In Memory...

Last week I was saddened as I listened to the radio advertisements concerning Memorial Day. All the talk was about special sales and planning your weekend home improvement project. I didn't hear anything about what Memorial Day is really about...about honoring those who have paid the dearest price for the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted everyday, and the families who have had to live the rest of life without their fallen heroes.

I'm so grateful to my Aunt Stacey and extended family who made this day special for our family. At 2:50 we gathered at Country View Cemetery.


There was a prayer and a minute of silence at exactly 3pm, the nationally appointed time to remember the fallen soldiers. Following, Aunt Stacey explained the origin of Memorial Day. Then Talmage and Bryant through narration and a short poem shared the significance of the red poppy, penned by Moina Michael in 1915.

We cherish too, the poppy red,
That grows in fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies,
That blood of heroes never dies.

There was a gun salute honoring family members who have fallen in war.

It was a special and sobering event, perfectly fitting for Memorial Day. I'm so glad my children were able to have at least a little feeling for this country and its heroes.


Prior to the Memorial Day service, I guess you could say we had a weekend project.

8:30 this morning:

A couple hours later:

A couple more hours later:

Finished product: Approximately 220 pumpkins starts transplanted (and a lot of weeding in our future). And...



Thank you American Heroes for what you gave so that I could spend this wonderful day with my family in open country sunshine.

Clean Closet

I promised myself that this would be the week to conquer our bedroom closet as it has become the "holding area" for too many things.

In part that meant using naptime to clean and organize instead of doing my hair. As much as I don't like my hair "all natural," it was interesting to hear Sariah's comment as I was pulling her out of the tub. "I want my hair curly like yours mom." I told her, "I want my hair straight like yours." She laughed and probably thought I was just trying to be funny. Prime example of how "the grass is always greener..."

Earlier, Hyrum whacked Sariah in the face with a hairbrush and both were in tears. Sariah and I played a little baseball. Bryant accomplished his reading, piano, and homework today---a rare occasion. Talmage came and found me in the attic to give me a kiss good night.

James is doing homework.

Taste Testing

The little man who "woke" me up yesterday pounding on my head with a baby rattle also was helping me put together this little gift for a friend's birthday.


(A summer sipper basket: plastic stemware, crystal light lemonade, straws, and fresh lemons, limes and strawberries for festive floating)

He was doing the stamping, can you tell?



By the time he was done, he'd stamped his clothes, my clothes, and the carpet, not to mention a little taste testing.

Service with a Smile

Last night after we visited the Open House of the new Parley Building we drove along the far side. There was a lot of trash strewn throughout the rocks and plants of the landscaping. I asked the kids if they thought we could take care of that. Theirs was an enthusiastic reply.

So, this morning I woke everybody up at 6am, and on empty stomachs (because it would take us too long otherwise) we loaded up to do some secret service at the new building. Besides a little bickering about who had the most trash in their bucket it was a great start to the day. By a few minutes after seven, each of the kids had a Yoke's doughnut in their hand and a smile on their face. Then we came home to eat breakfast.

By 9 o'clock we were at the Pasco Cemetery to help with our ward's service project. Mostly collecting and disposing of old flowers (stinky) and picking up trash. Sariah came away with the "hardest worker overall" award, Talmage "the most improved", and Bryant with the knowledge of what a chewing tobacco can looks like. Without my knowledge, he had been playing with one---probably most of the time.

Late night and early morning meant naps for everyone. Except for James who was helping a neighbor move. I forced myself off of the crowded bed (all but Hyrum) after 30 minutes to get going on the Saturday chores so we could have everything ready for a BBQ this evening. Dad, Mom, Kase, and Laryn were coming in for the Open House and bringing a friend. The friend didn't show but we enjoyed some burgers and Kase's never failing, never ending, entertaining commentary of his life.

