the occasion. The youngest child was taking a nap. The other one, a boy, was doing a puzzle with his dad. I asked his name and they said, "Ty." I replied, "Is that short for anything and they said, "No, his name is Ty. (period)" I asked if he had a middle name. They said, "Yes, his middle name is the same as his maternal grandfather."

I said something like, "It isn't Michael is it." Or words of that sort. They said "Yes, it is." That's when I asked his birthday. They answered July. I'm glad they didn't say October 31. That would have been a HUGE amount of coincidences!

Their Ty Michael is cute. My/our Ty Michael is cuter.

Of course, that's MY opinion. :)

NS

Sand

2010-03-02T17:48:00.001-08:00

One of the other things I wanted to write about was Ty's adventures (and misadventure) in the sand. His first go round in the sand at the dunes in the park was one of fun and frolic! He enjoyed trying to outrun us in the sand and playing in it. I tried to park myself on a blanket, but ended up playing a bit of chase too. It was fun. I love Ty's laugh.
The second go round, he had a bucket and a shovel. I still had my blanket and my book. Carynn had her camera. Unfortunately as Ty was enjoying the sand, he enjoyed it ALL over the place and Carynn's camera ended up being a casualty. That spoiled things a bit for Carynn, but thankfully the memory card was okay, so no pictures were lost.

The third go around was when his Dad had gotten into town. I heard from Carynn and Jamie that Ty made friends with some kids at the dunes and enjoyed himself thoroughly.

Michael and I plan to go back to the sand one of these days soon. We always keep a blanket in the car. Now i just need to remember to bring my book.

Warm sand in the winter, lovely!

NS

In and out of the cupboards

2010-03-02T17:39:00.001-08:00

I was reviewing my notes from Carynn and Ty's visit in January and noticed I forgot to write about some of Ty's cute antics. Here's the first one:
We had gone to the hospital lab for Michael to have his weekly blood test (nothing shattering, just getting ready for his procedure). We hoped it would be a short visit, but unfortunately there was a bit of red tape and some waiting. Ty decided to do some investigating in the waiting room. His mom had her eye on him the whole time, I was helping with the red tape so I didn't see the first time that he discovered that the cupboard in the waiting area was not only open, it was empty and just the right size for a two year old to fit in. He had a good time shutting himself in and out of the cupboard.

Later at home, Ty was with me in the kitchen. We had Ty proofed the house as best we could. I deliberately don't put child locks on pots and pans as I feel it's healthy for a child (children) to have an "okay to get into" cupboard. Ty's discovery with our pots and pans cupboard was that the shelf was a rolling shelf that held the pans. He had pulled out the pans on the right side and climbed in. He would slide himself in and out, pulling the door closed or pushing it open with his feet.

As he seemed to be enjoying himself, I gave him a juice box, some of his snacks and a few of his toys. He gladly took those from me and then shut himself back in the cupboard. He would then delightedly repeat the process all over again.

It kind of reminded me of the movie, "A Christmas Story" when Ralphie's little brother Randy closes himself in the cupboard underneath the sink and the mom opens up the cupboard to give him his milk and cookies. While Randy (in the movie) was worried about how his dad would react to Ralphie's latest scrape with the bullies and his broken eye glasses, Ty's voluntary incarceration was all about the fun.

Discovering delight in small things,

NS

Survivor and Sweet 16

2010-02-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

Our dog Claire is a survivor! She almost died the week of Melinda and Landan's wedding. She had "issues" during our drive south i January. Now, she has survived being boarded while we were back home for Michael's procedure.

While we were away we considered that as far as Claire was concerned, "No news was good news." We were in very late from our trip back and had not had our full complement of sleep. When the alarm went off this morning we groggily pulled ourselves out of bed. Me to go to water aerobics, Michael to help the groomer at the boarding kennel groom Claire before bringing her home.

Michael reported that she did fine while were were gone. It was fortunate for Claire and the groomer that we'd already arranged for Michael to help. After the fiasco in December when we tried to get her groomed, we knew that it probably couldn't be accomplished without another set of hands.

I heard the garage door go up and the Yukon drive in. Michael, with a few scratches and covered in hair, and Claire, now covered in very little hair, were home. Michael indicated that it had indeed been difficult for all concerned, but clothes can be washed and scratches heal. Claire's wardrobe has expanded. She's now sporting a plaid bandana and looks like she's lost 5 pounds (or more of fur/hair).

We've now had her for 15 years. When we adopted her on February 11, 1995 the vet said that she was a young adult, a year old. So that means she's now Sweet 16. Her health, for now, seems stable. She's mostly deaf and mostly blind, but she doesn't seem to be in any pain. She gets around fairly well too. Some of her other issues can be attributed to canine senility. I won't say she's a shadow of her former self, because there are occasional flashes where we see "Claire," but she's an elderly dog. I hope when it's her time to go that she can just go to sleep.

She's a good dog,

NS

I Love Swimmings

2010-02-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

During their visit in January Michael and/or I would accompany Carynn and Ty (and later Jamie) to our community pool. Carynn had packed Ty's lifejacket and swimmer diapers so we were all set for fun.

Ty loved the warm water of the pool. Sometimes he would count (he's quite good at counting) and jump from the side of the pool to his Mom or whoever was in the pool. Near the end of their stay he didn't wait to finish counting but just jumped in. He did fairly well with not running, though he often walked quickly once he climbed up out of the pool. He didn't mind the spa, but it was much hotter than the pool.

On one of their last visits to the pool, Jamie had just rinsed Ty off and had him wrapped up in the beachtowel. He was leaning back in his Daddy's arms when he called out, "I love swimmings! This is not a typographical error. He used the plural I think (only my opinion) to describe his multiple experiences with swimming. I still smile at the pure joy on his voice as he exclaimed about his experiences I couldn't help but give him a kiss and a hug.

Sweet memory,

NS

Stuck

2010-02-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

Papa and Ty have a game. Papa (Michael) has played it with our children and most any other child that's game for his game. In this game Michael starts to say something or to do something and then suddenly stops, frozen or stuck. What the child or children have to do to get him un-stuck is to clap their hands together. Ty's been getting Papa un-stuck for a while now.

On the way to the airport for our return back to the land of sunshine, Papa started playing the stuck game. Ty would clap. Then (and I could almost see the idea forming in his head) Ty decided that he would get "stuck" himself. He'd start to talk and then stop with his mouth open. I tried to clap to get him un-stuck, but he didn't want me to un-stick him. It was Papa or nothing. Ty's Stuck Game went on for quite a while. He was quite taken with it and would laugh (I love his laugh) delightedly. Sometimes Papa AND Ty would be stuck at the same time. That's when I'd come to the rescue and un-stick one of them.

Be careful that you always have someone around to un-stick you!

NS

Pockets

2010-02-24T11:25:00.000-08:00

Ty has discovered pockets. I was speaking with Carynn a week or so ago and she handed the phone to Ty. He told me something which I couldn't quite understand. Carynn translated for me and told me he was telling me about what was in his pockets.

I witnessed this firsthand when we flew back home and Carynn and Ty picked us up at the airport. I was sitting in front with Carynn. Michael was in the back seat near Ty. I asked Ty to see what was in his pockets. He carefully reached his hand into his left pants pocket and pulled it out tightly closed. I asked him if I could see what was in his hand. He opened it up and I saw two crinkled, partly dried plant leaves and a mangled sticker. I asked him if I could hold them. He put them into my outstretched hand. I examined the pretty leaves and looked at the sticker that was not as mangled as I had originally thought. On the sticker were two cartoon bees. I thanked Ty for letting me look at everything and then returned the leaves and sticker to him. He put them back in his pocket. I asked to see what was in his other pocket. He pulled out a Target receipt that his mom had given him, showed it to me and put it back in his pocket.

Fast forward a few days later to our home. Everyone is downstairs and Ty is playing in the toy cupboard. Remembering his fondness for Duplos/Legos I pull ours out from a shelf and Ty and I start playing with them. He began to put his favorites into his pockets. I laughed and allowed him to do that. We even went upstairs (where Papa was watching the Olympics) and showed him Ty's treasures (Legos). Back downstairs and more play time. When it was time to clean up I expected Ty to try to take the Legos home, but no, he pulled them from his jacket AND pants pockets and put them away.

