Packing It All In

Harvest Season is upon us in all of it's 'glory'. Our gardens' abundance is flowing over to all of our neighbors and they now barely crack their doors when they see us coming, so we can't fit the yellow squash through the opening:) The kids snack on cucumbers and tomatoes and beans and raspberries all afternoon, so there is no need to make a formal lunch. The older girls and I canned peaches and froze corn and pickles are calling. I don't love preserving food and have gotten out of it for years with the excuse of having little children. Unfortunately that excuse is becoming quickly outdated and I am having to farm girl up since others have been generous enough to bless us with the bounty of their crops. Mikayla is convinced that I must also do pears and applesauce. All I know is that I need better tools to be efficient and a nanny/maid would be nice because the house tends to "fall down" when I am focused so intently on other things. There is going to be true "Harvest' celebration at the house come October. I will be celebrating being done! :)

We were able to squeeze in a short camping trip this weekend. We promised our children because we haven't done anything vacation wise this summer and time was running out. It wasn't convenient (I had to pull some very late nights/ early mornings to finish putting up the corn and peaches before we left, but it was a great opportunity to relax with our children, something neither Fred or I have done much of this past month. We drove off planning on staying at Anderson Ranch (a barren desert with a big lake), but we met a very friendly outdoorsman at a gas station who steered us to a campground in Pine that was perfect for our short stay. It had hot springs that were definitely a big highlight for everyone.

School starts tomorrow and I don't feel ready. Just the thought of getting back into a rigourous routine makes me feel a little melancholy as the evening hours have really been our only family time. However, the necessity of order always seems to re-motivate all of us to be "up and doing", so I am sure it will be a positive change.

Jordan will be coming back home with one of his roomates this Saturday or Sunday and the anticipation in the air is tangible. We can hardly wait!

So many things to do today--so little time--I'm off to the trenches!

Sunday Cookies

Cousin Temple Trip ("clean")

Mud Volley ball after they were sprayed off many, many times(not even close to clean!)

Eden's shirt was bright white before they started.

Thank heaven for lots of children to husk (a job that we enjoyed together, but my thumb and first two fingers were numb for 3 days from cutting while Eden and Mikayla bagged)

(Sunrise--Sunset) -- I made it through a week of monotony because Mikayla was my constant companion

What happens when you are too busy canning to be an attentive mother (Eden practicing on Abe the week we let her wear makeup)

FAMILY CAMPTRIP:

breakfast

Early morning "bath" in the hot springs

Fishing

Napping

Soaking it in

Lily flossing with a tangle of fishing line she found on the rocks :( I took it away as soon as I took the picture;)

Sunshine!

Lily and Sophie climbed into the same shirt while we were taking down camp and were "stuck" together for a good 30 minutes (jockeying for leader position, sitting on each other, trying to kiss and not be kissed and giggling like crazy-- there's no personal 'bubble' here. (Abe trying to get in on some of the camera action with one of his famous 'GQ' poses.)

Nuts!!!

City of Rocks

"Hurrah for Israel!"

Exhausted on the way back home

The only one who was semi conscious (barely)

Staying Afloat

This past week was school registration for Eden, Abe, Lily and Sophie; Mikayla's is this week. I guess there is no turning back now. I think the kids are ready to get back on a schedule and as Mikayla put it "feed her brain". I'm ready for a schedule, but I'm never ready for my children to be gone or for the cold weather that is already peeking around the corner. Abe wasn't sure if he wanted to play soccer this year so we waited to register and when he finally decided to go ahead the coach that he wanted to play for had a full roster, so we may not be doing the soccer thing this Fall, which is alright by me. Abe can take it or leave it, but we encourage him for the sake of learning to look outside of himself. I've pondered trying him in Aunt Linda's choir; he likes to sing but I don't know if his attention span would hold out (or if mine would sitting through another hour of practice:)

Fred and Abe went on a self planned Father/Son camping trip Friday-Saturday and we had a Girl Party (well, at least Friday night). We went to the paddle boats and walked through the Rose Garden in Julia Davis park and watched a movie together in my bed. Mikayla and Eden left for their own beds to sleep but the twins slept with me; it was fun!

