happy birthday love...

i adore you

xoxo

"I am glad you taught me..."

Arizona, SUMMER 1976

On Mother's Day I reminded the girls that we would be seeing Nana that day and that she would love a card.  We had a bit of running around to do before-during-after church.  The girls were on their own.  They each had a hand made card when it was time to get in the car for Sunday dinner- with no help or direction from me.   After we finished dinner they found their cards and handed them to Nana.  My mom asked,  "Did you read this?"  I hadn't.  She handed it to me with a smile.  This is what it said-

"Dear Nana,  When could you do a puzel (puzzle)?  I am glad you toght (taught) my mom well so I could have a good live (life)."

She signed it-

To: Nana

From: Kate

Along with hand drawn flower pictures...it might have been one of the sweetest cards I have ever read. I realized I should have taken the time on Sunday to write my own card...

..............

Thank you Mom for being one of the first people to teach me how to love.

Thank you for finding fun in small ways.

Thank you for taking care of all of my needs.  

When I think of learning to read, sew, do dishes, enjoy sunshine, cook, iron, attend church, swim, celebrate holidays, serve a neighbor---I think of you.  Some of these things you taught me through instruction---but most of them were by watching your example.  Thank you for that.

I love you.

Happy Mother's Day.

Mother's Day

It was a mother's day to remember.  Danny and the girls surprised me with the gift that I wanted (an iPad) which I was sure I wasn't getting...because Danny told me I wasn't getting it...and I believed him.  He took the girls early in the week to buy my gift.  They were all so careful not to say too much because they were so excited about the surprise!  They also made breakfast for me that morning.  But really...what I treasure most...were the sweet handwritten notes from them.  A few excerpts-

Danny-  "I was just talking to Kate and I asked her how she got so sweet and lovely and she said 'cause of my mom.'  How true this is."

Ellie-  (Ellie wrote her card @ school in english and spanish...the spanish version is my favorite)  "Querida Mama:  Gracias por ser mi mama.  Te amo.  Gracias por comprarme ropa, dar me de comer, y ser buena conmigo.  Te amo porque siempre eres buena y generosa."   The translation:  "Dear Mom, Thank you for being my mom.  I love you.  Thank you for buying my clothes, feeding me, and being nice.  I love that you are always nice and generous."

Kate-  "Dear Mommy, I like the way you treat us.  I hope I grow up like you.  p.s.  Can you chek (check) my tempetur (temperature). love Kate"  (Kate was fighting a cold this week.)

Sophie-  two cards...with sweet hand drawn pictures that both said, "I love u mom.  Sophie"

How did I get so lucky????????

pneumonia

Ellie had come home from school excited about her speed!  She completed the mile race for her grade in P.E. that day (every grade was participating through the week).  After she told me her ranking (4th in the group and the second girl) in the race she complained that it was hard to breathe and still felt funny in her throat.  I suggested she take it easy for the remainder of our day and didn't think much of it.

The following night her face was flush and she had a fever.  I told her she would have to stay home from school the next day.  She had responsibilities for a conservation fair to be held in two days.  She felt like she had to go to help her team get ready.  Not only did she miss the preparation day...the fair itself...she missed the entire week after.

We found out after the second missed day that she had pneumonia.  She was given an antibiotic Friday night.  Her fever slightly improved but it was there every morning and evening even well into the next week.  Neither of us could take it anymore...so on Thursday we called the doctor's office again and they wanted to see her.  Her new chest x-ray showed that her lungs were worse than the original x-ray. The antibiotics weren't working.   Her doctor prescribed two more---and the next morning....NO FEVER!  

