We're Back!

Whew! That seemed like we were gone for a long time, but spending 68 hours in the car can do that. That is 68 hours of driving, not including stops, and we all still love each other. I will recap quickly. The first day we drove to Omaha and stopped at the Mormon Trail Visitors Center in Florence. What a great museum! A sister missionary gave us a tour and then we strolled through the cemetery and rolled down the hills at the temple. We then drove on and spent the night in Lincoln. Next day we drove to Denver to stay with Zach and Stacie. I called about an hour out to ask for directions to their house and discovered that they were expecting us the following week -- Oops! At least they didn't have to stress about our visit for more than 50 minutes. We had a really nice visit -- thanks! Next day a grueling journey over the mountains passes of Colorado with hail, hydroplaning, and vehicles sliding off the roads. Wasn't it July? We made it to Provo with an hour to spare before the family reunion dinner and loved seeing everyone there. Utah visits are always a little crazy and this was a shorter stop over than usual, but we tried to fit it all in and still relax a little. We went hiking, swimming, slept at the cabin, played games, went to Lagoon, shopping, out to eat at favorites, went to the temple... all in all successful. Then off to California stopping in Las Vegas for lunch (please remind me not to ever do that again). One day at the beach and then two oldest in surgery for wisdom teeth and more. Grandma took great care of everyone and is a marvelous smoothie maker. Then resting, a little sightseeing, temple attending then off again. On the way home a Grand Canyon drive by, some hikes at Mesa Verde, a beautiful drive though southern Colorado, Kansas (pretty clouds?), a lovely stop at Liberty Jail in Missouri, getting the stomach flu, pulling in at 3:00 a.m., trying to recover, get the kids to school, and watch as more people catch the stomach bug and drop one by one. I need a vacation from the vacation!

On the trip I noticed that I have fallen victim to some evolutionary quirk that makes nursing mothers squeamish. I think that it is so that you won't take unnecessary risks while you are primarily responsible for someone's life. I don't know, it is just a theory, but I am scared of everything! I am scared of heights on our hikes, and roller coasters at the amusement park, and water slides at the swimming pool, and waves at the beach, and steep mountain roads. Normally I am game for anything, so I am hoping that this will pass. My 75 year old mother had to go down the water slide first and tell me how fun it was -- I had even walked all the way backward through the line once I saw how high we were at the top -- lame!!! But then I did go down and it was fun once my heart stopped trying to beat right out of my chest. At the beach the kids were urging me to go out deeper, but I just couldn't for a while. Every thing my toes touched, every drop in the sand, made my stomach lurch. Each coming wave nearly sent me over the edge, but when I safely came down the other side enough times I finally got in the rhythm and had a great time. And then of course I start fantasizing about just tossing my life plans to the wind and becoming a surfer. I just love the sounds out there -- the rush of water as a wave approaches and then the hush as it passes. And it is beautiful with water all around -- enough frothy white bubbles to literally hold you aloft and push you to the shore, the closest I have ever felt to flying, and in the next moment so still and clear that you can see the ocean floor several feet down. Mmmm. Well, back in Illinois now.

School started yesterday. Summer was much, much too short. First grade girl wasn't too excited to go back to school and kept having to bite her lip to keep from crying as I dropped her off. I told her I would wait until the teacher took them to their classes, but I couldn't look at her. Every glance nearly did me in. Everyone seems happy with their teachers. Just me and the babe at home again. This seems even more problematic than last year when he was just five months old and sleeping a lot. Now he is big and is used to having everyone play with him all day (I'm used to them playing with him all day) so I am going to have to get creative. I just read him a book and he insisted on putting his foot on every image. Yep.

