In the Leafy Tree-tops

Family Night

Monday night is family night.

We had our song, prayer, calendering, story about Jesus, story from The Friend, and lesson from Preach My Gospel. I left part way through, to bathe the "littles". They never last that long, but R and the boys have some really great discussions and take turns teaching each other.

If I hadn't been fast, I would have completely missed it.
If I had been faster, I could have made the camera work to video the trick.

I came into the room to find R, L, J, and L all in push-up position.

It was time for a contest.

Long story short... (you're welcome)

R won the contest by doing a push-up with L (153 lbs.) and J (100.3 lbs) balanced over his shoulders.

It was awesome.

What has been keeping me busy?

Doesn't she just look like trouble?

Let me tell you...

She is!

Here is a recent timeline:

Thursday dinner: she put a bean in her nose. We decided to go see our pediatrician on Fri. to retrieve it.

Friday morning: slipped and split her lip while we were in Phoenix. With the bean AND the lip, we just decided to go to Phx. Childrens' hospital. We love that place.

Here's the best picture I got that evening.

Sunday evening: slipped while we were visiting with friends. Almost split her eye. You can see the addition of the mark on her left eyelid, here:


Monday: I got a visit from my next door neighbor, "I've taken T off the top of the back wall twice, now. She keeps dangling her legs over into our yard, which we don't mind, but I am just afraid she will fall." Me, "thanks, she will. I'll put away the ladder and lock the chicken coop."

Tuesday evening: R, L, J, and I each had meetings, concerts,and karate, so Granny kept L, T and T for me. I didn't pick them up until 9. They were bathed and happy and watching Eloise on the couch with both of my parents. When I asked how the kids were, I was told they were "just as sweet as can be".

Wednesday: I called my sister to see if she could watch T while I went to the cannery. She said, "yes, but not if she's gonna pull a stunt like she did at mom's!" Then proceeded to explain how T had poured a jug of juice across the counter, into the drawers, and across the floor. At mom's. I told my sister I could bring T with a straight jacket if she wanted.

Thursday: I kept T buckled in a car seat while we ran errands, and then let her play in the yard at Mom's while I apologized. She let herself out of the yard to visit a neighbor...

Friday morning: When I picked up T from my sister's house and asked how things had gone, she showed me the dresser that had been knocked over. I guess using the drawers as a ladder was the quickest way onto the top bunk.

This girl just moves from one adventure to another.
This week I have found her sitting on the counter, in the fridge (relax, the door can't close when she's in there), under the utility sink, in the dryer, in my shower, and behind her brother's drum set.

She loves hotdogs, her kids (which ever bunch of stuffed toys or plastic characters she happens to be toting around), her sister, our back yard neighbors, juice boxes, each brother, and even me.
Mostly, she loves her dad.
She melts for him and he melts for her.

She is a mini tornado these days as she leaves a trail wherever she goes. It's fine with me when it's just stufties and tea-lights and not blood and tears.

Her nicknames are Sister, Suzy, Suzy Kabloozie, and Bruiser.

I have found her perched here, 6 times in the last 3 days.

Maybe she is looking for a way to get over, or on.

But then again, it could be a distraction to hide the fact that she started a tunnel.

She is her sister and 4 brothers all rolled into 1 cute person.

And I will be glad when she is a little more predictable.

My dear blog,

I am so sorry to neglect you. I have much to show and tell, but alas, it is not high on my list of priorities right now. We had a lovely Valentine's day. We did a little re-arranging. We are all sharing 1 bathroom as the other 2 are out of order. And, that little T is really giving me a run for the money. She's turning me grey... er, or more grey, more quickly. I shall return when budget meeting is prepared, taxes are ready, and T is asleep or buckled into a straight-jacket. Or, when all my ducks are in a row...

Love, Jen

Teaching and Learning

Sunday, I had the chance to teach a lesson in Relief Society.

I heard this talk in September and loved it. Here is an excerpt and the way I opened my lesson.

A young couple, Lisa and John, moved into a new neighborhood. One morning while they were eating breakfast, Lisa looked out the window and watched her next-door neighbor hanging out her wash.

“That laundry’s not clean!” Lisa exclaimed. “Our neighbor doesn’t know how to get clothes clean!”

