Uganda be kidding me!

Well, summer is in full swing around here.  We have been keeping our goal of reading the scriptures every day for 30 minutes, but my other goals of learning Spanish, doing math, holding a cooking class, and practicing photography have fallen by the wayside.  The days are literally zooming right on by!  One kink in our schedule was that Charles spontaneously up and went to Uganda of all places!  It all started on June 7 and a ward campout.  There is a man whose wife is a member, but he is not so not everyone knows him very well.  He was sitting off to the side by himself, so Matthew decided to go sit by him.  Soon Charles, who hadn't wanted to come at all, wandered over to sit by them, too.  I had gone on a little jaunt around a lake with the littles and when I returned, they informed me that Charles was going to accompany him to Africa on June 17.  I, of course, thought they were joking and responded in the most suitable fashion for such nonsense: ignoring them completely.  I guess it wasn't a joke.  This man, Paul Anderson, has invented a stove that can be used without wood or coal.  Coal is very messy burning inside houses and causes breathing problems, among other things; and wood is the responsibility of women and children to gather.  With deforestation, they have to go further and further afield to find any and become the prey of both animals and men from other tribes.  So, his stove can use alternate forms of fuel.  This trip he is working with a group from the University of Ohio and they will mostly be working with one particular village.  He is also going to be helping this man's son, Simon, with some videography.  We have been praying and pondering for ways to get Charles to wake up, as it were, and feel like this opportunity is an answer to prayer.  We haven't heard much from him so I'm not quite sure how it is going.  Here is the one email I've received from him:

All we did yesterday was explore Kampala and today we're starting the
filming process, I have a lot of pictures and I'll tell you all about it
when I get back, I'm not very good with messages longer than text messages
so yeah..

I guess we'll hear all about it when he gets back! 

june joys

Ahhhh, school is out and it is time for summer!!!!  I love letting go of the rush, rush, rush of the school year and its constraints on our time and togetherness.  And the last week has been 90% bliss and 10% WOULD YOU STOP LAYING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HALLWAY AND JUST FINISH CLEANING YOUR ROOM LIKE I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF SATURDAYS FOR PETE'S SAKE!  So I should probably work on that.  It has been so nice for the little boys especially, to have their sisters here to play with them.

Our big news is that Eleanor got her mission call!   I am so excited for her!  It took her a lot longer to finish up her application papers than we anticipated and I feel like I've been anxiously awaiting the "where" since last October!  She is going to Anaheim, CA Spanish speaking.  I must admit that I really expected her to go somewhere foreign.  I mean, she would have no trouble with culture adaptation -- she really seemed like a prime candidate.  And so many people in my family have gone to really exotic places...  I also realized that I had truly expected her to go to Japan.  It was a hope that I have had ever since we lived there.  She had become fluent in the language after attending two years of school there, but had promptly lost it when we returned to the United States.  I knew that a mission would be just the thing to awaken the latent language hiding somewhere in the deep folds and tissues.  I know I should have had no expectation whatsoever because for my whole life if I really want something and overthink it, it doesn't happen.  Fortunately, I'm generally pretty pessimistic so it works out for me.  For instance, when I'm pregnant I always anticipate that my baby will be some freak of nature.  Every time I've thought, "This time, the baby won't be cute.  Our others are cute, we've played the lottery, and we can't possibly win again."  So, of course, each one has been absolutely adorable!  Or I was quite sure that Matthew couldn't possibly be one of the three candidates chosen for the Masters program at Dartmouth or that he'd get the job here or that I'd ever get married.  Other things that I did think for sure would happen like me getting my PhD or someday reaching my ideal weight -- nope!  Another really fortunate thing is that the Lord usually prepares me for things.  I dreamt we were moving to Japan before we found out, I knew deep down that I was going to become the RS president, and I had a dream last week about Ella's mission call.  I dreamt that she was on a floor above me behind a glass wall and opened her letter.  She called down "It's Spanish speaking!"  I yelled back, "But where?"  "It doesn't say!"  "What?  Just throw it over the glass wall!"  So she did and it was just a rough draft of their decision making process and not the final letter at all.  It was funny and I told Matthew and Ella about it.  Matthew had faith in my vision and so when we did a family lottery of guessing where she was going, he put Arizona Spanish speaking so he was the closest!  And also, I wasn't surprised or disappointed or anything when she told me.  And she is really excited as well.  She admitted that she was a little nervous to go abroad anyway.  She also has a few health issues so this will all be for the best, I'm sure.  Last week when I was getting a little impatient she told me, "Mom, it has been decided long before now so just relax."  So now we just need to get her ready and I have to prepare myself for the reality of not being able to call her -- wah!