Questions

1. Why haven't I been blogging?  Well, the answer to that is that I cannot think a thought so how could I possibly construct a coherent sentence?  It is beyond lovely to have everyone home, but there are often multiple people talking at once and many diverse activities to attend.  In other words, I have lost my mind somewhere along the way.  For example, Ella needs a memory card for her camera and Sam's Club has the best price.  I scheduled a visit into my afternoon, but when I found myself there I had no idea why.  I asked Ella if she remembered why we needed to go to Sam's and she said, "I don't know.  Cheese?"  It is true, they have the best cheese in town so we picked some up along with some cherries, edamame, and the good bread I can only find there.  Amazingly enough we walked out of there having spent less than $50, but it wasn't until 12 hours later I realized we had completely forgotten the whole purpose of the trip and no, this was not an isolated incident.  It regularly occurs even in the safety of my own home, "Why am I upstairs?"
2. Why do people tell me how to parent?  Last week I drove girls to Peoria for Girls Camp.  It is always fun for me and on the way home I stopped at the big Goodwill there.  Baby was being patient, but after a while I let him get out of the cart to walk around a bit.  First he stopped and looked at a bike with me a foot away looking at shoes.  Lady says, "You shouldn't let your baby touch that bike, it could fall on him."  Does it look like I'm not watching him?  I am right here.  Two minutes later another lady, "Your baby doesn't have shoes on and might step on something, he has to stay in the cart."  He did have shoes on, but he never leaves them on and I guess we will just leave now, but while it is taking them a very long time to carefully wrap up my deliciously turquoise platters (yea!) I hand him a little toy to keep him from screaming since he is no longer allowed to walk around and am promptly told that it has very small parts on which he could choke.  You know what?  I am going to choke if everyone doesn't just leave me alone, okay?  After the stress of Goodwill I stop to grab some fast food for lunch and decide to get a soda with caffeine so I won't get sleepy on the drive home.  I sit down at the table and a man (two tables away) notices me wrestling with the baby trying to divert him from my drink and entice him with water.  The man shouts across several people, "Your baby wants some of your pop.  You should just give him some."  "I know he wants some, but it has caffeine, so no."  I reply with a smile.  "A little caffeine won't hurt him.  Give him a little."  "Well, I don't really think so... thanks."  "Then you should give him root beer.  It doesn't have caffeine."  "It is Barq's and it does have caffeine and he doesn't need soda anyway."  "Oh, no it doesn't have caffeine.  I am not supposed to have caffeine and I drink it all the time."  Well, you shouldn't be.   Oh my goodness, will you just leave me alone already?  I eventually just got up and went to eat in my car in peace.
3. Why do they even make 1-ply toilet paper?  I try to be vigilant, but about once or twice a year I drop my guard.  Need I say more?

Lost in a Good Book

I just finished the perfect book.  I laughed (lots).  I cried (loads).  I became much too involved.  I was careful to not inhale it and tried to relish it over a few days.  I saved it as a reward for accomplishing the mundane routines that make up my life.  First I will read scriptures.  Then I will exercise.  Can I read yet?  Oh, the breakfast dishes are still out.  Take care of that.  Dang, I should probably vacuum.  Baby wants to nurse?  Well, what do you know?  I could read while I do that.  Five minutes after he's done, reluctantly set aside book.  I should make lunch.  Read a little in the afternoon.  Can't read at the pool.  Those days are suspended until baby can swim.  After kids are in bed stay up a little late.  With great willpower, carefully mark place, go to bed.  Can't sleep because thinking about characters.  Start dreaming about book.  Now it is over.  Deep sigh.  One theme was the hand of God in our lives which my close friends will know is a favorite conversation topic.  I really didn't like the ending, but I feel like there was room there for me to be able to change it in my head.  (One can do that with most books.  Well, perhaps not a Shakesperean tragedy, but even those I still hope.  "Come on, Juliet!   Wake up, wake up, wake up!)  Of course, the rest of it I loved and there were certain things about the main character that were just so true and right.  The author, Shannon Hale (my hero), said things like: (I cannot quote it exactly because even though I finished the book approximately one hour ago, a friend has already borrowed it and whisked it out of my house.  I was hesitant, but couldn't think of a rational reason I shouldn't let it out of my possession) "I looked over at my kids playing together so nicely and it was like chocolate on my tongue that doesn't melt."  Okay, I probably completely boshed that and now I've got poor Shannon squirming.  I shouldn't have put it in quotes it was so unworthy.  But you get the idea.  I can feel what she is saying.  I have felt that way, but to me it was indescribable.  I remember that giddy feeling when my two oldest were little and I would put them to bed, but hear them giggling together behind closed doors.  The euphoria fills you.   Or when I look at my oldest boy and can practically bask in the glow of his vast potential?  Those glimpses of eternity ~ of pure happiness ~ stun me.  My younger girls left cards on my pillow Sunday afternoon that say "To Mommy the Great"  and baby, ooh, he looks at me with such adoration it leaves me breathless (and him slightly mauled, but we know those days are numbered).  I seemed to have veered away from my topic of book and what are we left with?  The certainty that I am one lucky girl.

Back to summer.  Love having everyone ricocheting around me like pinballs.  Someone has pulled the lever back and off we gooooo....

Presence

Since no one took me up on the service opportunity that I was providing, I had to contact Cassandra Barney myself and was very happy to hear that she had a few more copies of her prints from the BYU Women's Conference.  She very obligingly sent me this one entitled Presence and I love it!  The colors are quite exquisite in person and I can only imagine how vibrant the original is.  So the next hurdle was to frame it.  {Sigh}  Not my forte.  I let it sit for a while and then finally took it to the store.  My new friend there (because we really did spend an overly prolonged and drawn out amount of time together) and I came up with this suitable mat and frame.  However, I cannot ever quite fully prepare myself for the cost of custom framing.  Oh my goodness!  I heard the amount and thought, "What?  Is he going to trek to some distant outpost of the Canadian wilderness to find the perfect tree, chop it down himself, transport it back here, sand the wood, painstakingly carve the intricate details, paint it, and then scientifically piece it together?"  I am sure in my head I am simplifying the complex nature of framing, but I did get it back in two days.  Of course, it does lend quite a presence to my foyer and I must say that I adore it.