Mikayla made a goal to attend our stake humanitarian work days (every Wednesday morning) until school started for one of her 10 hour projects in Personal Progress and so I, and often the other kids have been going with her to tie quilts or sand toys etc. Last Friday, one of the sisters there offered us as many peaches as we could take, if we would come pick them off her trees that are breaking under the weight. So, Friday morning we picked as many as we dared pile on top of each other in the containers that we had and canned until 5:00PM on Friday and all day Saturday. I put up everything that was ripe (21 quarts) and have the bottom of 5 large laundry baskets filled with peaches waiting to ripen. Come Monday, it's back to the grind--I am a very slow canner, but I'm grateful for blessings that always come back a hundred fold when we serve someone else.

Mikayla has been walking with me in the mornings all summer--she has now decided that we need to run instead (because she can't keep up with me walking:) and now the balances have shifted and she is dragging me along. I ran every morning when we moved here, just so I could keep up with Olive, but we only went a mile. Now we are running 2-3 "and it's no fun either!" Ben said he ran with Renee (who just finished running in a half marathon) on their anniversary retreat and there is a point where you hit euphoria. I can't remember how many miles to that point, but I know it's farther than I am running and I have no desire to find out! I enjoy walking really fast, but running pushes me. I keep doing it because it makes me feel better after the fact and I accomplish so much more in the morning and also because I don't want to turn into a large mormon mama--the big 40 is just a month away and I can feel it coming on. Mikayla wants to keep running before school which would mean at 6:00 in the dark and cold. I would prefer to do a workout in my living room, but I can't find any instruction videos where anyone is clothed enough to allow into my house. Anyone have any good ideas? I'm sure there aren't any "For the strength of Youth" standard videos out there but it needs to at least be modest enough not to make my husband or sons uncomfortable and eliminate the twins from screaming "naked baby!" and we have to be able to do the entire routine in 20-30 minutes. I'll be waiting for your suggestions.

I get to hug my son in 15 days--and counting!!!

Mom and Dad, I would love for you to find out the name of the "progressing" young man. I feel a strong interest in him and would love for my family to pray for him by name. And being surrounded by all these young, worthy priesthood holders, what a great opportunity for Dad to ask for a priesthood blessing from some of the Elders for his wrist. Healing for Dad; faith promoting for them.

One of Fred's bosses has asked (well not really asked-- more like told) him to take over one of her classes because she is completely overloaded (much more than he is, if that is possible). It is twice a week and is supposed to be from 6-10PM. Fred doesn't feel qualified to teach it--it's not even directly in his field and it is such an infringement on our very precious family time as it is, but short of quitting he doesn't know what else to do. They simply do not have enough staff to accomplish all that needs to be done. He is trying to see if he can put together an online course or get a T.A. to take over after he gets the class started or something else creative. I don't know how much harder they can push him. His capacity seems to be unlimited-- he just keeps stretching and stretching, but I know there is an elasticity peak and beyond that he can only weaken or snap in half. I just keep praying that he'll be strong enough to carry the load, that I'll be strong enough to support him and that his superiors will be guided by inspiration and compassion. I've said it before, but it is a good thing that I married this amazing man--we balance each other out. He doesn't like to rock the boat and I'm prone to capsize it--together we just might stay afloat:)

Fred and Abe heading out for Father/Son

Paddle Boats for Girl Party

Strange ducks in the pond

Sophie and Lily 'trying' to pet the geese

 

'Looking' at the fountain in the Rose Garden

Taking time to smell the roses

Relaxing in the Rose Garden

Downslide

I can feel the downslide of summer break gaining momentum. This past week has been filled with "inventory" and back to school shopping and that entails leaving my house for a few hours every day which I am not fond of. But, we are almost done and that makes me happy. Next weekend will be our father/son--mother/daughter parties (Fred and Abe are going camping and the "girls" are staying here and still planning our extravaganza). The following weekend will be a family campout (the extent of our summer vacation this year)and the weekend after that we go get Jordan and bring him home for a week. Previous to his accident he and Dillon had planned on going on a extended mountain climbing expedition (they were going to climb 9 different mountains!), but Jordan has had to pull out (much to my relief, though I am sad that he is disappointed) because he feels an added urgency to stay at work as long as possible before heading off to school. We haven't quite figured out all of the travel, since our younger children will already have started school during that period and Jordan no longer has a car, but it will all work out and I will be so glad to touch him for just a few days. I feel like this summer has just been a waiting period for him to finally come home and yesterday it finally sunk in that there is no finale--his time at home is over and visits are all that remain. I don't like to think about it; my heart gets all tied up in knots. (I better talk about something else.)