TGIF

My morning run turned into my morning walk when little man decided it was time to wake up at 5:45am. It probably doesn't do my heart and lungs quite as good, but a morning walk with my little guy in my hiking pack doesn't short my mind and soul any. We walked down to the corrals to see the horses. There were four colts I hadn't seen before. When we returned home, the flowerbed looked especially healthy in the dawn light.



Talmage had his first tardy today. His note to school read, "Talmage is late because he was learning about choices and consequences." I knew it would happen sooner or later. He was very upset, but when he left, I was pretty sure he understood. I was sure he knew I loved him. I was grateful today was the day we had planned to take Twinkies to his class at lunch to celebrate his unbirthday. (One month and my firstborn turns 9.) I was able to make sure he had emotionally recovered by then. He had long since recovered.

This afternoon, Hyrum patiently put the plastic ball on the tee hunted down the bat, and "hit" more like tipped it off. He did this repeatedly and purposefully. We all loved it and cheered him on.

It was Friday night homemade pizza and all were satisfied. I managed to squeeze in the pickling I've been trying to get done all week. I had to buckle and buy 0.3oz. of dillweed at Yoke's for $6.09. Ouch! To be honest, I've never tried pickled asparagus---it doesn't even appeal to me. But, James loves it---especially wrapped in a piece of ham slathered with cream cheese. I do like the way it looks in the jar.



Tonight I took the kids to the Parley Building Open House. Bryant's comment, "This is so beautiful, can we join this church?" It was really nice.

NieNie

I know I'm light years behind in the blogging world, because this week, following the Mormon Messages story on Stephanie Nielson, I discovered NieNie Dialogues. It has sent me on a trip to deeper thinking.

Tonight, after Sariah's bath while the boys were in showers, she asked me if I would teach her how to take a shower. I told her of course. She followed up, "Yeah, you can teach me how to do the brakes!" Let's "brake" right there little lady. A shower is not driving so don't jump the gun! She also was thrilled with a surprise visit from Aunt Haley and Baby Kyree. A baby looks good on her.

Yesterday was Young Author's Day in Bryant's class. It was at 12:15---naptime. Bryant's excitement couldn't let me miss it though, unmanageable baby or not. Thankfully, Hyrum protested lightly for about a minute and then fell asleep in my hiking pack---which wasn't so easy to manuever on my knees from tiny desk to tiny desk in a crowded classroom with Sariah's death grip to my clothes. But he was right, I couldn't miss, I Love Basketball by Bryant Hales. This is the "collection" he brought home for me yesterday.



Talmage has been nervous about his MSP testing this week. James gave him a blessing on Tuesday morning after scripture study before school. Today when James asked him how it has gone, he answered smoothly, "It was eeeeasy." When I was helping in his classroom yesterday with the newly introduced concept of fractions, it was coming quickly to Talmage. Our children have been blessed with great minds.

Hyrum followed me around while I mowed the lawn this afternoon. (Definitely one of my "chores of choice".) After we were done, I lay on the grass flat on my back and coaxed him, "Come, get me." This is the invitation to our wrestling match which I love as much as he, because he comes and crawls around on me for a minute then buries his face in my neck and giggles. I lifted him up into an airplane ride and realized how blue the sky was today.





Those are graham cracker crumbs all around his mouth. (Better than the millipede I fished out earlier this week.) My kids think mowing the lawn and graham crackers are like salt and pepper---they belong together. They sit on the front steps and eat crackers while I mow the lawn.

James returned from his two day business trip. As you can see, I'm not the only one that doesn't sleep as well when James isn't around. Bryant in our bed, (I left him there for the night,) and Sariah on the floor of the office (a few feet from where I was reading the story of NieNie).



She is a faithful scripture reader as you can see, even though she doesn't know how to read.

While I was holding down the fort, James was observing other seminary and institute teachers as well as sitting in Ferraris and other cars whose speedometers can measure up to 200 mph. I'm so glad he's home. We'll all sleep better tonight.