Fast forward to a day later...Carynn, Ty and I are out on a lunching expedition. Ty is happy because not only does he have on pants with pockets but a jacket with pockets too. He's concerned because he can only get his hand into his left side jacket pocket. I help him find his right side jacket pocket and he beams happily. At the Mexican restaurant he tries unsuccessfully to fit the crayon bucket the restaurant provided for distraction purposes into his pocket, but it does not fit. He makes do by using the chip basket and placing his favorite things in it-a sort of basket pocket.

I think I'm going to have to add some pockets to his quiet book.

NS

PAINTAPALOOZA -the Saga Finally Ends

2010-02-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

I determined to paint the laundry room after Carynn, Jamie and Ty left and while Michael was in Seattle to speak at the funeral of his former boss. The prep work took me longer than the painting! I did finally finish later Tuesday night.

I had also decided to make the corner sink/vanity a focal point instead of a sore thumb. It wasn't that it was ugly, but it did not match the original cabinetry and as I knew that there was really no way I could get it to look like the original cabinets I chose to paint it a glorious blue. I started this on Wednesday and it was a process, that's for sure. I ended up doing the final touches on Thursday and then as it was TOO glorious of a blue, I muted it a bit with some Olde English Scratch Cover. It dulled it just enough to give it a distressed look. I ditched the old handles and found some simpler ones at Home Depot (of course) for $1.69 each.

The piece de resistance was my Van Gogh. Yes, I now have a Van Gogh. I admit it was another DI find. It's actually a "composition" piece. The print itself was in an ugly gold frame. The frame that I wanted to put it in had an ugly print in it, but a great mat, so presto changeo-ugly print covered up and ugly frame donated back to DI. There was only one small problem... as I was putting it al back together, I didn't realize my own strength and broke the glass. It was also unfortunate that it wasn't a small break. Michael was very kind and while we were out, we stopped at a glass place. The nice man there priced me out a bargain on the glass, cut the broken glass into two pieces so I could salvage them as tops to protect my end tables AND even installed the glass in the frame for me. I'll definitely recommend them to anyone that needs glass or windows. Grand total for my print was going to be $6.00, with the glass replacement (including tax), it's closer to $24.00. Still not bad for a 24" x 30" piece of art.

The only room left to paint is the garage and I'm not touching it!

NS

PAINTAPALOOZA Part 3

2010-02-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

Carynn and I jumped back into Paintapalooza mode after I got back. The only rooms left to paint were the master bedroom and the laundry room. We made the trip to Home Depot (the Yukon can probably get there on auto pilot by now) and determined to paint the room green. We checked out the paint samples and I picked one out called "Turtle Dove" by Behr. We had the associate mix up 2 gallons in that shade. Unfortunately, when we went to pick it up it didn't look like Turtle Dove.

Another associate said he'd work with us to get the color we wanted or that he'd mix up something new for us. As the color just below Turtle Dove was Mountain Haze I said let's go for that one. He informed me that while they were very similar, Turtle Dove had yellow in it and Mountain Haze didn't. We told him to go ahead and mix up one gallon and we'd check it out.

It's true, the color was not quite Mountain Haze, but I liked it. I dubbed it Turtle Haze (since it's a combination) and had him mix up the other gallon to match it. We got home and began prepping and then painting. Carynn took a cute picture of Ty holding both the paint roller and the small paint roller. He was ready to be a two fisted painter! We started painting after he was in bed. I LOVE the color! It's a soft green that goes well with all the greens that are in the room and also makes the white trim POP!

We determined when we finished painting the bedroom that we wouldn't paint anymore. I told Carynn that I would finish the laundry room myself.

On one of our trips out, Carynn spotted some curtain panels on sale at Target. I bought two of them and made two valances for the master bedrrom. They look SO much better than the old rose ones (which have now been donated to Deseret Industries) and finish off the room nicely. I put together one of my bargain lamps from Home Depot, added an easel (found at Tai Pan Trading) to my antique mirror, moved the ficus in from the livingroom into our bedroom. The finishing touches were filling a $2.00 basket from Deseret Industries (DI) with $4.00 greenery (also from DI),using two of the small pillows from the couch with the basket of greenery to mask the cords from the TV under the sofa table and adding one of the runners from Melinda and Landan's wedding as an accent on top of the sofa table.

A later trip to DI I found a two shelf wicker unit (peach, but now spray painted white) that I could use in the vanity area in the master. It works really well as a medicine cabinet and will stay as a medicine cabinet until we decide to invest in a "real" one.

Almost done!

NS

Wedding Time for William Part 2

2010-02-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

One of the things with any wedding is the logistics...getting everyone where they need to be and on tie. Add the fact that you're doing it not from your home but from a hotel makes it a bit more complicated.

Grady left early to get William and his best man to the temple. Grady asked that I help get the troops on the road so I worked toward that end. With everything there is a human element so we had some human elements, but we got to the temple in good time. It really was one of those cases of hurry up and wait. Which we did.

It was nice to have had the dinner the night before so those of us that hadn't met Heather's family could get to meet them. It made it much nicer that morning as we were waiting...we knew who each other were.

Marla is one of the bravest women I know. She has had significant health issues for years and isn't really ambulatory unless she's supported by a walker. Since it was going to be a long day (and a long night) she was in a wheelchair. We were grateful for blue skies. And though it was cold (30's) it wasn't bitterly cold as it had been a few days before the wedding. Grady was very solicitous of her comfort and tried to keep her as warm as possible. She was so happy to be able to be at her son's wedding.

The officiator (sealer) for William and Heather did a wonderful job. He was funny and sincere. His counsel was for them and for us. He admonished William and Heather to squeeze (hug)each other often, to hold hands and to cuddle. I should have written sooner as I can't remember everything that he said anymore, but I know it made me think that I should be better at letting my husband know just how important he is to me.

After we all congratulated the bridal couple it was time for pictures. As Heather's family needed to get back to the church to finish getting ready for the reception, they did their group pictures first. Then it was our family's turn. Then it was time for the the bridal party, and then finally the bride and groom.

We left as soon as we could and had a late lunch at Applebee's. (Thanks Bro for paying for mine). Then we had time for a quick rest before we left for the reception. We wanted to get there early to help and so Phillip, James and I did. Grady, Marla, MJ and baby Weston got there right when the reception started which worked out well.

Highlights of the Wedding Reception for me included:
My nephew James teaching me a new dance step
Dancing with baby Weston (He's very light on his feet)
Dancing with my brother
A poignant few moments where Marla got out of her wheelchair and was able to dance with her son, the groom. You knew that she was hurting-her feet are twisted and she's always in pain-but she was able to dance with her son on his special day. I cried then (I was dancing with baby Weston so it was easier to mask my tears) and I'm tearing up now remembering it.
A very funny moment when William was welcomed into the family by being tricked into thinking he was touching Heather's leg to take off the garter (they had said it's a family tradition to have the groom close his eyes while he takes off the garter) and then watching William recoil with shock when Heather's uncle switched places with her and William touched his leg. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
Getting to meet some of Marla's family that I had heard of over the years but had never met

At the end of the reception we all went out to see them off. Since William is legally blind, Heather drove them off into the sunset. Grady took Marla, Marjory and the baby back to the hotel right after this. Phillip, James and I stayed a bit to help with the clean-up.

Sunday morning Marla's brother took me to the airport since he and his son were leaving that morning too. I had an uneventful trip home and was very pleased to see that Paintapalooza Part 2 (the guest bedroom/office) was NOT vibrant after all, but a lovely soft yellow color. I was exhausted but happy that I could be there to represent our family.

NS

Wedding Time for William and Paintapalooza Part 2

2010-02-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

That first week of January was very busy indeed. Between Paintapalooza, shopping trips, sightseeing trips, whew...Then it was time for me to head to Denver for my nephew William's wedding. I'd been teasing my brother and family by saying, Denver in January?!? William's wife-to-be Heather desired a winter wedding so that's what they had. But I still would say to all that would listen: "Yeah I know you want a winter wedding; but Denver in January?"

Smooth sailing (flying) on my plane ride and I met up with my nephew James (he'd flown over from Salt Lake City) at Baggage Claim and then my brother and nephew Phillip as we played the divide and conquer strategy-Phillip drove one car, James another and then Grady and I rented a car (later to be used by William and Heather for their honeymoon trip).