We gleaned apricots at the orchard two weeks ago and I dried some, (which we grazed on for a week and a half and finished off yesterday), froze some and made lots of runny apricot jam (the kind that Mom used to make to pour over pancakes). I even tried to make some freezer jam with pectin (because Mikayla wanted some) which was a failure because even though I got the "low sugar" pectin there was NO WAY I could force myself to put as much sugar as they say you have to put in to get the pectin to set up, so it didn't set up AND it is still too sweet. I only put in 1/4 c. sugar in each quart of pancake jam and I wouldn't go any more; I like it tart and relatively healthy. Anyone know how to make spreading jam without more sugar than that? The "regular" sugar pectin said to put in more sugar than fruit--YUCK!!! Peach season is upon us and though the thought of it fills me with dread, I'll be canning soon if there are any to glean at the church orchard. We actually have some on our tree this year, but those will never make it to jars :)

We've been doing a little decorating in the bedrooms this week. Mom, I know you thought Mikayla and Eden's room was bright in it's original theme, but you would be horrified now. The girls fell in love with some clearance fabric a month ago that is silky but has a marbled/tie dyed/ hot pink and lime green pattern with tiny silver glitter jewels on it and yesterday I made it into curtains. They have a lime saucer chair in the corner with a chocolate brown and white striped pillow, a cream short plush pillow and a hot pink shag fur pillow. They still have their white bunk beds and a white desk which doesn't fit the style, but there are no traces of "little girls" left. It is "becoming" very hip or hippy (as Jordan says). They still have a lot of plans in the works:) It is a fun room, but I couldn't live there. Lily and Sophie's room has accumulated all of the "garden hand-me-downs" so their bedroom is evolving as well and that fills my "sweet, innocent, old fashioned" needs. Fred, of course, is ever my go to man. He stands with his power tools ready, waiting for instructions, complaining about the "working conditions" and just raises his eyebrows at our choices. He says he doesn't know anything about "that decorating stuff", but I know better. That's just his wise way of saying, "I'm keeping my mouth shut":)

We went to an "adopted Fred family" reunion yesterday to a place near Fruitland/Parma, where a farmer has built the funnest water area in a very large pond on his property. There are two long docks and one of them ends in a tower that has a rope kind of swing on the 2nd level and a zip line on the third level. Water is shooting out continuously, from a huge PVC pipe sticking way up out of the ground right below the start of the zip line. On the other side of the pond is a twirly slide and the family brought 5 or 6 canoes. The kids (and most of the adults) played in the water for hours. It was so fun to watch them. Greg Jones was there because he married into this adopted family of Fred's. It's a small, small world.

Well, it is Monday, which unfortunately means that my house is a disaster and I need to find the shovel and dig out.

Love you all,
Rach

P.S. Mom, what a fun story about "Kolipoki". I haven't read any of Elder Groberg's books. I'll have to see if I can't find some in some library around here. I'd love to read about his experiences.

Peas and Pole Bean Vines

So much has happened these last two weeks and so many thoughts have been going through my mind, that they have all started to intertwine like the peas and pole beans in my garden, but I need to write them down so I can try and make sense of it all and remember, again and again, how all of these recent experiences have made me search, ponder and pray and have ultimately strengthened my testimony.

Two Fridays ago Lori, Renee, Marg, Liz and I went out to lunch to very belatedly celebrate the twins birthday. It was fun to get together and talk about what is going on in each others lives, though it seems like these outings always end too quickly and we are so distracted by the lunch itself that we never really get to talk about anything deeply and it leaves me feeling unfilled. But, the confused young man that Mom and Dad have seen at church and around town came up, and it got me thinking about my reactions and judgments of people.

I grew up sheltered and as I have become independent I have continued to consciously shelter myself from the "world". I had to take Mikayla to a 3 day Boise Youth Spectacular at B.S.U. on the Thursday previous to the luncheon and so I had taken the rest of my children with me so we could go to Julia Davis park for a few hours, since we rarely take the kids to Boise. However, I realized as soon as I stepped out of my car that my comfort level plummeted. I didn't know any of the hundreds of people there, but all of the skin and tattoo's and language immediately made me want to protect my family. From what? I didn't feel danger; it was just that the sphere of the Spirit felt so small and I noticed that I felt very vulnerable, like a little child who's in a strange place. That probably doesn't make any sense, but there it is.