This has been quite an ordeal for Ellie.  I have been really impressed with her attitude through out.  She missed three birthday parties, a book-club gathering, the conservation fair, the spring UT football/alumni game (Danny played!), her first spring tennis lesson, the first road show (play) night that we are all participating in, family gatherings...and a lot of school.   Although a few tears were shed regarding a few of these events--she turned it around every time and found something quiet to do here to make her happy.  A few things we did do:  draw... and draw... and draw...  She read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and started Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.  She saw Pride and Prejudice for the first time.  We discussed questions she found online for our book-club book (Number the Stars) and we discussed them after her sisters went to bed.  Even though I hate to see her sick and I almost did a cartwheel in the kitchen when she had no fever this morning, I will miss having her with me.  We love so many of the same things (guitar, books, movies, photography and even cooking).  She is growing up so fast---now that she is on the mend, I realize how much I am going to miss her through out the day when she is at school next week.

SPRING BREAK 2012

BRYCE CANYON - CAPITOL REEF

We loaded the car and headed down I-15 for a spring break adventure!

Our wonderful friends (the Lowe's) invited us to join them at their family cabin for a few days during spring break.  They suggested stopping at Bryce Canyon for a few days at the beginning of the trip!  We were in!  We had so much fun.

It is amazing to see the majestic vistas of that beautiful place.

We enjoyed so many gorgeous spots in Utah!

Some highlights:

hiking down and back up the loop at Bryce

(My girls each had a camera in their hands.  I gave them a quick aperture lesson and they LOVED it!

hiking Calf Creek

(the waterfall at the end was amazing...and I didn't bring my camera...sigh...)

catching lizards at the cabin!

exploring the abandoned house

gathering for meals

rides on the bull dozer!

movies each night

Cathedral Valley

Glass Mountain

Family time away from phones, work, and computers...especially when spending our days outdoors is my favorite way to spend a week!  Being with good friends made it that much better!!!

gleaming hearts

I bought our first packets of seeds, for planting this season, almost a month ago.  A few of the cooler climate plants would have been perfect to plant in March--but we were going to be out of town for spring break---therefore the tender plants would have had little care.  We had to wait.  Sophie had been with me and asked over an over again... "can we plant the garden today!?" in the sweetest-voice-filled- with excitement...it was really hard to say "not yet."

We are now home from our trip (I will share pictures soon)---and the day started out warm and beautiful.  I gathered the seeds for early planting (can be planted before the final frost).  I grabbed gardening gloves for Sophie and I (even though I NEVER keep them on).  As Sophie tried hers on she exclaimed triumphantly "I got them on by myself!!!!!!!"  (without doubling up any fingers!)  Boy was she excited!!!

We planted:
3 varieties of lettuce
2 colors of carrots (did you know about purple carrots!?)
beets
bush beans
sugar snap peas
foxglove
broccoli

We weeded a little (why do the deer not eat any weeds!?  it kills me!) and watered a little more.  Sophie grabbed a bucket from the sandbox and wanted to water her "gleaming hearts" we bought yesterday.  When we were at the nursery looking at them yesterday I had pointed them out and called them "bleeding hearts."  We decided to buy another one for the side of the house.  I didn't know until today that she heard "gleaming" instead of "bleeding."  I wont tell her now---gleaming hearts is so much sweeter.

Rain is now falling on our new seeds.  We will be watching them closely- crossing our fingers that the deer don't notice them at all.

Easter Sunday

 "Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection,

not in books alone,

but in every leaf in spring-time"

Martin Luther

Ellie made breakfast (egg burritos)

read the account of the resurrection from the New Testament (kids version)

the girls hunted for their Easter baskets

(filled with flip-flops, swimsuits, a summer shirt, and candy)

ironed dresses for church

(I surprised myself and didn't buy anyone Easter dresses this year--a first for me--I will have to make up for it next year :))

grilled cheese-tomato soup-sugarsnap peas lunch

made dough for rolls for dinner

a beautiful church service

baked the rolls

headed to Nana and Papa's

Sunday dinner

Easter egg hunt

Kate found the egg with a $20 bill!

(thanks Uncle Bill!)