We checked into the hotel, headed to the church and we hit the floor running. I had offered to do the groom's pre-wedding dinner as Grady's wife has significant health issues (more on that later). Heather's family and extended family were there decorating half of the cultural hall. Grady and I started setting up the half we'd be using for the dinner. I had brought with me the table runners I'd made for Melinda and Landan's wedding to use for table decorations. Grady and Marla rented other items we needed for decoration (tablecloths) and dinner (roasters).

I had hoped to go to Costco with Grady since he doesn't have a Costco card to get the last minute items that he couldn't get from the Base BX; but it took us longer to get the rental car and check in at the hotel so I sent him alone and he's now a Costco member. I used the time getting the chicken ready to go and setting the table. As soon as James got there he helped and Heather and William did too.

to be continued...

Paintapalooza Part 2
After I arrived safely in Denver, I called Michael and let him know. He let me know that he and Carynn had gone to Home Depot to get the paint for the guest bedroom/office area. He also made sure to tell me that they had picked a VIBRANT color. According to Michael he helped with the painting. According to Carynn-Michael did the prep work and Carynn did the painting. I was a bit anxious to see the color.

Back to the wedding
I had determined to do the same menu that my friend Joann and I had devised for the Abrams groom's dinner. This is Parmesan Chicken, baby carrots, mixed salad with dressing, Costco rolls and Costco cheesecake. For drinks we did Countrytime Lemonade with Lemon Lime. We had planned for 50-60 people. Unfortunately the kids were WAY off on their count and we had 30 people. We therefore had no issues with enough food, that's for sure.

I'd like to say that we pulled it off without any hitches, but there were a few. Not to go into a lot of detail...Let's just say that the Alpha Female from the bride's family and the Alpha Female (Me) from the Groom's family decided that it might be better if we didn't share the same space at the same time. We played "nice" (well most of the time), but I doubt that I'll be on her Christmas card list....

My brother's children were champs! They pitched in and did all that was asked of them and more that evening. I can't say enough about how helpful they were and how good it was to spend some time with them. Heather's uncles were helpful with clean-up (They were also baking the wedding cake at the same time) so that helped us get out of there at a decent time. We were back at the hotel by 10:00 PM.

I was very pleased to see that I had brought bubble bath with me and I took advantage of the tub for a good soak. I finished a book, said my prayers and set my alarm for 7:00 AM.

More later-

NS

Leaving on a Jet Plane -Michael

2010-02-01T23:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit out of chronological order, but I'm still running with the jet plane theme so thought I'd complete the thread, to use computer speak.

Michael had his turn to leave on a jet plane too. His former boss had passed away and he had been asked to do the eulogy for the funeral in the Seattle area. So..the day after C, J & T left, it was Michael's turn to leave on a jet plane. First, he had to leave on the shuttle. It was his "maiden voyage" on the shuttle, but he did quite well, both ways. Which may not sound like a big deal, and isn't when you're going TO the airport; it's finding the right place to catch the shuttle on the way back that can be a bit tricky.Having done the shuttle thing myself at least 3 times, I was able to walk him through it using telephone technology. You know, how did we get things done before cell phones?

I'd like to say that he had a good time, and I guess in a way he did. He did enjoy reconnecting with some folks that he hadn't seen in a while. His former boss was/is a good man and Michael was pleased to be able to help the family by sharing some of his thoughts.

As a bonus he was also able to visit Lynette while he was there. It was a short trip and I was glad that he got home before all the storms started to hit.

No more jet planes for at least three weeks!

NS

Leaving on a Jet Plane -Carynn, Jamie & Ty

2010-02-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

I haven't written a lot about Ty's adventures while visiting us. I promise I will. But since I was writing about planes, etc. I thought I'd share about Ty's first airplane ride.

Carynn and Ty drove down with us January 3 & 4. Jamie flew down January 15. They all flew back home on January 18. The morning that they were leaving they determined to leave early so they could do some exploring in Las Vegas. They left before 11 AM. They encountered no problems on their way down to Vegas and parked the car so that they could check out the some sights.

They visited the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, watched the fountains at the Bellagio and did a lot of walking. Ty did a lot of riding in his umbrella stroller.

They checked in their rental car and rode the shuttle to the airport. Because they had Ty with them they were able to get in the family line to go through security. After that they got to ride the tram to their gate. I heard from Carynn that Ty enjoyed all of his transportation adventures. They kept him occupied in the gate area and took him exploring too.

They had chosen an evening flight hoping that would work better for Ty's schedule. Unfortunately their flight was delayed an hour. Carynn mentioned that as they were boarding the plane they got a few looks. You know the kind of look that says, "Oh no, not a 2 year old on the flight!" Carynn also mentioned that there were nice people who said things like, "Hey, I have kids too.etc..."

Well, our little guy was very tired after his exciting day so he SLEPT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. What a great experience for all of them to have with his first time flying!

It was a Bon Voyage all right!

NS

Leaving on a Jet Plane -Shanna

2010-02-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

So in between rounds of Paintapalooza, shopping, cleaning, cooking, having fun with Ty, it was no time at all before I boarded the 6 AM shuttle to head to the airport. Now, you may remember that I had gotten to bed at 2:30 AM the morning I was leaving. After 2 hours of sleep it was time to get up, get dressed, and get out the door.

I had said goodbye to Carynn when she went to bed (at 1:30 AM) and I had said good night to Ty when he went to bed, so we (Michael and I) didn't disturb the sleeping cuties when we left at 5:15 AM. Oh, I said goodbye to Michael in the car. :)

I had thought to sleep on the way to the airport (it's nearly a two hour drive), so I strategically placed myself in the very back of the van thinking I might have it to myself. Well, just as we were getting ready to pull out the driver said that we had a person that was on her way and should be there in a few minutes. She ended up being my seat mate. So, I didn't sleep but enjoyed a fascinating conversation about all kinds of things....Turns out my seatmate had done the flowers for Celine Dion's show while she was in Las Vegas. So though I had no sleep, it was no problem.

Speaking of no problem, I was able to get my baggage and myself checked in without a problem. There were no problems on the flight either. The flight wasn't terribly crowded so there was even an empty seat between me and the guy on my row. I read most all of the time (I don't usually sleep on short flights) and ate the lunch that I had packed.

My nephew met me at baggage claim at the Denver airport. My bags made it, which I was especially pleased as I had some of the table runners from Melinda and Landan's wedding reception in the fishing rod tube that I was returning to my brother. (The rest of them were in my big bag. I brought them to use on the tables at the groom's rehearsal dinner.) We met his dad (my brother) and one of my other nephews and then it was the whirlwind of getting ready for my other nephew's rehearsal dinner, which I had offered to cook. More on that on another post.

No turbulence here!

NS

The Shopping Adventures of Carynn and Nana Shanna

2010-01-31T08:38:00.001-08:00

As mentioned in one of my previous postings, one of the things I was looking forward to was sharing my favorite shopping venues with Carynn. Thanks to Michael's (Papa's) willingness to Ty-sit we were able to do just that, and often too! Here's my/our favorite spots:

Deseret Industries Thrift Store
Michael and I discovered the DI (as locals call it) last year and have furnished our home here with some of our finds. Our first visit this year all four of us went. I discovered some great things for the house. Helpful hint-ALWAYS go to the Outside Yard first! That's where I've always found the best "stuff!" I did this visit too. Michael/Papa exhibited/exhibits a huge amount of forbearance while I/we are in DI. Carynn found some great books and toys for Ty. I found some items to use in decorating AND organizing the house and filling some of those bare corners. My other favorite areas at DI are the aisles that house baskets, plants and decorative items. Michael likes the clothing area as he's been able to find some great long sleeved shirts-so good for running/walking. DI-a fun time was had by all.

Carynn and I made return trips (note the plural) to Deseret Industries. We found some plants to use in the bedroom/spare room/outside. Another thing I like about DI is at least twice while I've been there when others have noticed what I had in my shopping cart (How can you not notice a five foot tall ficus, right?) they've pointed out other things to me that they thought I might be interested in. That's how I got the great plant that is now residing outside by one of the rockers.