Thus the start of intermingling vines. So with this Thursday experience in mind, as we are talking on Friday, I listened to the thoughts of my sisters and wondered what I would do if I were Mom and Dad--how would I react to behavior that is so estranged from knowledge of individual worth and divine nature. Would I recoil and turn inward, like I'm prone to do with media influences or would I act differently if it were up front and personal. It was disturbing me. By Friday night all those thoughts had left my mind as it became filled with concern for Jordan. Luke, one of his roommates, called scared, and told us that Jordan kept losing consciousness and was becoming disoriented. Fred talked with him and found that Jordan had gone home from work early on Thursday because he was feeling ill. He became extremely nauseous that night and didn't get much rest and stayed home from work on Friday, not being able to keep anything, including water, down the entire time. Fred assessed that he must be extremely dehydrated and asked the boys to give him a blessing and then rush him in to the emergency room to get some fluids back in his body. The entire ordeal took about 3 hours as Luke continued to call us and report on what was happening until he was discharged.and what the doctors were saying. I was just holding my breath, feeling so helpless and hoping that they wouldn't find something serious. The doctors had told us that he just had a very bad stomach flu and sent him home with an anti-nausea prescription, so that he would be able to stay hydrated. I know he is an 18 year old young man and that he was in such good hands with his roommates who are dear, loyal friends, but I wanted to hold his hand and take care of him and yet I couldn't rationalize the cost of rushing down when he didn't need me (I just needed him).

Saturday morning Fred and I had a temple assignment, and I had such a hard time keeping my thoughts from wandering to Jordan and for some reason to this young man in Mom and Dad's mission--back and forth--back and forth. And when I finally got into the celestial room where I wasn't fighting those thoughts a scripture came into my mind, "the well need no physician", and for a few minutes I felt for this young man what I was feeling for my boy and was so grateful that Jordan had not been left on his own--that kind and concerned people were surrounding him making sure to offer whatever they could to heal him--that his roommates were more concerned a bout his recovery than avoiding his germs and that they stayed by him until there was nothing more that they could do. I shared my thoughts with Fred on the drive back home and he shared with me how his love for people, "whether they be a bum in the alley or a man of power filled with pride and haughtiness" by the end of his mission had been the same as a dear friend and how it was seared into his heart that he was to try and save all souls. We finally ended up in the parking lot of stores where we had errands, me with tears of gratitude for being blessed to feel a little bit of Heavenly Father's love for all his children and with the weight of knowing that I am a selfish coward when it comes to sharing the gospel. I have not gained courage from that experience but I have a deeper understanding of my duty as I have pondered over and over a talk that Fred reminded me that Pres. Eyring gave about my brothers and sisters coming to me on the other side and asking me why I didn't share what I had. It has pricked my hard heart and given me the desire to pray for courage and compassion.

Weaving back in-- Jordan remained home over the weekend with us checking on him daily and Fred reminding him to drink lots of gator aid, so he could keep his electrolytes up to a healthy level. The flu just seemed to go on and on and he still had no appetite on Monday, but decided he needed to cowboy up and get back to work. By Tuesday he was still feeling poorly and when Dillon (another roommate) called me for an unrelated reason, late Tuesday afternoon, he said Jordan was out working but had been having dizzy spells. Not 30 minutes later, Dillon called back and told Fred that he had just been informed that Jordan was involved in a car accident. He said he was on his way to the scene and didn't know anything except that the firemen had told him Jordan was talking. Of course my mind was frantic, but Fred's calm, methodical presence kept me rooted. Dillon called back 10 minutes later and said that he was at the scene but the whole area was blocked off and they wouldn't let anyone in, but had been told that Jordan had driven off the road, that no one else was involved, that the car was totaled and that they were going to have to cut him out, but he was still talking and seemed to be fine. He called back again when they had Jordan out and told us that he was strapped to a gurney and had just been put in an ambulance. As they were traveling, the paramedics called and talked to Fred and reassured us that he seemed to be stable but they were going to take him in for tests to make sure he hadn't sustained internal injuries. After he had undergone lab work and a CT scan, he was cleared for release with only a bruise and swelling on one side of his forehead, a bruise on his hip and some cuts on his forearm that were glued shut. The policemen said he shouldn't have come out of there at all. Dillion called back at that point and put his phone on speaker so Jordan could talk to us and then all of my brave faces cracked and the flood gates came flying open. You want to be the strong one and be able to give comfort--after all, I am a Mother! And yet, I am a Mother. He said he was fine--he sounded vulnerable. He said he was fine--he sounded humble. I didn't say I was fine--I wasn't. And still he said, "don't come". How could I not! The next morning he said, "don't come, I'm fine"--he sounded good. I didn't. He said, get on the web cam and you can see that I'm fine". I tried, it wouldn't work. I called Fred and told him I thought we should go down and he said I needed to respect Jordan's wishes, that Jordan would feel responsible for the cost of the trip, when it wasn't "necessary" and that I needed to let Jordan make these choices. But I am a Mother!!!.......and I know he's right....... and I don't want him to be right. So I gathered up my children and we went to the temple. Mikayla and Eden went in and did a baptismal session and Abrahm, Lily, Sophie and I sat on the temple grounds admiring the beauty and peace that is there and marveling at ants. Fred met us there and we sat for a few moments together being grateful for eternal families and for loving hands that guide and protect us. I sat there trying to imagine how I would feel had things not turned out as miraculously positive as they did, and I felt so grateful that I didn't need to know, but experienced such a confirmation to my deep testimony that whatever happens in our lives, our Heavenly Father hands are in all things. That night we were able to get the web cam to work and see for ourselves that Jordan was "fine".