John looked on but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, Lisa would make the same comments.

A few weeks later Lisa was surprised to glance out her window and see a nice, clean wash hanging in her neighbor’s yard. She said to her husband, “Look, John—she’s finally learned how to wash correctly! I wonder how she did it.”

John replied, “Well, dear, I have the answer for you. You’ll be interested to know that I got up early this morning and washed our windows!”

Tonight I’d like to share with you a few thoughts concerning how we view each other. Are we looking through a window which needs cleaning? Are we making judgments when we don’t have all the facts? What do we see when we look at others? What judgments do we make about them?

Said the Savior, “Judge not.” ¹ He continued, “Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” ² Or, to paraphrase, why beholdest thou what you think is dirty laundry at your neighbor’s house but considerest not the soiled window in your own house?

None of us is perfect. I know of no one who would profess to be so. And yet for some reason, despite our own imperfections, we have a tendency to point out those of others. We make judgments concerning their actions or inactions.

There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: “Judge not.”

I know my windows need cleaning. And I love that none of you worry about that. I love that I can click and scroll and find out what is going on in the lives of other women who have lives similar to mine and whom I admire. They remind me to notice blessings and beauty and add humor to my perspective.

As I prepared to teach, I decided that I can be kinder and more forgiving. I can remember that most people really are doing the best that they can. Most need encouragement and smiles, not scowls and criticism.

Love One Another.

I can do that. So can you.

I am linking tonight. It's late in the day, but this is when I finally have time to think.

Jen, at the Denton Sanatorium posted this challenge:

We as women are bombarded with images of what perfection should look like. And, if you're anything like me, it doesn't appear when looking in the mirror.
I spent a good ten minutes staring in the mirror, trying to look past all the flaws and imperfections and issues I wrestle with every day. I wanted to really SEE myself. It took me close to five minutes to decide on one facial feature that I consider quite beautiful.

Straight after a shower or after you've washed your face, take some time to really look at that woman in the mirror. What do you see that's beautiful? Ignore or re-evaluate those things that have always bugged or challenged you. What is your singular, personal element of beauty? Is it skin, ears, hair? Is it wisdom or humor or understanding in your eyes? We all have one thing that not only makes us individuals. That one thing makes us beautiful. What is yours and why?

I grew up with a dad who always told me I was beautiful. I believed him.
And since he still tells me, I still do.
Thanks, Dad.

This post took a little tricky camera work.
It had been a while since I really sat and stared.
I tried the mirror, and then turning the camera backwards.

How did you get those pictures, Jen?
Finally, I called in my camera savvy 4 year old, T. He thought I was silly.
And then I realized I was.

See that ear... it comes from a long line of similarly large-eared ancestors.

The freckles that are melding into ages spots... I have always loved them, but I am not sure which side of my family they come from.

My eyes... along with my hair, were so dark when I was born that my Muttie (Mom's mom) called me Carmelita for the longest time cause I was born in Tucson and she joked that I might have come from south of the border.

I think my smile is my favorite feature. I used to take it for granted. Then, for a while, I was so heart broken that I couldn't find it. Now, it comes easy, as if it is "in my pocket", just as I learned in the song in brownies.
I have always loved that when I smile, people say, "You are Dottie's daughter!"
I love that, and that smiles feel the best when I am with the people I love!

So, even though I never have nor ever will win a beauty contest, it's ok.
Maybe, because I believe my dad, I do win.
Thanks, Dad!

This NEVER Happens!

Well, here's the story of my 2nd adventure within the week.

Just a few days after arriving home from CA, I headed off to Utah.

No Mom this time... she was previously engaged, dang-it!

My fellow adventurers were T and T (cause everyone at home had school and work), J and A (our 2 Australian friends that I fetched in CA), and K (a friend who needed a get-away and stayed with her cousin in Orem).

We left home early on Saturday and headed through Flagstaff and stopped at
the GRAND Canyon.
I had been once, as a child, and was amazed at how it certainly is grand.
We walked about a 1/4 mile in freezing wind to our first lookout point.
The 2nd lookout we stopped at was much more convenient.
Basically, the parking-lot sat at the edge of the edge :)

We arrived in Provo.
The cold air was a little shocking to us all!
Our sweet K had a great dinner ready in her dorm.
The girls all got cleaned up and dressed and went to a dance which ended up being a dud.
In the meantime, however, I was able to deliver a box of citrus to a friend's daughter and buy groceries.
It felt really great when I had everyone tucked into their beds that night.