The week that Carynn/Jamie and Ty left and Michael was gone for a funeral, I did a solo DI run. Bargains galore! I'll share more about the masterpiece I found/created in another posting.

PS. I don't always buy at DI, I often donate too! There's a "rule" that says for everything that you buy and bring into your home something else needs to be removed from it, that way you'll cut down/eliminate junk and keep a balance. I don't always follow that "rule" but I try to keep it in mind. I have picked things up at DI carried them around in the shopping cart, counted the cost (not just in money, but space, etc.) and put them back. I'm disciplined, really; or most of the time. :)

Grandma Tobler's Bakery
I told Carynn about the yummy cinnamon rolls, etc. at Grandma Tobler's. We slowed down to park and I read the sign that said they'd moved. We were disappointed, but determined that we'd check out the new location. We went into Aunts and Uncles (or is it Uncles and Aunts?) instead. We did find Grandma Tobler's later. Delicious!

Aunts and Uncles
I don't know that I made it into Aunts and Uncles last year, but Carynn and I did this year. It had home decorating items and it's in this great old home (at least a hundred years old-probably closer to 120 is my guess). Many of the items are new "old" things. It's priced comparable to what you'd find in town. We enjoyed it and I'll be back.

Way Cool Dirt Cheap
I "discovered" WCDC last year. I purchased a great pot to put in one of my DI finds (a tree). I enjoyed acquainting Carynn with the store. She decided that their name is a misnomer as while the items are way cool, we didn't particularly find them dirt cheap. One of my favorite things to do there (other stores too) is to play "Guess the Price." Let's just say we always guessed low even when we tried to guess high.

We had an adventure when we came out of WCDC. The Yukon wouldn't start. As we'd had no hints that we were going to have trouble with it (nothing on the trip down or even at our previous stop) we were quite surprised. While the prices at Way Cool Dirt Cheap aren't we can attest that the staff there is Way Nice Very Helpful. One of the staff spotted us looking at the car, she brought out jumper cables. Another staff member pulled his car over, attached the cables and started the car. He also recommended (in his opinion) the best place to go to get a battery (Checker's) and also shared the information that they'd install it for free. Michael called at that time (he must have been in psychic mode) and we told him what was going on. As we only have the one vehicle here and Ty was still asleep, he was only able to give moral support. The nice guy at WCDC also advised us to make Checker's our next stop because as soon as we turned off the ignition we'd be staying wherever we stopped until the new battery was put in. I will be writing a nice thank you note to the WCDC people.

Checker's Auto Parts
I'm more "into" hardware stores and home improvement centers (a legacy from my father I think), but approached Checker's confidently (the only way to get things done really) while Carynn kept the car running just in case they turned out to be not so helpful. They seemed to be understaffed and busy, but when I got the sales associate's attention and stated my/our case he was happy to help. I had already consulted Michael regarding the battery-we opted for midrange price-wise. So when Jack, the Checker's guy, answered all the questions correctly I popped outside, signaled to Carynn to stop the engine and within 20 minutes or so we were able to continue on our way.

I've already mentioned Home Depot, but did I mention the way cool dirt cheap lamps I found there? Originally priced at $66 and $88 dollars I got them for $23 and $28! Woo hoo! Heaven, I'm in heaven (picture me singing that song slightly out of tune but gleefully). After the completion of Paintapalooza they reside in the master bedroom and living room.

Pier 1
Carynn and I have a "tradition" of visiting Pier 1's after Christmas sale. Though it was a little late (after January 1) we still found some bargains we couldn't resist. Some will go in my "to be given as gifts" stash. Others we started using right away.

Tai Pan Trading
One of my Utah friends introduced me to Tai Pan last year. Carynn had a taste of Tai Pan Trading on our way back from stopping at another friend's house that lived out that way. (This friend had transported some items from our WA home to UT when they moved down at Thanksgiving as we knew we would not have room to bring those items ourselves.) Ty was with us our first visit to Tai Pan. He was a happy shopper and did quite well as we meandered. We determined to do a return trip sans Ty another time; which we did.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
They hadn't made up our favorite kind of caramel apples, so we "made do" with some chocolate....Oh, the sacrifices one makes...

The Outlet Stores
Carynn found some gorgeous boots at one store, I found a white dress shirt for Michael and a purse for me at another.

Michael's Craft Store
Another "old" friend. I enjoyed their Christmas clearance.

Dollar Tree
What is it about Dollar Tree? I'm not quite sure, but for me it's a place of possibilities all for a dollar or less. There are multiple Dollar Tree's here and I've sampled nearly all of them. It's another old friend.

Krumpet's
Any store that has their sales associates greet you with a golden token so you can get your Krumpet candy (colored m & m's), and have a chance at $5 off of your purchase (if you get the right color of m & m) is going to be a place that I can enjoy. No $5 off m & m when I placed my coin in the slot of the huge vending machine (not for Carynn either), but I did find 90% (that's no typo) off of this cute Christmas tree in a pot. Carynn liked the store a lot too. We were only able to stop that one time during her visit, but I'll be back!

We also visited the "usual suspects"-Walmart, you know the store you love to hate; Target, I found a cute bathing suit for water aerobics (Thanks Carynn for your help) and of course the grocery store.

While I wouldn't call myself an Olympic-quality shopper (in honor of the Winter Olympics that will begin shortly), I think I do fairly well. Lest you think that I spent tons of money doing all of this shopping (Michael may think so), I didn't. I think, overall, I shopped with a great deal of restraint. :)

You can call it "retail therapy" if you like. I won't deny that it brought a certain amount of pleasure. No, it was more than that, it was fun! Thanks Carynn for being my shopping buddy! Ty, when you came with us, you were a trooper! Michael, thanks for understanding.

NS

PAINTAPALOOZA-Part 1

2010-01-30T08:03:00.000-08:00

Home Depot is our friend...You would think our best friend because we (Carynn and I, Michael and I or just me) have been going there it seems like every day since we got here. But I digress....Here's what happened:

Monday night, January 4-Home Depot for child proofing supplies

Note to readers: Carynn and I found the best time for us to do OUR exploring, errands, etc. was during Ty's afternoon naptime when Papa was available to be with him.

Tuesday afternoon-Home Depot for paint choosing and painting supplies. I picked out Behr Paints Classic Taupe for the living room/kitchen/hallway walls with the color called Cliffrock as an accent for the long way in the living room. I was a little hesitant in that I didn't want the overall effect to be too dark. Carynn's a great sounding board she shared her opinion (she happened to like what I'd picked out and I think was even a little surprised that I was willing to be so BOLD) and then let me make the choice since it's my house.

We wanted to get at least the living room area painted as we were having a couch delivered (thank you Ashley Furniture) on Wednesday afternoon and I didn't want to hazard getting paint on it. So Tuesday evening Carynn started prepping for painting. This is not a favorite task, but so important that it's done correctly. You can have the best looking paint, buy if you've done a lousy job prepping it significantly takes away from the overall look. I could tell you stories.... Anyway, after Ty was down for the evening, we began in earnest.

We had borrowed a ladder from one of our neighbors-we have tall ceilings so couldn't quite reach with our three step step ladder. Carynn did the lion's share of the work-what I like to call the "hard stuff." She did the cutting in at the ceiling (we left the ceilings white) and at the right angles where the accent color abutted the taupe. I rolled the paint roller and went along and looked for spots we missed. We ended up doing two coats on nearly everything to get the coverage we wanted.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
I'm a paint convert! Wow! The Classic Taupe and Cliffrock really makes the white trim POP! The home seems more warm, more finished and more livable already and that's with just the living room done.

Wednesday, January 6- We deliberately gave ourselves the night off. During naptime Carynn and I visited some of my favorite places (see separate post) and at night we saw Sherlock Holmes. Great movie.

Thursday, January 7 - We wanted to get the kitchen done before I left for our nephew's wedding so we began the prep work and got to it after Ty went to bed. We decided that we might as well get as much painted as possible so I did the taping in the front hall too (5 doors mind you PLUS the pantry door in the kitchen makes 6 doors! I don't want to tape anymore, but I will if I have to.).