Beethoven

This evening was the boys' piano recital, Bryant's first. Talmage had both of his pieces memorized. Bryant almost did, but needed the "security blanket". Bryant and I played a duet, She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain. We had to start over after a couple of measures, but then it went smoothly. When we got home, Bryant said, "Don't answer the question until I'm done asking. Was I fantastic, okay, or not fantastic?" Bryant, you were fantastic! Even with the butterflies in your tummy you came from your stage seat to tell me about halfway through the performance.

Beautiful Saturday

It doesn't get any nicer than today. Hyrum woke up early, so he and I went for an early morning walk. Perfectly pleasant. We listened to the early birds and I tried to point them out to him when any took flight.

As a family, we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner outdoors today. It was simply gorgeous, (and I don't have to sweep as often if we eat outside.) We started with homemade wheat pancakes, whip cream and strawberries. Sariah introduced to Hyrum one of her favorites for lunch---carrot sticks dipped in ketchup. He seemed to like them as much as she does. We finished with BBQ hamburgers and lemonade.

James washed all the windows. I love that! I feel so refreshed to look out clean windows. I cut all the kids' hair, including several inches off Sariah's. Hyrum looks the most different.

Still having a hard time getting the boys to be productive on Saturday. They could be found anywhere in the house or yard reading on several occasions, and it's hard to get after them for that, but they really do need to get motivated about their Saturday's chores. When it came time for those who were finished with their Saturday's work to go on a little outing, the boys were left behind. Talmage perfectly understood the consequence of his own choices, but Bryant was flat out mad. Yelling mad. This, sadly has become a habit of late. I've tried to talk to him about it, and I try extra hard to lead by soft spoken example. I've been concerned lately though, trying to think of something to try to make a change.
When I came home from the outing, I found a note where I usually hang my purse.

"Start here. Live Simply, Love Generously, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Expect Little, Give Much, Laugh Often and Trust in the Lord with all Your Heart. Mom this pome remided me to speak kidly to you wehn you were at the doler store I read this and felt bad about yelling at you I will try my best to NOT YELL remeber speak kindly and we will be a Happy family and we will be etrnill I hope we wont have kintenchen (contention) agin in our lif I'll try to stop the habit I will allways love you some tims i moke (mock) you and call you bad words in my mide (mind) but then I feel bad I promise to try not to do that and hope it wont hapen agin I love you no mater what to mom from Bryant" I pulled him up on my lap in the rocking chair and told him how much I loved him and how much his letter meant to me. I told him I'd been worried and I'd prayed to know what to do. He told me he prayed too.
He may not be perfect, but they don't come any sweeter or more tender.

New Era

We are entering a new era in our lives (again). James has switched his major from an MBA to Educational Leadership. He goes to class for three hours each Tues. and Thurs. evenings. During the summer it will be Mon. through Thurs. His goal is to be home from 4-4:45 so we can have family dinner together.

How am I feeling about this? It's going to be a long three years. We so enjoy our evenings with Dad. Even on the nights he doesn't have class, he's going to have to be in the books. He was up until midnight last night studying and up at 4:15 this morning. I'm not sure how we are going to do it, but I know we aren't the first ones to chart such a course.

Once in an Eternity

Between the hours of 4 and 5 our home's climax of chaos occurs---nearly daily. The boys are home from school, unloading their backpacks and their daily reports. They are hungry. It's time to make dinner. Time for homework and piano practice. Sariah and Hyrum are usually outside and need some sort of attention every few minutes to avoid injury. I'm bouncing from one request, to favor, to emergency to another. The words, "this is nuts" often run through my head. Today was no exception.

Tonight after family night, James and I tried to put it all into perspective. Even though we possess the knowledge that we have the possibility of being with these precious people forever through the eternities, we also possess the knowledge that those associations will be as adults. These tender years at this time in our lives are the ONLY time we will have our little ones, little. It's hard at moments, but the brevity of these years only adds to their pricelessness.