Matthew took Charles and Lucy to a concert in Milwaukee so it is just me and the littles.  My teenagers are great in a general way, but it is sometimes nice to have them away for a bit.  They can be intense!

My stresses at the moment are my garden -- blasted bunnies keep eating everything!  My beans were growing like crazy and they just ate them down to stumps.  Same with the eggplants.  Are they stupid?  Don't they know that if they let the plant get big there will be more food?  Complete morons the lot of them!!!  They've also stripped the bark off of two raspberry bushes and a pear tree -- I have no hope for them at all.  Planting a garden is such a mind game for me.  I can picture the bounty and the harvest before I even procure the seed packets and bare roots.  I dream about the sun warmed tomatoes and crisp cucumbers.  I can practically taste the strawberries... oh yeah!  They completely uprooted my strawberry plants!  It's just destruction, they didn't even eat anything.  Mr. McGregor is my new literary hero.  Bah humbug!

I had such a wonderful day today!  It started with Matthew letting me sleep in a bit and then being woken my arguing outside my door -- should they come in?  Was I still asleep?  I heard them retreating back down the stairs so I called to them that I was awake and was presented with a beautiful and bounteous breakfast in bed.  There were eggs, sausages, tomatoes, and a vase of flowers in the corner.  Phin came in distraught because he's still been sleeping and hadn't given me my card, but I assured him I was still accepting gifts so he ran and got it for me.  The front of the card was covered with birds, bird houses, and flowers "because I know you wuv all of those things mom."  And he kept hugging me.  He is so sweet!  So I felt kind of bad when I yelled at him an hour later for peeing on the rug in his room -- but come on!  He is five!

My gift was a great lens for my camera -- finally!  I had bought it for myself a few weeks ago, sheesh!  I was so excited to pull it out -- here are my first images:

Look at those gorgeous babies!  I just finished up an online photography course so I'm excited to try out the things I've learned.  If I can remember any of it.  My mind... I understand all of it at the time, but then later it's all cloudy and jumbled.  Hopefully with actually going out and doing I can make some pathways up in that noggin of mine.

Church was nice, well and not nice since it is my little one's naptime!!!  But we can't change that.  He took a nice little snooze in my amazing rose strewn wrap, and then went to nursery with daddy.  The men took over all of the women's jobs for the last hour which was super nice -- except that I had to prepare sharing time for the second hour anyway so... yeah, not that helpful as far as the stress level.  I'm a complainer.  

Everyone made me dinner and then we watched an episode of Psych together.  I talked to my Ella on the phone and all in all I am so grateful to be a mom.  And so fortunate and blessed that my kids are fabulous and my husband is awesome!  Woohoo!

wishing field

On Wednesday I went for my normal walk on the trail, but Phin came along which wasn't the usual because he doesn't like to come.  Frankly, I'm okay with him not coming when daddy is home, because he talks and talks and talks... However!  Often the things he says are so incredibly cute!  For instance, we came upon this field to the side of the trail:

 Can you see all of the dandelions?  And he exclaimed, "Mom!  Look at all of those wishes!"  Awww.  I love five year olds!  I saw weeds and he saw potential!

It is beautiful here right now.  We have had a cooler spring, which has had a lot of people complaining, but I love that the blossoms last a little longer than when it is warmer and I enjoy the occasional blustery day and I really prefer wearing a cute little cardigan to cover up my hefty upper arms.

easter!

We had a lovely Easter Sunday.  Church was very nice, we colored eggs, had a candy hunt -- all that was required!

 

a primer on politeness

Warning:  This is a rant.