I called Wednesday and Thursday to make sure he was still alright and just because I needed to hear his voice. Wednesday night Braden's (another of Jordan's roommates) mother showed up our doorstep with warm zuchinni bread and homemade freezer jam. She said that Braden was worried about me and wanted me to know that people were thinking about me and asked if she would make us some treats since he couldn't. What sweet young men--and still I am not the one giving comfort. Thursday, Jordan said he was going back to work on Friday (after a 2 day doctor ordered rest) Friday I tried to call him all day and tried to reach him by e-mail, but I heard nothing and when I couldn't contact him all day on Saturday I started fretting. When he finally called Saturday night I was overly anxious. His phone had died, but he was doing good. The swelling on his head was going down and his headache was diminishing and he said he'd be home in 30 days. I don't know if I can wait that long to touch him. So many people have called, that love Jordan, to tell us how grateful they are that he was protected. Family and friends are such a blessing in our lives and I need to be better about reaching back out to those who are so kind to us.

Amidst all of this we received notification that Jordan's Eagle ranking had been approved by the Scout Council and Fred was able to pick up his awards, which is actually the only one of his scout awards that has been really meaningful for me.

Mikayla took and passed both drivers license tests on Friday and now has her drivers license, which her parents are now, due to some specific reservations and also to the recent happenings, terrified to let her use outside of a square mile radius.

Eden started wearing makeup today in preparation for her eighth year of middle school. I'm always sad about that transition, but she was very subtle and it felt so comfortable to let her walk out the door without having leaped very far into the grown-up crowd.

Abe is persistently planning a last ditch Father/Son camp out and a subsequent Family camp out this month before school starts. We haven't had any kind of family vacation because Fred has been so busy and honestly the life just went out of planning anything when I realized it would be a part-family vacation. However, we have realized how much we need to continue making family memories, even when the family isn't all at home, so we are trying to fit in overnighters on the weekends, which is the only time Fred has off anymore. (I keep trying to figure out how we could go on an overnight camp out to Spokane :)

Lily and Sophie, who were feeling so nervous about school, are now getting very impatient as they anticipate wearing their new school clothes and wearing their little backpacks.

Fred is ever working. It is that student mentality all over again where you are never done and it is always with you. He continues to make time for us, but misses those respites of time to work on home projects and hobbies. He tried working on his car radio last night in between some Saturday house jobs and ended up slicing his finger to the bone. He is now wearing a finger splint on his left hand and wondering when those days of leisure will ever return. Is he still grateful for this job? YES! It is fulfilling, but he'll be happy if the pressure would ease up at bit. Maybe it will once all the initial groundwork is laid and he can hire a teacher.

And I? I am wondering what this new school year will bring. After all of the challenges of this summer will the plans and goals of Jordan attending BYU-I really be able to materialize? Will I be able to find my niche with all of my children off at school? Will I be brave enough to stretch? As Mr. Magorium says, "Life is an occasion--rise to it!" I want to.--

Jordan's Miracle

Jordan in the E.R. Friday, July24
After losing consciousness from dehydration


Jordan in the E.R. Tuesday, July28 After his car accident


The Car in the Impound Lot

Some of Jordan's Angels

(Luke, Dillon, Braden)