We kept painting and painting and painting and it was getting later and later and later. I eventually pulled my suitcase and carry-on from our bedroom closet and threw my clothes on top of them so I could pack for my trip the next morning and not disturb Michael too much. (He gave up and hit the hay around 11:00 PM or so.)

We painted until we ran out of paint. The kitchen looked SO good (the hall as far as it was done did too.) Carynn pulled the tape and started putting the switch plates back on. I started putting the kitchen back together. Carynn went to bed around 1:30 AM and I stayed up and packed. I also couldn't resist doing some more "finishing" touches to the kitchen.

Can I have another WOW!

To be continued....

NS

PAINTAPALOOZA Preview

2010-01-30T07:48:00.000-08:00

One of the "reasons" (if we needed one) for Carynn to come was to help us brighten up our living spaces in our Utah home. Yes, she brightened it just with her smile and personality, but I'm talking about another kind of brightening here--paint!

While this (meaning Utah) home was well-thought out when it was built and was also well-maintained by the previous owner, it definitely was hiding or obscuring some of it's best features under a bushel because of its lack of color. EVERYTHING is painted white. The countertops are even white laminate. The ceramic tile in the entry is white. The kitchen cabinets are also white washed, AND the outside of the house is white stucco; so we knew that we'd be adding some color. Last year's visit (nearly 2 1/2 months) went by so quickly and I was overwhelmed at the thought of painting. I think too that it's good to "live" in a space before you decide to make some changes. That way you get a feel for how light and shadows affect the space.

So last year no painting happened, but a few other "permanent" cosmetic changes (light fixtures, valances) did. Now it's time for (drum roll please) PAINTAPALOOZA!

NS

Settling In

2010-01-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

After our arrival in Southern Utah it was time to reacquaint ourselves and acquaint Carynn and Ty to some of the area's beautiful and unusual attractions. I also considered it my motherly "duty" to introduce Carynn to my favorite places.

With those thoughts in mind, Tuesday morning we headed out to show Carynn and Ty the park. We bought our yearly pass ($75.00-expensive, yes, but good for ALL Utah state parks) and as we drove through the park we pointed out some of the features. We drove to an overlook just outside the park boundaries and Michael (and Carynn) took some pictures. It being an overlook with a tremendous drop, both Carynn and I were in what I like to call, "Keep Ty from injuring himself mode." As he's an avid explorer this is not always an easy task. Ty enjoyed his exploring and we kept our eyes open to things (rocks, cactus, dangerous drop-offs) that could hurt him. This did not stop him from enjoying his exploratory forays at all, and yes, he did fall a time or two; but nothing that was injurious to him or our mental health.

On our way back through the park we stopped at the dunes. Ty LOVED the dunes! We made a mental note to come back with shovel and bucket so he could dig to his heart's content. What made everything so much more enjoyable was that it was over 50 degrees so we were comfortable in our sweatshirts and you could actually be outside without freezing.

THAT is the reason we have come south again for the winter. We're so glad that Carynn and Ty can experience that with us.

NS

Road Trip Part 2 Idaho Falls to Southern Utah

2010-01-24T19:18:00.001-08:00

Monday's a new day. We all wake up early bright-eyed and bushy tailed. After breakfasting on yogurt, granola, juice and doughnuts we load back up and begin the second a final part of our journey. We had great weather yesterday and are blessed with great weather again today. (That's one of the reasons that we left on Sunday versus Monday or Saturday-trying to get past the passes before the next storm system came through.)

We retained the same configuration for the last part of our journey; it had worked so well. The roads were fine and we made good time.

When we were an hour or so North of Salt Lake City Bret called. He and Laura had flown there for Christmas and he stayed since he had business meetings to attend later the first week of January and she had to get back to Seattle for her job. We determined to meet Bret at the South Towne Mall. This was almost a deja vu kind of experience as South Towne was "our" mall when we lived in Sandy, Utah. It was wonderful to connect with Bret before he headed to Brazil. We enjoyed an early lunch; Ty enjoyed the kids area and running around the mall. Michael (Papa) bought some tokens and Ty really had fun riding the little carousel that they have near the food court at the mall. Claire stayed in the car and did fine;she sleeps most of the time anyway. Before we left the mall Bret greeted her and gave her a love. She's been a good dog and even with her foibles as an elderly dog (canine dementia,etc. see also Road Trip Part 1) she is a well loved member of the family. It was wonderful spending time with our son. We missed seeing Laura, but hope to see both of them in February.

We left South Towne after an hour and a half and drove straight through to Cedar City where we fueled up. The final 45 minutes went quickly and then we were here! It was later afternoon. We did trips to the store for much needed groceries and also much needed child proofing supplies.

Glad to be done driving!

NS

Road Trip Part 1 Home to Idaho Falls

2010-01-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

8:30 AM Sunday morning January 3, 2010-- Doors (to the house) are locked; thermostats (plural) turned down; toilets winterized; Jamie's left for their home; we're in the car and ready to go. Seat belts buckled: check. Prayer said: check. Let's go!

We start out in in what I like to call the standard parent/child configuration-Michael's driving, I'm at shotgun, Ty's in the back seat behind Michael, Claire is in the middle and Carynn is behind me. We get maybe 50 feet out of the driveway and Carynn calls out something like, "Ooh gross, Claire just pooped on the seat." We pull over, I get rid of the poop, Carynn and I do a switcheroo and everyone else retains their original positions. The dog is still somewhat disoriented. (She has issues occasionally. Unfortunately this is one of those occasions.) Somewhere between home and Montana I move her from the seat to the floor. Which is a good thing because when we get out to stretch our legs and fuel up, what I think is leftover poop smell is actually NEW poop smell. By this time I'm not feeling too charitably towards the dog. She does eventually settle down though so that's good for all of us. In fact, now that she's taken care of business (twice) she seems to have run out of ammunition, so to speak.

We discover early on that Ty can just barely reach the portable DVD player with his foot (since Michael needs to have his seat all the way back because he has long legs) and that's not a good thing, so I change the position of the DVD player by balancing it on the small ice chest just out of reach of any of his body parts. Ty's favorite movies this trip are the Ice Age sequels. He calls them the "elephant" movies. We also watch parts of WallE and Cars during this part of the trip. We enjoy our sandwiches and other snacks, but Ty doesn't really nap. I have a few tricks up my sleeve with some new books and small toys for Ty. I've also brought our magnetic letters for him to play with. These end up being more of a mess as Ty has discovered that when he puts things (toys, magnetic letters, books) in the slot in the arm rest, they disappear until we either stop or I undo my seat belt and do the long stretch over him to retrieve whatever it is he's dropped down the slot. He's not being malicious mind you, just curious and finding out about cause and effect.

Our stop for the night is a Motel 6 in Idaho Falls. They're pet and child friendly. We found out from the friendly desk clerk (she really was nice, I'm not being sarcastic.) that if we drive just a mile or so more there's a McDonald's with a great Playland so that Ty can play and get the kinks out. We do the drive, get our food and Ty enjoys the Playland. Between their trip to Oregon for Christmas and now this trip Ty's been cooped up for significant periods of time. He's been a champ about it, but it's really great when he can play as he's more of a doer than a sitter. He also caught some kind of upper respiratory thing from his Oregon cousins, so that he's in a good mood at all is a blessing.

After Ty's getting ready to go to bed ritual: jammies, teeth brushed, fluoride and book read, it's time for prayer and he's down for the night. We all get comfortable and after Ty's asleep Carynn opens the connecting door and goes to sleep herself. Michael and I settle down (Claire does too) and it's good night for all of us.

We're halfway there!