Today I taught Joy School and one of the little boys was going on and on about how he was having a Birthday party, but that only two people were coming and all the fun things they were going to do.  I told him that it wasn't very nice to talk about something that not everyone was invited to.  He kept talking about it and then proceeded to talk about how one of his friends was coming over to play that afternoon, but that no one else could come.  I kindly reminded him of what I had said earlier, but he wouldn't stop so finally I pulled him aside and asked, "Are you trying to make people feel bad?"  He looked at me with his beautiful brown eyes, shook his head, and said, "No."  I replied that I knew that and that I knew that he was a very nice boy and that it wasn't polite to keep talking about things in front of people who weren't invited -- not that it was a secret, just that it was a little bit rude.  I know that I was probably being sensitive because my own son was one that was being excluded, and had been many times before by this same boy who he considers a friend.  I also know that this little boy isn't trying to be mean, he is just young and doesn't know better and he is probably just really excited about his friends.  

And yet -- and yet!  I wanted to also say -- and after your party don't post pictures of it all over the internet!  Adults do this on facebook all.the.time.  Otherwise completely lovely and kind people do this.  I have kept my mouth shut, but I cannot take it anymore!  It is as if, with the advent of facebook, all basic laws and rules of common courtesy and politeness have completely flown right out of the window and I'd like to rein it in, if you will.  I understand that people get excited about their own lives and activities.  I know that people who get offended about not being invited to things should grow up and not be so immature, but by that same token the other side is that people should not be so childish as to ignore the fact that they could be hurting other people's feelings.  It is a basic human need to feel accepted and included so no matter how people may try to not feel bad, sometimes they just can't help it.  And I know -- I know!  that you cannot invite 600 people with you every time you go out to dinner or have a game night at your house.  I completely understand that, but it is also not a requirement to plaster proof of those same events all over your wall if not everyone was invited.  In some cases that might be okay.  Say you're at a church event and you post some fun photos from that night.  Your neighbors aren't going to feel bad because they're not part of that group.  Or a family thing -- great, post away!  But if you're just having a get together with a few friends, why don't you just keep it to yourself?  There are lots of ways in which you can still express your excitement about that activity.  If you must do it on facebook there is a way to do a private message with all of those involved and you can even attach photos!  Alternatively, you could create a little group which only includes the exclusive group with whom you enjoy getting together.  Everyone can post pictures and have all kinds of conversations about all of the fun things that you do without everyone else!  You could send a text message -- most people can even get photos on their phones!  So you could have a lot of fun with that!  Or you could even call your friend and talk about what a great time you just had!  But if someone is with your friend, who wasn't invited, they might ask you to call back another time, because talking about it in front of them would be rude, right?  You could even take the old-fashioned route and go print photos from your fun night and send them by mail to your friend with a little note recounting all of the great things that you did together.  See?  So many options!  

Now I'm just going to pull you aside and say, Are you trying to make someone feel bad?  And you're going to look back at me with your beautiful eyes, through which I can see what kind of a person you are inside, and you're going to shake your head and say no.  No.  You don't want to make someone's stomach ache with hurt when they read your comment.  You don't want to make someone cry from loneliness or rejection when they see your picture.  It could be someone who is usually invited and wasn't that time, who wonders why they were left out, why they weren't chosen. Or perhaps you have one or two facebook friends who never get invited to anything and they just saw your post and feel completely horrible.  You don't want to make someone, anyone, feel like that do you?  No, no you don't.  So stop it!

my boys

Phin says the funniest things -- I just wish I could remember them all!  On Sunday afternoon I had switched out some of the summer and winter clothes because we were going to have such a warm week (ha) and he came running into my room on Monday morning shouting, "Mom!  There is something so creepy in my room!"  I thought, what could it be?  A spider? A mouse? A pirate?  What?  "There are a ton of short sleeved shirts in my drawer!"  Oh, yes, that is pretty creepy alright!

And Archie is starting to talk up a storm.  He will tell you all about cats and dogs, cars and trains... it is cute, but a little exhausting.

::Here is Phin showing off his hurt toe -- with an Angry Bird band-aid on it.

 ::And here is a cute little Archie for you to enjoy