Slices of Life

Abe's Cabbage

Abe's 9th Birthday


Sundays

Sophie "Harvesting" Beans

"Sunlit" Memories

Lily and Sophie

Milestones

Mikayla was asked out on her first date this evening by a boy she doesn't know and is not attracted to in any way. It was an extremely awkward phone conversation as she had a difficult time trying to place a name with a face and, sad but true, a disappointment when she realized that she was free on Friday and then awkward again when she asked who they would be doubling with and he told her he was just planning on going on their own and she told him she couldn't single date and he tried to tell her it wasn't a date. She ended up letting him know that whatever "it" was she couldn't go alone, so he said he'd try to get some of his friends and call her tomorrow. It wasn't the fairy tale phone call that every 16 year old girl dreams of, but those will come too. Fred and I just encouraged her that 16 was all about meeting new people and learning to communicate and seeing what characteristics interest you and what characteristics are dissatisfying (and if you get a free movie out of the deal, then that's a bonus). After Mikayla confided in her 17 year old best friend at the Bishop's fireside tonight, Tessia made the comment that ALL dates are awkward unless you are going out with a very close friend, which I thought was a very realistic comment. I have to admit that I am a little apprehensive because although I guess this young man is in our stake I don't know him or anything about him. If he finds a "double" and this date materializes on Friday night, he won't be getting out my door without a "mother chat".
Mikayla will be attending the Boise Youth Spectacular, which is an E.F.Y. appendage at B.S.U. Tuesday-Thursday. She'll be staying in the dorms and having all kinds of fun, uplifting experiences and she is excited. I get to help serve dinner on Wednesday evening, right before the big dance and I am looking forward to sharing that opportunity with her.
Eden is proving to have the "Bloomquist sleep gene" and is spending much of her summer days in bed. Mikayla is proving to have the "Jones" non-compassionate gene and spends much of her summer days pulling her out. It's a precarious tug of war and Eden is a good sport. She is mastering the art of enjoying enthusiasm for life with a smile on her face and a pillow under her head. Like every 13 year old girl, she is trying to hone into the most appropriate areas to channel her zeal and recognize exactly who she is, but once she locks in those coordinates, there will be no stopping her.
Abe's birthday is tomorrow and he has furnished me with written reminders all over the house; a large post it note on my calendar with the time he wants breakfast in bed (Cocoa Roos and grapefruit--a more disgusting combination I can't imagine), piles of highly re-worked pages of notes on date, dinner, refreshment, and party plans plastered all over the refrigerator and strewn on the kitchen table. He gave me at least 10 different "last goodnight hugs from an 8 year old" before I finally coaxed him into bed tonight. I think he is swimming in reservoirs of anticipation.
I have decided to enroll Lily and Sophie in the public school and volunteer as a classroom helper while we all adjust this Fall. It will be a new experience to have that opportunity without younger children to worry about at home. If the sporadic schedule gets too inconsistent for them, I can always pull them out. I am hoping that I can start trying to figure out a school plan for me as well, as I'd really like to finish my bachelors degree from BYU Independent study.
Fred got back from Florida late Saturday night as the twins were keeping sentinel at the front window. It's good to have him home; I know he is glad to be here. I think he felt like it was a lonely, unproductive week as approval for accreditation was pushed back once more as they asked for more detailed documentation that he couldn't work on until he got back to the office and social time was uncomfortable because people resorted to getting drunk and acting foolish. It's too bad that he traveled to a physical paradise of sorts and wasn't able to experience that mentally. It was beautiful and he got to swim in a warm ocean and walk on the beach, picking up shells, and go out to eat at extravagantly overpriced restaurants but he just couldn't wait to come home. We missed him too!
View from lobby of Marriott in Florida


Miles of shells on the beach




Marriot Hotel courtyard


View from Fred's balcony


On the beach


Pathway along the beach


The Marriot Hotel where Fred stayed on the beachfront

Daboul Maunzie

Jordan got a chinchilla this past week. He called us on the web cam on Wednesday to show us. Sometimes our connection is poor and we just had a slow motion, blurry picture, so we couldn't see very well. However, we could tell that he is a fast little thing and held up close to the camera he had a very darling face. Jordan got a baby and one of his roommates got an adult who is much larger and quite strange looking. They heard an african name "Daboul Maunzie" that they liked and so Dillon named his chinchilla "Daboul" and Jordan named his Maunize". They are nocturnal which works well for the boys lifestyle right now, but you know who will inherit it as soon as Jordan takes off to college and his mission don't you? Mikayla is already claiming ownership. I'm just trying to gear up for the guilt that will accompany an uncommon animal with "special needs".