Tonight during family night, Talmage accompanied on the piano one of our songs for the first time. Bryant built a "fort" for his lesson. We all crawled in the cramped quarters and he taught us about the birth of the Savior as he sat by a doll propped up on a pillow, flashlight in hand. Sariah giggled so hard during he "who's got the button?" activity she couldn't stand up. And, during our opening song, Hyrum crawled off my lap, waddled to the "front" of the room, and proceeded to wave his arm to lead the music. Priceless, precious, and I'm afraid, fleeting. If the moments can't last forever, I hope the memories do.

Mother's Day

Yesterday evening, we celebrated my Grandma's birthday and Mother's Day. It was a perfectly gorgeous, calm evening, as opposed to the weather we've been having during the course of the last week. My uncles and aunts and their families joined us in our backyard to celebrate the life of a woman who has seen much of the last century, it's ups and downs. A few years back, I took it upon myself to type our her hand-written life's history. It was an amazing experience. The grandma I had grown up knowing and loving became this heroine of the 20th century as I learned about her work during the war years and her role as a faithful wife and mother pioneering the Columbia Basin in the mid 1900s. Now, age is making its mark upon her mind as she is challenged by progressing alzheimers disease. Perhaps a recent experience depicts her most endearing and lasting quality.

At Christmastime this last year, one of my aunts, Rhonda, shared the following story:

Rhonda had grandma as her home, her turn to assist her with daily life. Grandma was supposed to sign something, but was having a hard time writing her name. Rhonda suggested she practice for awhile before signing and left her with a pen and paper while she attended to a few things around the house. Soon it was time to leave to run errands and so Rhonda folded Grandma's paper, put it in her purse, and off they went. Sometime during the day of running around, Rhonda found herself waiting in a line. She pulled the piece of paper from her purse to see how Grandma had done with her penmanship practice. This is what she found.



Grandma is love.

Last night was another testimony of that. Although she can't find her way around my house, as I was helping her down the two steps to go get in the car, with all her kids and grandkids mingling around, she said, "I love everybody, I just love everybody." And I know she meant it.

Happy Mother's Day Grandma. For all that you are and have made of others.

Up to Speed

A little bit to catch up on.

Hyrum is a full fledged walker. Easter was the day it clicked for him and it has just been an increase in velocity since. He LOVES to be outside and will bring me his shoes and jacket several times a day. As long as someone is out there he will stay outside and happy. If I'm just watching him out the window he'll crawl up the back steps and tap on the door. He doesn't want to come in, he just wants company.

Sariah continues to humor us with her one-liners. Driving past the location where we have picked Grandma up from her chiropractor, Sariah stated, "That's where we go get Grandma when hers gets her head fixed up."


Bryant turned 7 years old. He wanted to go on a treasure hunt for his birthday so we went out to Grandpa and Grandma Wells's house for a larger, more exciting treasure hunting course. He got to dig up his birthday present in a jar. Per his request, homemade pizza for dinner, Kyler as his guest, and mud pie for birthday cake. Happy kid.



Talmage's long awaited field trip finally came. I wasn't planning on going but when I broke the news to Talmage, it was a heart breaker. I arranged to go for a few hours and I'm glad I did. The excitement Talmage experienced at the McNary Wildlife Refuge was akin to what most kids experience at Disneyland. No kidding. He was thrilled to identify animal tracks, look at marsh bugs through a microscope, watch wild birds through binoculars and see a nesting Osprey through a high powered scope. Simply thrilled.



Last Saturday, the kids got their pumpkins and gourds planted for this year's pumpkin project. Bryant has been watering them this last week and this week it will be Talmage's turn. No sprouts yet. It's been cooler and windy.



Yesterday after he spent at least 7 hours on a church service project, James came home and took the kids to Columbia Park for free fishing. The kids were ecstatic and I think they are old enough that James enjoyed the excursion too. We ate their catches for dinner. James said he prayed in the morning that he would be able to accomplish the things he needed to do that day. When we were crawling in bed he said he didn't get the lawn mowed, but he felt that that prayer had been answered.