Candy filled kids...and happy filled hearts.

stage fright

SMILE!  KATE, SOPHIE, SHARON + ELLIE

I was nervous for her, I always feel nervous when they step up in front to play a solo.  Kate had her recital last night.  We were talking on the way there.   Kate was unsure of a few formalities (introduction mainly).  I said, "I am sure you wont be first.  You can watch what the other kids are doing and follow their lead.  She relaxed a bit.  We sat close to the front and were handed the program.  First up...my sweet Kate.  Her eyes opened wide.  There would be no one going before her.  I verified what I had suspected...there will be a program...she didn't have to introduce herself or her piece.

As she sat in front of the audience and waited for the accompanist my nervousness faded completely away (she knew her song very well) and hers had just begun.  She started out perfectly and then looking around a bit, lost her place, and then got right back on track.  I was so happy with her effort.  It is scary playing in front of people you don't know...and distracting.  I am grateful my girls have accepted those opportunities, even when they aren't particularly happy about them.

After the recital we went out for frozen custard and took it to Sharon and Jason's (our fellow recital attendees)!  They told us all about their trip to Hawaii...and how they will take care of the girls so Danny and I can go....someday  :)  We tried to talk Kate into letting Sharon pull out her front tooth...it is nearly sideways!

When I tucked Kate into bed last night we were talking about her recital.  She was glad she played "but my hands were shaking!"  It is funny that Ellie's nervousness for performing hit this exact age too.   The advice we offered Kate--  take a deep breath (me) and look over everybody's head (Ellie).  Federation is next week...and just for back up, in case our advice doesn't cut it...Kate has decided to play her songs over and over a couple times a day-on top of her normal practice.  No matter what happens, she will be just fine.

enlarge her world

Sophie and I were both suffering from a bit of chill in the early afternoon.  I was craving a day at the beach-  sitting on warm sand listening to the ocean.  We decided to find the sunniest window in the house.  We grabbed her reading workbook and began.  It had been a week since we had picked this one up.  She was a bit rusty.   She was cold so she climbed on my lap and we made sure that we were in the most optimal spot for sun.  As she worked and read I saw a woman pass by outside our window on a walk.  She looked to be in her later 60s.  She had a big smile on her face as she advanced passed our house.  Initially I was a bit envious.  A brisk quiet walk on a sunny afternoon sounds like a treat to me.  Then as I listened to my little girl working...P A R K, D E E R, H U N T I N G, G I R L...I realized I was enjoying the highlight of my day at that very moment.  I also understood immediately that this time goes sooooooo fast and teaching my little girl how to read is really the biggest treat of all.

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world.  Love of books is the best of all."

Jacqueline Kennedy

Sophie is the biggest book lover in our house.  Every night, after she is tucked snugly in her bed, she climbs out and gathers piles and piles of books.  She turns on a little side light and quietly browses every page.  She sometimes reads them to the dolls or stuffed animals that have joined her on her bed.  It brings her so much joy.  I hope she holds a love of reading and books forever.

ten years old

The highlight of Ellie's birthday (for me) was our shopping excursion.  I told the girls I would take them "bookstore" shopping for their birthdays this year.  Ellie and I went out Saturday.  It was so fun hanging out and shopping together.  Now that she is ten our time together has transitioned from me worrying about the little details of her well being (like what is necessary for younger children) to being supportive, listening, counsel giving friend.  I really enjoy just being together...especially in a bookstore.

I surprised Ellie by calling her friend that she has known the very longest- Grace.  They have been playmates since Ellie was six months old.  She and her mom were excited to meet us.  As we walked into the bookstore---there they were...SURPRISE!  We all browsed and visited and browsed.  The girls picked out a book, The Giver, for both of them--- and a stuffed animal (a reminder that for as grown up as they sometimes act---they are still little girls---which makes me happy).  Ellie also picked out a new doodle book---they LOVE those books!  We had cupcakes there and then the girls wanted to go to lunch at Spaghetti Factory.   It was one of my very favorite afternoons.  I think it was for Ellie too!

Happy birthday Ellie!
Love you xoxo