Fred leaves for Florida on Tuesday morning and will be gone until Saturday night for a business convention. He tried to talk me into coming with him, but I just couldn't rationalize the cost of the plane ticket when we had just had an anniversary retreat last month. I'm not looking forward to his absence; I don't like having all of my men gone. I'm not complaining--well, just a little. Poor Abe is in for a long week with a house full of girls. I'm afraid without the structure of Fred's work schedule to keep us sensible there are going to be some late nights and a lot of "foraged" meals. Maybe I will make a dent in "Ivanhoe" at night, since I can't go to sleep while Fred's gone until I just sink from pure exhaustion. Of course with Fred gone exhaustion may come much quicker than usual:)

The kids are loving the pool as always this summer. It is starting to wear out and needing pumping and patching constantly. I hope it holds out a few more years because it is such a fun part of our summer memories. Though our school year always seems to get hectic, we have been successful, so far, in keeping our summers very low key and relaxing and I love having things that keep the kids wanting to stay close to home for fun. It's a great way to unwind on family night at well, at least when we have warm weather. This summer has been uncommonly cool, which is great for working in the yard, but not so great for swimming in an unheated pool when you are a cold blooded adult.

The battery on my camera has run out again so while I try to talk myself into investing in a rechargeable battery and recharger, my blogs remain pictureless for yet another week. I miss that part of journaling. I love Becky's pictures every week and the pictures that Mom and Dad are always sending. I'd love some pictures from everyone else.

Out of The Mouths of Babes

Our family was in the Suburban going somewhere this past week and Mikayla was in the far back with the twins, listening to her MP4. Lily could just hear bits of sound coming from Mikayla's earphones and finally said, "Hey, those ding parts hear like Spirit" (the movie); an appropriate comment from our dingy little Lulu. We'll have to start focusing on grammar during study time:)

Oh Say Can You See

We decided to fly Jordan in this past holiday weekend, since he had Saturday off. What a thrill to have him home. We spent all day Friday grocery shopping and cleaning and cooking in anticipation of his homecoming. It was more exciting than Christmas and just when we were getting ready to climb in the car at 4:00 to go pick him up from the airport, and I was putting dinner in the oven to cook while we were gone, I double checked his itinerary to make sure that the information that Fred had was correct and realized that he was leaving Spokane at the time that Fred thought he was coming into Boise and we had two more hours before we had to leave. That was a looong wait! We tried to fill it up by going to the fireworks stand and finishing off the laundry folding while we watched Andy Griffith episodes, but it felt like time was standing still! It was so exciting to finally pile in the Suburban and head out. By the time Jordan came walking through those glass doors, everybody in the airport knew he was coming as all the little kids were shouting, "there he is!" and he's coming!" and I had trouble spotting him for a minute because he was wearing an unfamiliar shirt, his head was buzzed and he just looked so 'big' walking in that group of people. We smothered him with hugs and kisses and then I had to laugh as we were walking through the lobby because we were all walking in a circle around him and he could barely move. He's loved.


Everyone was famished when we finally sat down to eat dinner after 8:00 and the phone rang for Jordan before we could even say the prayer. Friends--wanting him to come play. I reminded him that because of the $180 plane ticket, I 'owned' him. We ate, Jordan talked us into going swimming at 9:00 and by 10:00 some of his friends had found us, taking a detour on their way over to a party. Fred told me Jordan would never be content until he saw "the girl", so I reluctantly let go briefly and he headed over to see the "old clan" while we watched a movie.


We visited all morning on Saturday and then went to the parade that passes the end of our street, which is always such a highlight; to the youngest because they are thrown bagfuls of candy; to the rest of us because the 4th of July is a bonding experience in a little town. Everyone is in good spirits and are united in doing the same thing. There are no fancy floats, but you recognize almost everybody and know many and it just feels like family.