NS

Road Trip Preparation

2010-01-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

You're probably asking yourself why I'm devoting a post to Road Trip Preparation. Well, it's been a while since we've done a road trip with an elderly dog, our married daughter, her 2 year old son and ourselves. Wait a minute...We've never done a road trip with the aforementioned variables. There definitely was a great deal of thought into the details of packing and preparing for a 1000 mile journey and being away from our home for 4 months.
WHAT TO BRING:
1. Since our return last year from southern Utah I had been accumulating needed items (note this is MY definition of need, it may not be yours or my husband's) in a large plastic covered container. As I'd come across something, I'd pop it in there. The container was getting pretty heavy, so a few weeks before we left I moved the bin to the garage floor. All kinds of miscellaneous items were placed in the bin, and later near and on top of the bin.
2. As we're traveling with a young child we needed items for his comfort, which would also be for our comfort. To rephrase an old saying: When a two-year-old isn't happy then no one's happy. These items included: Portable DVD player and assorted movies; miscellaneous snacks; small toys and books, one blankey and one bear (Elmo). In addition to these items were the necessities-diapers, wipes, and 2 sippy cups (in case one gets temporarily misplaced). We also travelled with an umbrella stroller and brought the jogger so Ty could go on bike rides with us when we got to Utah.
3. Clothing-Since Michael had left some clothes there, he didn't bring quite so many clothes as I did. I left very little there (a robe, some slippers, and a few long sleeved shirts) so I brought quite a bit with me. Between us, we had 1 large suitcase, 1 garment bag, 1 duffle with shoes in it and a garbage sack (easiest way to pack) of jackets and outerwear.
4. Claire's stuff-Since we were traveling with Claire we had items for her comfort as well as her food. We were a bit surprised that she hadn't passed away since she nearly did the week of Melinda and Landan's wedding. She's rallied and so we had her food, an extra bag of her food and her blanket. We also brought her sweater which she hates to wear, but in case it got cold we wanted her to have it. We brought two leashes and because we didn't have room for her dishes, we used plastic ones.
5. Stuff to work on while we're in Utah-Michael brought our scanner so that he could continue the task of scanning all of our photos. He's made great progress, and wants to continue to do so. I brought a sewing machine that Carynn gave me. It's newer than the one I brought down last year. I also included a tote bag of cross stitch kits and yarn and a knitting frameso I could make some knit hats for the Humanitarian group that's very active in Padre Lakes.
5. Small ice chest with sub sandwiches, yogurt, cream cheese and soda pop. In addition to these items I had a tote bag with crackers, granola and raisins for all of us to share.
6. Carynn and Ty's stuff- Besides the things I've already mentioned-Carynn and Ty had one large suitcase and a duffle bag that included his lifejacket.
7. Three bicycles and the bike rack to mount them on the back of the Yukon. Bike helmets, gloves, etc. were tossed in the back.
8. Lest we forget-we each had our carry-on items. Those things of either sentimental or material value, plus what we needed for our planned overnight stop in Idaho Falls that we wanted close at hand. Besides the scanner (see item 5) Michael brought our cameras (digital and video), our laptop, and our ipods. My keep-it-close-to-me bag held Michael's medical info, our bills and other correspondence, my scriptures and whatever I thought of at the last moment to put in there. My purse I kept separately. I'm not exactly sure what was in Carynn and Ty's carry-on but know that it included what they'd need for the two day trip that they didn't want buried in the back with the rest of their clothes, etc.
9. Random stuff like the shovel I threw in just in case we got stuck in snow, an end table to assemble to go along with the rockers that our friends the Billingsleys had kindly dropped off and placed in our garage, the pillows for the rockers and some other decorative items to hang on walls or display.
10. The kitchen sink (Just kidding).
HOW TO FIT IT ALL IN:
I had begun packing the vehicle on Thursday and Friday. I ended up unpacking it on Saturday so we could try to rearrange what was already in there and try to fit it Carynn and Ty's things. If you look over the list again, you'll see that we could either fit the "stuff" in or the people and dog in. I was stressing out when Jamie and Carynn said, "You have a rack on top, why don't you use it?" I dismissed their suggestion because I didn't want to buy an expensive car carrier. They left to get a piece for the DVD player and when they returned with the piece and an expandable soft-sided vinyl roof top carrier; AND it only cost $40.00. I was very relieved and gladly reimbursed them the 40 bucks. We filled the carrier up, Jamie strapped it on top of the Yukon and voila we had enough room in the vehicle for us to sit, maybe not comfortably, but at least we could all fit in. I had had visions of us looking like the Beverly Hillbillies as we drove down the road, so I was very pleased that the only outward signs that we were filled to capacity were the bike rack and the perfectly respectable roof top carrier.

Melinda, Landan and Landan's friend Justin had joined us for dinner that night (we celebrated Melinda's 20th birthday early with one of her favorite meals, plus presents, cake and ice cream) and left late in the evening. Carynn, Jamie and Ty enjoyed the birthday dinner and festivities (Carynn made a yummy cake too) and spent the night so we could get an early start in the morning. I stayed up late working on Melinda and Landan's wedding scrapbook, not done but coming along nicely, and hit the hay very tired, but as ready for our journey as I'd ever be. Michael went to bed earlier than all of us, but stayed awake until I joined him.

Stay tuned for Road Trip Part 1

NS

Happy New Year

2010-01-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

As the stake YW presidency was reorganized-Jenna stayed as President, the rest of us were released-my New Year's Eve was freed up from responsibility. A friend invited us over to celebrate and ring in the New Year with the thought that we wouldn't have to ACTUALLY stay at the party until midnight if we didn't want to. The food was great, the company wonderful and yes, we headed home near 10 PM. So true to her promise, our friend had us all do a countdown, we drank sparkling whatever (they had numerous choices-I stuck with apple cider), blew our horns threw our streamers and then headed home. According to one of the other attendees the party broke up around 10:30 PM with another mini-celebration of the New Year before they left.

Michael and I did watch the ball drop at Times Square and both of us were sad that Dick Clark, that perennial teenager, still has communication issues from his stroke a few years back. Part of me applauds his bravery at still participating in the New Year hoopla on a lesser level, another part of me wishes that he wouldn't.

Carynn, Jamie and Ty made it back safely from Medford. As we're leaving for southern Utah on January 3rd (Carynn and Ty with us), the last part of 2009 has been getting ready for our journey. I did say goodbye to a dear friend-Cynthia J. and her family are moving to Logan the first part of January. They'll be missed.

Happy New Year!

NS

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

With Carynn, Jamie and Ty going to Medford; Bret and Laura to Salt Lake City and Lynette and her boyfriend Sam staying on the Westside to Christmas with his parents; our only children in town were our newlyweds, Melinda and Landan. They had Christmas Eve with his parents and came to visit us for Christmas. Christmas we were able to speak with everyone else by phone, including Michael's dad in Texas.

We were blessed however to be able to have extended family come visit. My sister Erin, her daughter (Taurie), and my mother arrived around 8:00 PM Christmas night. My sister Karra, her husband Carl and their children: Isaac, Preston, Colton and Kloey were in very late (11 PM) that night too. It was wonderful they could come!

Saturday, the 26th, on Melinda and Landan's recommendation we decided to catch Avatar at the downtown IMAX. We ordered our tickets online for the first showing (11:30 AM) and for Kloey-Carl bit the bullet (usually Colton volunteers) to be Kloey's escort to see the Chipmunk Squeaquel. Those that weren't seeing Avatar opted for Sherlock Holmes. We arrived early for the movie, I picked up the tickets from the pre-order kiosk and after waiting somewhat patiently, everyone arrived and we dispersed to our movies. Avatar ended up selling out so I was so glad that we had pre-ordered our tickets. A good time was had by all.

It being the day after Christmas, traffic was horrendous trying to leave the mall. After the movie we decided to drive to REI, Melinda and Landan (in their car) too. The cousins were going to shop for Isaac (the soon to be missionary) and for sales. Because Michael had snagged a great parking space (on one of the lower levels) we were out fairly quickly. We never ended up meeting up with Melinda and Landan because it took them OVER an hour to get out of the parking garage and our REI stop was brief.

We always like to play games when the cousins come. In this instance we did a repeat of Bananagrams. Landan was a multiple winner as were Erin and Karra. Sadly, though I know many words, I couldn't quite put it together (that's a great pun if you know about Bananagrams), put still had a good time.

Erin and Karra did dinner for Saturday night, Fritoladas. Sunday evening we celebrated Preston's 17th birthday a day early with Chicken Alfredo and Spaghetti. Instead of a traditional birthday cake I made Blueberry Muffin Cake with Vanilla Sauce. Very yummy. I've decided that warm vanilla sauce is one of my favorite things. The recipe is one I got from Tomoko Simons when we lived in California. If she ever writes a cookbook (she has said she'd like to) I'll be first in line to purchase it.