Birthday Babble

Last week was my birthday and I daresay that it was one of the loveliest on record.  We woke up early because I had spontaneously decided that I would like to spend the day in Chicago with my family.  I was greeted by a sublime bouquet of roses at the breakfast table and then was showered with gifts.  I got an intercom system so that I no longer need to yell ~ thank you so much, because it was getting rather old (do you think I can yell into the intercom?  We'll just have to see...) and it just shows that they know it was a necessity and not any deficiency in my character.  I also was given two books by Shannon Hale (I LOVE her.  I want to talk to her about books.  I want to be her best friend).  And my mom sent a lovely sweater.  I can't wait to wear it (when the day comes that I can actually pry it onto my body because it isn't drenched with sweat).  We then sallied forth in the roomy vehicle in which only kind and patient words were uttered for the three hour journey north.  We visited the Field Museum for the first time and enjoyed it thoroughly.  We are going to have to return since we barely scratched the surface.  We then had dinner with my niece and her mom and also tried to go to Ikea, but it closes early.  We were all SO disappointed.  Especially my husband.  He loves to wander aimlessly around Ikea and look at absolutely every tiny swedish inch of it.  He is such a shopper.  Actually I think there was happy smoke trailing us as we zipped out of that parking lot.  But I showed him and suggested we visit The Container Store and Home Goods to make ourselves feel better.  ("Oh yes," he groaned obligingly since it was my birthday after all).  All in all I felt more pampered than I ever have.  The next day I saw that I had received copious amounts of well wishes from all of my Facebook friends and was overwhelmed.  (One friend I remembered had had a birthday only a week before and I responded by apologizing for not wishing her a Happy Birthday, only to have her tell me that I had indeed written her a note that day, but cannot seem to remember that fact.  Those word games don't seem to be hindering the onset of Alzheimer's much).  But wait, there's more!  I realized on Sunday that two of my dear friends, AndieF and Normal Mom, wrote terribly kind things about me on their blogs (I am embarrassed to link it, but I think my mom will like to read them).   No one has ever said such gratifying words about me before ~ it was almost like being at my own funeral!  I even cried and got the chills!  I just wanted them to know how touched I am even though I don't believe half of what they said and don't think I deserve such generosity.  I became very close to them as they helped me sail the choppy waters of being in the Primary Presidency and they also both happen to be my visiting teachers so I think that counts as a visit.  For two years.  Or more.  Really girls, so thoughtful, you have no idea how much it means.

It is really hot and we don't have air conditioning and that bug is eating my roses (but it is that nice lime green color ~ cute).

A Toad Lily by any other name would not smell as sweet

About the weed.  I have a very shady garden and am perpetually looking for perennials to stick here or there that will thrive in the dark and dank flower beds.  Whenever I read about shade gardens or talk to someone, hostas are always mentioned and I do have hostas, but I would love to try something else.  I am always excited to get coupons from local nurseries that offer a free perennial and use that chance to find some new sun-shunning, yet bright and lovely, flower.  Last week armed with my coupon and the baby, I perused the rows of plants.  There was a large variety of pots labeled "full sun."  Ha ~ sun!  So easy ~ any old thing likes the sun (I remark disdainfully).  It takes a certain amount of creativity and resourcefulness to design an interesting shade garden.  Aha!  There is something new.  I pick it up and see that is loves shade, positively thrives on its coolness, and it has a picture of a beautiful purply blue flower described as being "orchid-like."   I bring it home, find the ideal spot, pull the weeds out of that otherwise empty location, dig a big hole (which generally requires sawing through the roots of the tree providing all of that shade), and sit back to wait for it to bloom.  Meanwhile as I am weeding and gardening in other areas of my yard I notice that the leaves on my newfound gem look eerily familiar.  In fact, I think we have gotten up close and personal every time I am yanking said leaf out of the ground!  There is a weed that has proliferated every corner and is hard to stop.  It does have a beautiful purply blue flower so I have allowed it to linger until it is finished flowering and then it is OUT.  Lo and behold that weed is called a Toad Lily and apparently people like it and sell it and buy it with actual money.  And the flower (that I saw on the label) is super.duper.tiny.  I suppose it might be orchid-like if one could actually see it.  As a child my Uncle John told me, "A weed is just an undiscovered flower."  And that seems to be the case here.  I simply didn't appreciate what I already had and will now, of course, look at it with new eyes.  The chickweed choking my vegetables and the other prickly things poking their heads are still noxious.  This has happened once before when I actually bought a violet (loud laughter) before I realized that there is a reason that it is the state flower of Illinois and I already have a spectacular patch of it.  It is pretty for about a week and the rest of the time I am trying to separate it from the grass and the strawberries and the lavender and the roses and the basil and the boxwood and the thyme and the daisies...    Ahem, violets anyone?