Saying Goodbye

Last week was Oh So Hard.

As we were driving away from Eric's parent's house, everyone had a really hard time.  This goodbye just felt so different.  Eric said leaving his mother was the hardest thing he has done.  I completely agree.

While he drove, Eric told me a story he had illustrated in one of his recent talks at church.  He said that when he was small, he used to look at his dad's hands.  They were so big and strong, so capable of so many things.  He desperately wanted to be like that, and to be like him.  He finished the thought, linking it to our individual potential for good and service to others.  The story in the talk ended there, but now there is another special ending to that story.  Eric's mom gave him his dad's wedding ring before we left.  It fit Eric's hand perfectly.  As we were driving, he kept looking down at the ring on his hand, and it looked so much like his father's hand resting there.  Now his hands ARE like his father's, and he will honor his father's memory by continuing to use them for good and service to others.

The funeral was very beautiful.  The grandchildren sang "Families Can Be Together Forever" and "I Am a Child of God."  I'm sure that Grandpa was smiling down on them, he so loved to hear them sing!  Patty (Brady's sister) gave the life sketch, which was both warm and humorous, reflecting the sense of humor and also the sensitivity of this man.  There was one thing that was very clear -- family was everything to Brady.  He was always surrounded by family, and that was just how he liked it.  There are hardly any pictures of him that do not also include someone he loved.  He usually had a grandkid or two climbing all over him!

Flowers from the grandkids to their grandpa. These are his clubs. He LOVED to golf, and greatly missed it when he became so sick.

It was a beautiful sunny day.

All of the flowers were so beautiful.  They were bright sunny colors, with plenty of Brady's favorite -- yellow.

Eric saying goodbye to his dad.

After the graveside service, the family returned to the church and enjoyed pulled pork sandwiches for lunch, one of Brady's favorites.  We showed a slide show that I put together.  I had spent the previous two days pouring over old photo albums, scanning in the pictures.  It was wonderful to see his life up there on the screen!

The best part, though, was being all together as a family.

This is Brady's legacy.  He lives on with each of his grandchildren.  We will never forget his selfless service to others, quiet strength in enduring through the final struggles of his life, or driving devotion to his family.  I am so grateful for him and the profound influence he has had on his family. 

We miss him so much.



Arrow of Light

We had a light spot today in the middle of all the recent gloom when Ethan was awarded his Arrow of Light and was conducted into the Boy Scouts!  It was a lot of hard work, and I wasn't sure if we were going to pull it off!  I am so proud of Ethan!  Today he received his Webelos badge, Compass Points Emblem, Arrow of Light Award, nine activity badges, and four belt loops.  Way to go, Ethan!

Ethan was specially presented with his awards and crossover by "Chief Williams."

Eric painted on Ethan's first markings, a white stripe he chose to go down Ethan's nose!

Sister LeBaron, our Cubmaster, gave Ethan his second markings in blue.

Brother McKee gave the third, yellow markings in a very creative manner!

Ethan was then presented with a specially handcrafted arrow, complete with a real arrow point, to signify his Arrow of Light Award.

Then it was time for Brother Campbell, his new Boy Scout Leader, to add the finishing touches in green.

Ethan then crossed the bridge to be welcomed into the Boy Scouts, where he received his new neckerchief.

And how could a fun night of awards end any differently than enjoying a smoothie at Jack-in-the-Box!

Congratulations, Ethan!

I'm so proud of my new Boy Scout!

Today

Today we lost a wonderful husband,

loving father,

adoring grandfather,

dear friend.

My sweet father-in-law passed away today, after a brave eight-year battle with cancer.  It has been very hard watching this kind, loving man literally shrink away over the years.  Yet, even though he was going through these personal difficulties, he never lost his spirit or spunk.  I love that about him.

Brady was my second father.  He accepted me from day one, and always treated me as one of the family.  He helped raise four amazing children, one of whom I am so blessed to be married to forever.

I am so grateful for my faith, my testimony, and my firm conviction that I will get to be with him again.  The sting of his passing is very evident, yet I feel peace knowing that this is only a temporary separation.

I am missing him already.

Riding that Train

We are stuck very solidly in the sorry world of potty training....

Woe is me!!!

I hate potty training, can you tell?  Yesterday I posted on Facebook my frustrations with trying to potty train a very stubborn three-year-old.  I have tried coaxing, bribing, making potty fun with books, massaging (a tip from my excellent friend Stephanie), cajolling ("Don't you want to be a big girl like Emma and Abby?"), pleading, begging, threatening ("No preschool unless you go potty!" or "Do you want time out?!"), and finally at my breaking point a few days ago -- paddling her bum after the fifth poopy pants in like two hours!  I reached out to the wisdom of all my Facebook pals.

Their response was pretty universal:  Put the kid back in diapers until she's ready to do it, and, this too shall pass and be to thy benefit.  (Okay, that last part was me, but you get the idea.)

I already knew the answer, of course.  I've always been a firm believer in "They will do it on their own when they're good and ready."  However, mine and little Miss Erica's timetables don't seem to mesh very well these days.

I know that she understands the concept quite clearly.  She is frequently telling me that we don't go poopy or peepie in your pants: at the store, in the kitchen, in the car, at church.  "We go in TOE-let!"

Erica even came up to me the other day and said the funniest thing out of the blue, with a most solemn expression on her face. "I don't want to go train!"

And if Erica doesn't want to go train, ain't nobody gonna make her!

I think that I'm down for the count on this one....