Sunday, was a nice day of rest.
We slept in.
We went to the student ward for church.
I cooked dinner in the dorm.
We stayed for ward prayer and sang with the ward choir that K leads.

Monday had another slow start.
(Ordinarily, that would bother me on vacation, but on this one, it was just right)
We ate lunch on BYU's campus.
We listened to K rehearse with her choir.
We viewed the Carl Bloch exhibit in the Museum of Fine Arts.
We explored the Bean Museum.
(We decided it must be this animal that provides both of their hair extensions!)

(T loves suckers. J and A found this kind at the museum's gift shop and T just sat and stared. She finally licked it once, but decided the bug inside wasn't worth the worry!)

We called it a night early and ate pizza at "home".

Early Tuesday, I took K to work and the snow started falling.
Within a couple of hours, the world was covered in a fresh powdery blanket.
It was the first time J and A had seen snow falling... there's just not much of it in Australia!
T loved the snow flakes in her hair and mine.


T loved to tromp around and make trails with his boots on, but did NOT want his picture taken!

Since I had taken K to work, she had a sweater and not a coat, but still had to walk home in the "blizzard". Don't worry... she survived!
We spent the afternoon at the University Mall, having fun, boosting the economy and actually finding some great sales!
K, J and A kept the babes that night and I went to dinner with my friend M, whose home we stayed in. We ate at the Blue Lemon. The food was delicious and beautiful!

Wednesday, we picked up our friend K at 4:30 am and started our trip back home.
We ventured through Las Vegas to add in another adventure.
When we arrived, we found the Stratosphere and headed to the top...
well, some entertained T and T while J and A headed to the top.
A had to talk J into riding the rides, but then J loved it and A didn't.
We laughed and laughed at the pictures they bought.
The horror on their faces is all I needed to see to know... that adventure is not for me!

I don't remember ever driving the Las Vegas route before.
The scenery was beautiful.
I loved winding along the I-15 from St. George, UT to Mesquite, NV , seeing the Joshua trees and there was just something interesting about Wickenburg, AZ.

All in all, a great day with great travelers.
No,
A great 5 days with great travelers!

Now, it really will be nice to be settled for a while!

The Time of My Life

One year ago, we hosted our first 2 Australian exchange students.
6 months ago, 1 wrote to ask if she could come, again, to visit our family.
She would bring her cousin.
Last week, we were sure that the 2 girls would arrive on Saturday, overlapping their stay with that of the 2 handsome boys already visiting from down under.
Saturday, we realized that the girls were flying into LA, would sleep in a hotel, and then arrive here, on Monday.

Good plan.

Ron had a better plan.

"What if you just drive to Cali, meet the girls at the hotel, take them to Disneyland, and then bring them here."
I didn't even need to hear it twice.

I called Mom.
For Christmas she received a year pass to the happiest place on earth.
She didn't need to hear it twice, either.

We left at 4 am on Monday in her car.
Just the 2 of us.
I slept while she drove and then she slept while I drove.
We listened to and obeyed the voice of the GPS that had been carefully stuck to the dash.
I really love that thing!
We arrived in just 6 short hours.
We greeted our friends and headed for Hollywood.
Why?
Just to see it!
Almost immediately, we were accosted by Jonathan.
He wanted us to buy tickets for a 2 hour open air bus tour for only $40 each.
I talked him down to $20 each and we boarded.
As the bus pulled away from the curb and the wind started to blow my hair, the cheesiest grin took residence on my face and stayed for 2 entire days.



That afternoon, we left for Anaheim and checked into our hotel.
I slept for 10 UNinterupted hours.

Our day at Disney was the BEST ever.
Oh, sure, I missed my babes and told all the people in line how cute theirs were.
But, the ease of my day, toting only a camera, was just-so-nice!
The longest line we stood in was 25 minutes and the average wait was 10.
WOW.
I even enjoyed my first pineapple whip.
We did everything we could in the 2 parks.
By 7pm and 8 shopping bags later, everyone was tuckered out and ready to sit and wait for the water/fire/laser show to begin at 8:15.
We found a spot to sit... and... wait...