My Uncle Tom's 90th birthday celebration was scheduled for Monday the 28th in Mesa, Arizona. Since we weren't able to be there I called him earlier in the week and arranged for the family to talk to him on Sunday night. We all were able to do that. He's such a good man. He was a wonderful husband to my aunt Georga, who passed away nearly 3 years ago. He remains actively engaged and faithful in all things. As I said, a very good man.

The family started dispersing on Monday. Karra and her family had basketball practice, etc. so they left Monday morning. Erin, Taurie and Mom were able to stay until Tuesday, it was great that they could. It's still hard for me to imagine "little" Taurie a college freshman. My how time flies. Mom wasn't feeling that well for the visit, but enjoyed having everyone around. It was poignant for me as I won't probably be seeing Isaac for a while since he leaves for Brazil on February 10.

Merry Christmas!

NS

Relax!

2009-12-22T08:13:00.001-08:00

Carynn tells me that "Relax" is one of Ty's new favorite words. He uses it when he's trying to get his mom or someone else to stop what they're doing and do something with him.

I had found this little wooden sign that said "Relax" (78 cents)at Michael's craft store in their clearance aisle. I love to go cruising for treasure at Michael's clearance aisle. I had put the little sign away with my potential gifts in the sewing room. Of course after what Carynn told me I had to get it and give it to Ty, which I did last week. He likes it. Last Saturday he was carrying it around at his house.

So follow Ty's advice this busy time of year and RELAX!

Love,
NS

Tunnels and Tents

2009-12-22T08:05:00.001-08:00

Last week Michael and I stopped off at Carynn and Jamie's for a quick visit as we were out and about in the valley. We invited ourselves to lunch enjoying some delicious left over stew (Thank you Carynn!).

After lunch we all decided to take naps, pretend naps. Michael was already laying on the floor (He wasn't feel too perky-all those medical issues that we're addressing right now.), Carynn was sitting in their overstuffed chair and I was on the couch. Ty decided he'd take his pretend nap with Papa. He shared his stuffed bear (not Elmo, but another one) for Papa's pillow. Carynn threw the throw over them and we (and Ty) made our pretend sleep noises. Picture how they do that on cartoons. That was our version. So after pretend naps it was time to play in the tunnel.

I thought we were playing in a tent not a tunnel. Let me explain...Whenever our children would throw a blanket, quilt or sheet over themselves or a table, etc. we always called that a "tent." Well Ty calls it a tunnel and he said that when we pulled the throw over our heads. So he played in the tunnel and I laid in the tunnel. All for about ten seconds.

What fun!

NS

Happy Thanks-Christmas!

2009-12-05T08:02:00.001-08:00

It was our turn to have the children celebrate Thanksgiving with us this year as they had celebrated Christmas with us last year. All's fair, etc., etc. So here's how the scheduling went:
Carynn, Jamie and Ty live in town so no problem
Melinda and Landan live in town so no problem
Lynette and boyfriend Sam took off work so no problem
Bret and Laura had Thanksgiving off so no problem

So with so many no problems-how did it all work? Well, becyond the plans made there is the actual reality. So this is how it REALLY worked:
Bret and Laura both had to work on Black Friday so that meant that it wasn't worth it for them to drive 5 hours on Wednesday night (or Thursday morning) to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday and then go back Thursday night so we opted to do Thanksgiving on Saturday instead of Friday.
Lynette and Sam decided that since Bret and Laura weren't coming over until Saturday, that they'd drive over Friday afternoon/evening and therefore spent Thanksgiving itself with friends.
Since we weren't going to do Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving, Melinda and Landan had Thanksgiving dinner with Landan's parents.
Michael and I joined Carynn, Jamie and Ty for an "alternative" Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving. We had cornish game hens, rice pilaf, asparagus with hollandaise sauce and yummy pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.

So Saturday we had our combined Thanks-Christmas. (We'd already decided that we'd do our Christmas gift exchange over Thanksgiving. Here was the schedule:
Friday night: Lynette, Sam and doggies Sammy and Daisey arrive
Early Saturday afternoon: Bret and Laura arrive
3:00 PM All are at our home for family pictures. Photo session wasn't very long as Ty's patience wasn't very long.
4:15 PM Traditional Thanksgiving dinner with everyone helping to either cook, set up, clean up or eat!
5:30 PM Decorating the Christmas tree
6:00 PM Opening Christmas gifts-We started with Ty's gifts as his bedtime is early.
7:00 PM (or son) Time for Ty to go to bed, we finish opening gifts.
Later on-We all enjoyed pumpkin pie or cheesecake, watching movies (UP and Cars), I was the recipient of a pedicure (Bliss!)Bret helped Michael on his computer and in general we were ALL in the same place, at the same time for about 12 plus hours.

It was short, it was sweet, but it was great! (It's also "weird" to be done with Christmas shopping so early. I kind of like it. It totally turns the focus to other things. Perhaps we should do this every year!

Happy Thanks-Christmas to all!

NS

"I'm Running." " I'm Okay."

2009-11-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned in a previous post (can't remember if I did for sure or not and too lazy to look) that when Carynn and Ty accompanied Jamie on a day long business trip they stopped along the way for Ty to stretch his legs. Well, he stretched them all right! They stopped at Lowe's and let him run through the aisles. Since then, Carynn tells me, Ty ALWAYS wants to run; especially when he's in a store. That doesn't always happen, but when it can, he enjoys it tremendously. I saw that the other day when they stopped by to see how Michael was doing (Michael had some outpatient sinus surgery). I met them outside as I was about to get the mail. Carynn called out to Ty-"On your mark, get set, go!" and he started running towards me. He called out as he ran, "Im running!"

When I had the mail safely gathered, Ty was ready to turn around and do the return trip back towards the house. He ran and fell. He didn't "bonk" his head, but landed with his hands out in front of him. His coat broke his fall too. What was cute/funny was that he called out "I'm Okay" immediately when he fell before Carynn and I could even ask him if he was okay. He didn't really cry but was a bit sad and did appreciate kisses on his hands to make the owies all better. Then it was time to go into the house and see how Papa was doing.

I'm okay too!

Love, NS

Old Friends

2009-11-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity last week for a quick get-a-way. One of my friends, who lives in the Portland-Vancouver area, and I have been trying to have a good visit for nearly a year. That's how long she and her husband have been back from their three year church mission. We had seen each other briefly when I stopped to change planes in Portland, Oregon last winter which was nice, but not nearly long enough.

We used the occasion of their moving into their new (to them) home over the summer and needing some "help" fine tuning before the holidays as our "reason" for my visit. It was so wonderful to spend some time with her and to help her out a bit too. I've known their family for over twenty years and have been her friend for at least twenty years. Don't get me wrong, I did work my buns off (which they needed and still do-but that's another story) but it was so nice to jump right back in to that easy comradeship that we've always had.

I was also able to re-connect with another of my friends. I've known her nearly as long as my aforementioned friend. We stood at the bus stop together with our then kindergarteners. That particular kindergartener is now 25. My friend has had her share of trials and challenges. Her character is "true at all times" and though she does not share my faith, she has a strong sense of faith. This has helped her particularly over the past year with her mother's failing health. We had salsa with chips (always a favorite of mine) and spent a happy evening. She texted me after I got back home to let me know that her mother had finally passed away. I do not mean to be insensitive, but her mother had been in hospice care for eight months. I am sad for my friend, but grateful that her mother has finally completed her earthly test. I would say that my friend has definitely passed the test as well as she has remained a dutiful, caring daughter during this trying time.

I still remember the round we used to sing in Girl Scouts. It went, "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." I didn't learn the rest of the song until I was older, but I like it just as well. It goes, "A circle is round. It has no end. That's how long I want to be your friend."

Friends are a blessing, and we can be a blessing to our friends.

NS

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

2009-11-12T07:08:00.001-08:00

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Ty remains facinated with planes, trains, automobiles, trucks, heavy equipment and earth movers. We had brought back an an old three piece wooden train set that the previous owners had left at the cabin. Michael sanded it where their dog (I'm assuming it was their dog) had gnawed on it at one time or another. We "debuted" it when Carynn and Ty came over for dinner last week. (Jamie was studying for this HUGE test he's taking next week.)

