Ethan's Sunset

(Ethan had an assignment to write a poem about a sunset for his English class. He said that he didn't know how to write a poem. I told him to just write what came to his head when he thought of a sunset. He said, "I'm going to write about a sunset in Hawaii." This poem just made all the money spent on this last trip worthwhile.)

Sunset

by Ethan White

Yellow, red, orange, and purple,

These are the colors of sunset.

Birds flying around for the last of the day,

Searching for fish.

Not a single cloud in sight,

Just the brilliant colors of sunset fill the horizon.

The sounds of waves fill the air,

Their rhythmic beat drumming on the sand.

The smell of salt tingles your nose,

Making you dream of one last swim.

(I think that this kid knows how to write a poem....)

Chicken Soup for the Soul

I haven't been feeling well for the last several days now.  I don't know if the change of weather is affecting me, or if I am just getting run-down, but I have been fighting a not-so-nice bug.

I went to work this morning, feeling optimistic about being able to make it work.  I was promptly sent back home.  I guess that I looked too bad to pass as a healthcare provider, rather than someone seeking treatment.

To ease the ache in my throat I made a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup.  I was feeling ambitious, so I also made a batch of brown sugar muffins, my family's favorite recipe.

The scent of the chicken broth was oozing from my pressure cooker, the warm smell of baking in the oven, it was all making me feel a little better.  The smells drew the kids in like flies, swarming around something irresistible.

When Ethan saw me pull the muffins out of the oven, he exclaimed, "Wow Mom, you're getting fancy tonight!"  I had to laugh at his enthusiasm, but then immediately think back on when I made something as "fancy" as soup and muffins.

I've been so busy lately, most of our meals have consisted of something prepackaged and quick, or something greasy pulled from a drive-up window.  I felt pretty bad that I have been feeding my family so poorly.

The soup was great, and it was therapeutic to gather round the table for a nice home-cooked family meal.  We laughed at how many muffins Elise was able to stuff in her mouth.  She kept swiping them from Ethan's and Eric's plates.  And Heidi said, "Thanks for making such a nice meal, Mom."

It both warmed my heart and broke it a little too.

The effort to put this lovely warm meal on the table sapped the remainder of my energy for the night, however.  I immediately went up to relax in bed, and play on the laptop a little.  I'm pretty sure that all the dishes are still down in the sink.

But that can wait until tomorrow.

Until then, I will just enjoy the little bit of heaven created from a simple bowl of soup.

Nightly Ritual

Erica on abcmouse.com. She's better with the computer mouse than I am. Is this a good thing??

A few days ago, Eric pulled me into the living room in stealth mode, to take a look at Erica. She was sitting in the dark front room, her face glued to the computer monitor, her free hand at her face. I thought she looked cute.

I said, "What?" wondering why he thought that I had to see her like that.

He laughed.  "That is what I see every night...YOU! You look exactly the same! Even down to the hand at your face!"

It was pretty funny.  And he is right.  While Eric chooses to veg out every night in front of the TV, my mindless entertainment of choice is spent in front of the computer.  Sitting in the dark with the screen blinding my eyes, freezing cold because we still haven't fixed the heaters in our living room yet.

While I admit that a fair amount of time is spent WASTING time, cruising through Facebook, reading people's blogs, and window shopping at amazon.com, I hope that I am devoting more of this time to actual writing.

I am trying to write at least a little something every day, not counting emails or Facebook status updates.  It is turning out to be more difficult than I thought it would be.  Who knew that something you loved to do would end up being so difficult to follow through on?  Sometimes at the end of the day, I have nothing left in my creative reserve.  I am on empty.

I think that I am counting this as my writing for today....

October in Paradise

In October we were lucky enough to spend a week on the beautiful island of Kaua'i.  We were able to take Heidi and Ethan with us, and I am so glad that we did!  The memories that we made on this trip will last a lifetime.

Our first day on Kaua'i. We were scouting out beaches before we could check into our condo. After six hours on the plane, all I wanted to do was get in the water, but I didn't want to change into my suit in the car! Ethan didn't mind changing in the car, though! This is lovely Lydgate Beach.

Some coral at Lydgate Beach.

Lydgate Beach

Gorgeous waves at Tunnels Beach. There were a couple huge sea lions sunbathing on the beach!

Beautiful plantation.

Ono Shave Ice in Kapa'a. The rest of the trip, Ethan begged us to go back and get some more. I always thought it was funny how everywhere you went, it was called "Shave Ice," rather than "Shaved Ice."

On board the Blue Dolphin catamaran to see the Na Pali Coast and the forbidden island Ni'ihau.

I love cruising!

Some spinner dolphins joined us on our cruise!