I Will Always Remember

Like (hopefully) most people yesterday, I spent the day pondering on the events which happened ten years ago.  September 11, 2001 will forever be etched in my memory.  The day and the feelings associated with it are so vivid it seems just like yesterday.

The morning was spent with me frantically getting ready for work.  Ethan had just celebrated his first birthday a few days before, so I was still in the difficult process of preparing a baby for daycare and getting my five-year-old Heidi off to Kindergarten.  As I was running out the door, Eric mentioned that it looked like there was an accident at the World Trade Center.  I didn't really know what that meant.  I don't think I really even knew what the World Trade Center was at that time.

By the time I got to work, people were glued to the television in our front office, watching the replay of the plane crashing into the first tower.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  It seemed like such a freak accident.  Then my boss speculated, "What if it wasn't an accident?"  My mind couldn't make that leap.  It still can't, really.

We proceeded through our scheduled day, seeing our patients and talking about what was going on in New York with them.  Then the second plane hit.....

Then the first tower crumbled into dust....We were all so shocked, I don't think any of us spoke for several minutes.  I just remember crying and thinking, "All those people....."

As the events of the day progressed, including listening to the audio from the plane that was taken back by the passengers, hearing of the Pentagon being hit, and watching firefighters running into the smoke and ruins of the first tower, to their deaths for 343 of them, it was like watching a horror movie.  Only this was very, very real.

I went home and hugged my babies, so grateful for my family and our safety, but afraid of what the future would bring.

No, I will never forget that day, or the people who perished in those airplanes, at the Pentagon, or in the World Trade Center buildings.  There were so many heroes, and acts of selflessness.  And I will never forget those who answered the call to serve their country and defend our freedoms.  Their ultimate sacrifices have enabled us to continue to enjoy our freedom of speech, right to bear arms, right to worship how we may, right to elect our own leaders, and many more.

I say to them: THANK YOU

and....I WILL NEVER FORGET!

Chaos is....

four kids, going to four different schools!

Yes, we have approached the inevitable, and it only gets worse from here!  Not only are all four of my kids in school now, they all happen to go to four different schools!

Wednesday was the first day back for the three older kids.  They were each a mixture of excitement and dread.  I, on the other hand, was ecstatic to get back into a regular routine!  Of course, first we had to survive that first dreadful week where buses are eternally late, nobody knows were to go, and I can't find a single gluestick in this entire stinkin' town!

Heidi returned to Cascade High School, as a Sophomore this year.  My little girl is all grown-up, dreaming of Driver's Training and college applications.....She starts every morning bright and early, heading off to her early-morning Seminary class at 6:00 am, before riding a bus to school.  She was the most excited of all the kids to go back to school.  I'm sure she missed hanging out with her friends, since she was stuck at home while I was at work for the majority of the summer.

Ethan returned to Jefferson Elementary, now at the top of the school as a big 5th grader.  He is looking forward to being able to go to 5th grade camp later this month.  It's his last year in elementary school, and I can hardly believe it.

Elise started up again at Forest View Elementary, in the Life Skills class, as a 2nd grader.  She has the same great teachers as last year, which I am very happy about.  Her teachers are wonderful with her, and she has some fantastic therapists who work with her as well.  Everyone there loves her, and she comes home everyday with a new hairstyle that someone has taken the time to do.  Some of them are silly, some are cute.  I am just amazed that she lets them touch her hair, since I can hardly do anything on her without a serious tantrum ensuing.

Erica started preschool at Miss Maryanne's Einstein Academy on Thursday.  She was sooooo excited to go to school like the big kids!!  When I took her picture in front of the door, she insisted on turning so I could see her backpack, which she is extremely proud of.  When I asked her what she did on the first day, she replied,

"Ummmm, painted!" 

"What did you paint?"

"Ummmm, pink!"

"What else did you do?"

"Ummmm, I eated!"

"What did you eat?"

"FISHIES!!"

What more could a three-year-old ask for, than to paint and eat goldfish crackers?  Miss Maryanne knows the way to a toddler's heart!


This is going to be a great year.....CHAOTIC, for sure.....but GREAT!

Birthday Boy and the Parent Bowl

Ethan turned eleven years old today.  Only one more year, and he will graduate from Primary and receive the Aaronic Priesthood.  I can hardly believe it!

Despite the fact that it was also the first day of school, I think Ethan had a pretty good day.  He woke up excited to pack all his new school supplies in his backpack and run off to the bus, meeting up with his friends.  After school, he had a special soccer practice, the last before our first game!  They played in a Parent Bowl, where the kids were teamed up against the parents.  Both sides fought hard and dirty!  One of the boys even taunted one of his 30-year old opponents, calling him grandpa!  We all had a pretty good laugh over that one!

In the end, the kids beat the "grandpas" four to three.  It was a close match!

When we got home, and after the men of the household grabbed a quick shower, (believe me when I say it was a necessity before we could proceed!) we enjoyed birthday cake and opened presents.  Ethan had requested a gingerbread cake for his birthday.  I racked my brain to figure a fun way of decking it out, considering I don't frost a gingerbread cake.  We serve it with whipped cream instead.

As I looked at that very brown cake, all I could think of was dirt. 

And mud.

Nothing says Happy Birthday like a pile of slop.....which sort of reminded me of......

a soccer field, of course!!

So here is my soccer star, in miniature form, scoring that all-important goal!

I thought it was clever, anyway, and it made us laugh at the optical illusion!

It was fun to see my Little Man as a.......little man!