Immediately upon seeing it Ty dropped down to his knees, called out, "chugga chugga choo choo" and then the word "broken" -since the train doesn't have any couplers (yet) joining the three pieces together. We used two small, but not swallowable (is swallowable a word?)chain links as a stop gap to solve that problem. They were easy for Ty to take on and off, but they'll keep the pieces connected until Michael makes wooden couplers. He had fun guiding the train around the rug in the family room, calling out "chugga chugga choo choo" and taking them apart and putting them back together.

Isn't transportation wonderful?

NS

Puzzle Time

2009-11-12T07:03:00.000-08:00

Ty has enjoyed the puzzles that we've had for forever. Okay, not forever, but some of them date back to at least Melinda's tender years. It has been fun for me to observe how his manual dexterity has increased over time. At first, I would need to put the animals or objects into their correct places in the puzzle tray with Ty identifying them. Now the shoe, or the puzzle piece, is on the other foot.

Just yesterday, Ty brought the two wooden tray puzzles that we have into the kitchen and sat down with me. He dumped them both out at the same time and I held the bases while he deftly maneuvered the pieces into place. He would twirl the piece around and then "pop" it where it needed to go and then quickly move on to the next piece. Sometimes he, or I, would make the sounds associated with the puzzle piece whether it was an animal or some other object.

Puzzle time is fun!

NS

Halloween

2009-11-12T06:50:00.000-08:00

Carynn had been working with Ty on acclimating him to his tiger costume for over a month. She had it hanging on the coat rack and would occasionally have him put it on and do a "dry run" for Halloween. Bright girl! :)

So now it is finally time for the big night after the birthday fun. (He really didn't want to stop playing with his toys at all!) Carynn popped him into his darling tiger costume. He looked SO cute. He had worn it for a longer time the night before when their ward from church had a "trunk or treat" in the church parking lot. As he'd been practicing saying "trick or treat" for a while (and also "thank you") the trunk or treat had been a successful adventure.

As we were sitting around waiting for the right time to take Ty around the neighborhood we tried to coax him into leaving his tiger "hood" up. He would have none of that though as he still was playing with his toys. When it became evident that it was nearly time to go, he finally allowed his mom to pull up his hood and then the cute little tiger (with the cute little tail) was ready for doorbell ringing and treat receiving.

Just around this time, unbenownst to anyone, Michael had slipped out the sliding door and had snuck around to the front door. We had all been wondering when the first trick-or-treater would make their appearance, but we were all VERY surprized when Jamie opened the front door and their was Michael on his knees, saying sweetly, "Trick-or-treat!" We all had a hearty laugh at that one. And then it was time for Ty and his entourage to go hit the neighborhood for sweets.

I had volunteered to stay home and handle the trick-or-treaters that came to C. & J.'s, but the others headed out with cameras and coats and the adorable tiger. They weren't gone very long, because Ty is only 2 and he doesn't need a ton of treats. So it was probably less than thirty minutes before they were back and Ty was ringing his own doorbell. He was so cute. After his treat from me he closed the door with him (and everyone else) still on the outside. He also did that for some of the neighbors too after they gave him his treat. He was polite-saying "trick-or-treat" and "thank you," but after the pleasantries were over at each place, he was ready to move on.

His parents didn't allow him very much candy and he went to bed not too long past his normal bedtime. The rest of us enjoyed watching movies downstairs.

Halloween this year was so much fun! It included a "trick" (Michael's antics at their front door) and plenty of "treats" (family fun and candy too)!

NS

Ty's Birthday

2009-11-12T06:38:00.000-08:00

Notice that there are two separate postings. One is for Ty's birthday the other for Halloween. I did that because that's how we celebrated it. I was very pleased that Carynn and Jamie decided to commemorate Ty's birthday BEFORE we all got into the Halloween festivities. :)

C. and J. opted to NOT have a birthday party for Ty this year. He had a HUGE 1st birthday party so I was personally glad that they decided that as I don't think a child (any child) needs a huge party every birthday. It was just family this year and though their siblings were invited it ended up just being those of us that lived in town.

We started off with a "Ty friendly dinner"- pizza. That was followed by a birthday cake decorated as a car-including oreos for tires since some of Ty's favorite things have continued to be planes, trains and automobiles.

It was so fun watching Ty "catch of vision" of opening birthday presents. The first one that he opened was a seek-and-find book Michael and I had gotten for him centered around the movie "Cars" which is also one of his current favorites. He was so excited that he started shaking and then he didn't want to give the book up so he could open something else. I think the next thing he opened was a Tonka ambulance, complete with noise, from Auntie Melinda and her new husband, Landan. Talk about an instant favorite! He didn't want to put that one down either, but by this time he "got it" - that the bags and boxes wrapped in bright paper were for HIM. It was fun to watch him and Carynn and Jamie too as he opened his gifts.

He had practiced blowing out candles at our house since I often have scented candles burning, so he had that down pat. We all enjoyed the cake and ice cream and then adjourned to C. and J's living room so that Ty could play with his new toys before it was time to get him into his costume for the rest of the night.

It was a fun birthday for all!

NS

2 year anniversaries

2009-10-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Actually we have 2- 2 year anniversaries this month. Today marks the day when Bret Thomas and Laura Elizabeth were joined for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. It has been a blessing to watch how they have lived their life as a married couple. I see great strength and love for each other. I have witnessed the humor that they enjoy-which never seems to come at one another's expense. They've had some challenges (car problems, finishing their bachelor's degrees, employment and more) but as far as I've been able to see (as I'm somewhat at a distance) they continue to be equally yoked as a couple-one not trying to pull ahead of the other and working together to build their lives. Though they don't need it, they have my blessing.

Our other 2 year anniversary this month is the arrival of our sweet grandson, Ty Michael. I remember at Bret and Laura's wedding when we were anxiously anticipating his birth and praying that the young woman that had committed to placing him with Carynn and Jamie would follow through.

I think of that young woman often and wish her well. Her choice has brought so much joy into our lives, I pray that she has continued to find peace with her decision to place Ty for adoption and that she has also continued to progress in her life choices.

The festivities for Ty's second birthday won't be as huge as those for his first birthday. (I kind of hope Carynn and Jamie will decide to do what Michael and I did-our children had a friend birthday party one year and then a smaller family celebration the following year. Of course there were exceptions for "landmark" birthdays.)But though the celebration may have fewer people participating it does not mean that there is not quite a bit of planning and love going into his party. We're looking forward to being there.

Have a great week!
NS

Cringe

2009-10-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Ouch! I looked at the last date that I posted and I thought, "Where did the time go?"
Of course I know exactly where it went...Spending time with our children and grandson, a ward conference, getting ready for a stake meeting, two day trips to the cabin (Michael to help with the docks, the winterizing we did October 9 in preparation for the cold) and one short overnight trip. I also participated in our Young Women Stake Meeting last night which had a lot of preparation time, working on cleaning and organizing my craft room (again), writing a TON of thank you notes, teaching a lesson in Young Women, trips up and down the hill for shopping, church, planting bulbs at the temple and of course all of those mundane everyday tasks like dishes, wash, vacuuming, doctor appointments, and much more.

Time for another post!
NS

What I learned on our Fall Vacation

2009-10-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

I had initially termed this trip our "American Revolution Fall Color Church History Sports Tour." It was that and so much more. Historical architecture, pre-American Revolution and American Revolution events, gorgeous trees and beaches, light houses in stone and metal and glass, quaint bridges, sacred places, sports heroes and more.

Our trip was a masterwork of preparation by my husband. I didn't realize, when Michael was briefing me prior to the trip, just how much work he had put into planning it. Yes, we did put 3100 miles on the car, and with all the ground we covered and everything we saw I know we did indeed drive those 3100 miles. But the way that Michael ahd organized and planned our stops, it wasn't a burden to drive those miles.

I enjoyed this time with my husband. It had been an incredibly busy summer and September had started that way as well; it was wonderful to reconnect with him beyond our usual day-to-day routine. I enjoyed the opportunity of getting more than a glimpse of New England. I gained an even greater appreciation for the sacrifices and challenges that those that paved the way for our country and our faith made and that have directly impacted my life.

I wore a t-shirt at our Young Women Camp in 2008 with my camp name on it. I had chosen "Thankful" because I am thankful for my many blessings. Now that shirt would have to say "Profoundly Thankful."

NS