Na Pali Coast

One of the hidden beaches on the Na Pali coast. Several movies have been filmed here, including Johnny Depp's Pirates of the Caribbean.

One of my favorite images from this trip!

The "Keyhole" on the forbidden island Ni'ihau. Our cruise took us out to snorkel by the island.

Ethan was a snorkeling pro by the time we left Kaua'i!

Beautiful Anini Beach! We swam with several sea turtles here.

This was day 5. I think we wore her out...

Kilauea Lighthouse. It was closed for most of our trip, due to the government shutdown.

I think that Kaua'i had to be the birthplace of the joke starting "Why did the chicken cross the road...?" They are literally EVERYWHERE! We saw more chickens than fish on this island. Ethan had a good time chasing them all week.

Some cool seeds from a tree at the Spouting Horn Beach Park. They looked like flowers.

Spouting Horn Beach Park. There was a fisherman down there with five huge fishing rods.

Our view from the Kalalau Lookout. We should be able to see the Na Pali coastline from here, but alas....We waited for over an hour for the cloud cover to disperse but it never did. It was a good 20 degrees cooler here than on the coast!

Another lookout from the top of the mountain. Pu'uokila Lookout, also under cloud cover.

Gorgeous view at Waimea Canyon Lookout. I got car sick from the drive up to here, but it was well worth it!

My gorgeous girl's photo shoot at Kalpaki Beach.

What a romantic week with my Honey!

Playing at Kalpaki Beach.

My island boy at Kalpaki Beach, across the street from our condo.

Wailua Falls, famous for the intro scene to the TV show "Fantasy Island."

At Smith Family Garden Lu'au.

Ethan was impressed with this stalk growing out of the coconut. I don't think he realizes how a seed works....

I think the smiles here say it all...this was one amazing trip!

Sunrise

Brian & Carol Anderson

It was an emotional day for everyone at church today.

A member of our Ward, longtime friend and home teacher of ours, passed away on Monday after a long struggle with leukemia.  After years of chemotherapy treatments, which his body seemed resistant to, his last resort was a bone marrow transplant this spring.  He suffered through the trauma and illness, and even seemed to be reacting well to the transplant, when suddenly things took a downhill turn.  He started to react to one of his anti-rejection drugs and never fully recovered.

I have been amazed to watch him and his wife Carol go through this entire ordeal.  They were always positive and upbeat, choosing to put their faith in God, and trusting in his guidance and protection.

During one of Brian's home teaching visits with our family, he laughed about a situation that had just come up with an onsight therapist.  Cancer patients are encouraged to attend some therapy sessions, to help them through feelings of grief, frustration, and fear associated with such a terrible disease.  He told us about how he had explained to her his resounding feeling of peace.  He was already at terms with the possibility of death, and nothing he knew about death scared him.  He was ready for whatever was in store, whether it be living twenty more years on earth, or returning to his Father in Heaven.  He laughed when he told us her reaction.  She said, "Brian, I don't think you need me. I probably should be listening to YOU."

Brian was the epitome of enduring to the end.

As I listened to many members of our Ward family bear testimony today of the peace and reassurance which we can receive from the Savior and his Atonement, I was reminded so clearly, with a flood of emotions when we lost Eric's dad.  It is so difficult to watch someone you love suffer for so long.  I remember pleading with my Father in Heaven to please release him from such a burden.  In my heart, I was hoping that release would come through a miraculous recovery, but our prayers were answered in a different way.

The challenge of aligning our will with God's, and trusting in His love, is probably one of life's most difficult.  I fight this challenge every day, as I watch my beautiful daughter struggle to make her way down the stairs, or trip because her balance is not quite right, or struggle with picking up small pieces of cereal because her dexterity is not that intricate.  I mourn for the life she could have had, for the experiences she will miss, the children she will never have.  But then I look into her eyes and hear her musical laugh and I know that she is happy.  She is happy with who she is and what God has given her.  He loves her and has blessed her in so many ways.

I have learned from watching my father-in-law, watching Brian, and watching Elise, that not only are miracles possible, but they do happen.  I have learned that you can face your challenges and adversity with faith and optimism.  I have also learned that you can accept the outcome of circumstances with peace and contentment.  Aligning our will with God gives us the reassurance of His matchless love for His children.  That He loves us and only wants our happiness.

On Tuesday morning, as I was driving to work, I was thinking about Brian's life and his example to me.  As I rounded the corner to get onto the freeway I got a good view of the sky.  It was one of the most glorious sunrises that I have ever seen, full of rich oranges and pinks.  Seeing it flooded me with warmth.  I felt sure that it was God's way of reminding each of us of His presence and His love.  

Brian was definitely smiling down on his family that morning.