Hmmm... really? No-one wants to do anything more?

No problem...

In the last 40 minutes, by myself, I rode on Space Mountain, Julie Andrew's own carousel horse, and then the Matterhorn.
And then we finished off the night with the EPIC water show.

IT WAS SO FUN!!!

The best part? Easy...

Having my mom to myself.
Love you, Mom!

G'day Mate!

I have it on good authority that people from Australia don't really say this phrase much.
My sources are reliable... 2 teenage Aussie boys who are asleep in my basement as I type.

Early in the fall, we received this.



It's the biographies of 2 boys, in "grades 10 and 11" who have each spent the year working at a McDonald's near their home to help pay for their trip overseas.
Honestly, I worried a little.
Who knew what habits, language or problems they would bring along with their expectations of "experiencing America".
At the same time, I kept in mind that we had a wonderful similar experience last year when we hosted 2 girls.
But you know, boys are different... I have 4 of them!

On the 6th, we received this.



2 clean cut, well mannered, helpful, kind, courteous (you get the picture), boys who have been an absolute joy to get to know.
They came ready to dive in and see and do as much as they possibly could.
They have even eaten whatever I put in front of them.
They are teenage boys, after all.
The program they came with has had outings scheduled almost every day. They got to see...
ASU,
Tempe Marketplace,
The Zoo,
Sedona,
The Grand Canyon,
Tucson,
Scottsdale Mall,
and
Tuzigoot National Monument.

The weekends were ours to plan, so the first weekend, R loaded up the van and took the crew to Pinetop to play in the snow.
They experienced Taco Bell and loved it!
They had a great time and even got home Saturday night so we could all enjoy our Sunday, together.

This weekend, we ran errands to any of the stores that the boys wanted to visit before leaving Arizona. They had specific gifts in mind and bought them at quite a savings as compared to prices in Australia.
Tonight, we said our goodbyes. J and L will be heading to California in the morning for the final leg of their trip. They will spend the week enjoying various amusement park adventures.
We helped squash down their luggage. We deflated a soccer ball and an American football so they took up less space. We removed packaging and boxes and then had room for a few items from us that included a good variety of candy found here and not there.

This was a super great adventure that we look forward to next year!

Happy in the New Year

The fact that I mistyped the original title with 2010 says a lot for the beginning of our year.

The fact that it has taken me 3 hours to write this much of a post
says a lot about the state of my mind.

Blogging has been hard for me lately.
I guess I have been trying to figure out how and when it fits into my life.
I like to keep up with those of you whom I don't get to see often.
I like for those of you who are away to know that I miss you and think of you and remember what it was like to be away from home and "out of the loop".
I think blogging is a good "warm-fuzzy" tool.
I can pass on love and learn from your blessings, hardships, foibles, triumphs and insights.
Because that is what life brings on a daily basis.

And I can never be sure what it is that this day will bring.


Recently, I have become keenly aware of a few things.
They have left me in a stupor.

1) I am very mortal. Remember? Unfinished.

2)I am richly blessed. And I am not referring to $.

You are, too.

3)I have an enormous responsibility to and love and help.

Because I can never be sure what it is that this day will bring.

An amazing thing is, that like the ocean, life ebbs and flows.
Sometimes, I am confident. Sometimes, not.
Sometimes, I am happy. Sometimes, not.
Sometimes, I am funny. Sometimes, not.
Sometimes, I am patient. Sometimes, not.
Sometimes, I am wise. Sometimes, not.
Sometimes, I am helpful. Sometimes, not.

I am betting it is the same for everyone.

Now, it has taken half the day to draft this post.
My 2 smallest children are eating ice-cream cones even though they didn't finish their sandwiches and I am still very human and wondering why blog when my compositions come out in rambling streams of confusing musings.

In the midst of my tangle of words, I have...
delivered a list,
tidied,
buzzed 2 heads of hair,
wandered and wondered,
visited,
assembled pre-school puzzles,
washed dishes,
changed diapers,
read stories,
cheered,
counseled,
consoled..

That is my life.
A little plan and a whole lot of what happens amidst the plan.
Enjoy.
And be happy in the New Year!