Because Mikayla's 16th birthday was on Sunday, Jordan took her on her first date Saturday afternoon to play her first game of golf. We figured we could fudge one day with a brother;) Around 5:00, Ben and Renee's family came over and we ate and visited and laughed and swam and listened to Jared and Ben play us festive harmonica duets. It was sooo nice to be with family and just relax for hours. Around 9:30 we started the dusk fireworks of smoke bombs and snakes and tanks and sparklers and anything else that Fred could talk us into (the more he can shoot off before the city show, the less time he has to stay up after;) At that point, the phone started ringing for Jordan again, but this time he turned down all invitations and invited anyone who wanted, to come find us at the community fireworks show. Sometime after 10:00 we headed to the school grounds to find a spot to spread our blankets. Renee brought treats, some of Jordan's friends found us and once again there was that sense of community family that makes Middleton so appealing to us. We had an impressive pre-show just watching all of the fireworks that people were shooting off from the yards that surround the school, and the city show was fantastic. It's only about 20 minutes every year, and is completely funded by donations, so I am sure we could find something bigger and more literally flashy, but we enjoy it more than any big city display that costs thousands of dollars because we are with neighbors and friends and we don't have to fight any traffic. We are grateful to Ben and Renee for being willing to come our way every year. We sure enjoy their company!


Sunday was Mikayla's birthday and we were able to spend the whole day just marinading in each other companionship. At one point, as I was finishing the touches on Mikayla's birthday dinner, I looked out the window and Jordan and Fred and Mikayla and the twins were all sitting together in the hammock. I am fairly certain that they were exceeding the 450 pound weight limit, but they looked so joyful. A few minutes later, Fred came inside and said, "It's so great to have Jordan back, it feels like those days at the farm when everyone would come over to visit and we would just sit around and talk." Those moments are rare and precious and fleeting. It was a memorable day.


Monday morning, Fred had to head back to work and we had to take Jordan back to the airport, and everyday life started up again. Jordan was teary eyed when everyone malled him for the last time and I was a little watery as we watched him walk barefoot, further and further away through the whole security labyrinth, but this experience has been so good for him and I am grateful for the opportunity to have this very gradual separation process, where we can still be so much a part of his life through the phone and the web cam and e-mail and he can learn life lessons about independence while still having a tangible support network at home. We're working through the school registration process together and he's figuring out how to manage his personal finances with guidance and is building a firm foundation to sustain him when he's truly on his own and has only one place to turn. I'm proud of who he's becoming.


Our temple has made it possible this summer for all of the youth to be able to attend baptism sessions without adult leadership. They can receive a personal limited use recommend that is good for one year and can attend Tuesdays at 5:30AM, Wednesdays at 6:30AM or 3:30PM and Thursday at 6:30AM. I have been amazed to watch the youth rise up and lead out. We have youth in our stake who are attending once a week at 5:30AM. They are organizing themselves and are making the most of these opportunities. Mikayla's best friend called and invited her to go this morning at 5:30--Eden asked to go with them. Eden will be going again with a group of friends tomorrow at 3:30. Mikayla is trying to organize a "cousin trip" this month. It has re motivated me to make it a priority to get to the temple more often, even if I have to go on my own, and take my small children to the temple grounds to "touch the temple". If we will let them, this generation will make sure the doors of our homes are facing the temple.



Mikayla's Thinking of her 16th Birthday Wish:




(I'm pretty sure she ran out of hot air before the candles went out;)

Shovels and Gardens and Books

With all of the morning hours Mikayla and I have been putting in, we finally got to a point in our yard work Friday morning, where all maintenance had been accomplished and we weren't sure what to do. That never happens! Not with housework--not with yardwork. We stood around looking for so much as a weed to hoe and nothing! We actually got to move past the maintenance step into the creating phase and spent an hour planting flour seeds. I've never done that straight into the ground, but what else were we going to do--laundry? There will be plenty of maintenance by tomorrow morning, but it was fun to feel that tiny taste of progress.

Fred has a co-worker who offered us cherries from her backyard if we wanted to go pick them on Saturday. Of course we were excited! Cherries are so expensive and picking is a fun family activity, but I wasn't prepared for what we found in her back yard. It was an adventure, with trees everywhere, some places making a low canopy that you had to pick your way through and dotted throughout with all kinds of little garden spots and sitting nooks, interwoven with paths and sidewalks that seemed to meander around and through and under all kinds of foliage. I'm sure her whole lot wasn't over an acre, . It wasn't the kind of place that would be conducive to capture the flag or touch football, and F.H.E. Sardines would have been impossible there, but it was inspiring and Fred and I came straight home and started measuring and dreaming about our own little garden nooks -- on graph paper, something that I'm sure this lady never used because there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to her landscaping. Maybe by the time our children are grown we will have learned some of the arts of Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Floyd and created a garden of Eden of our own, for the grandchildren. We are enjoying the cherries and even though last Mondays lesson was on refinement, I am afraid we have had some rousing cherry pit spitting contests. I can't imagine what the neighbors must think as the younger the contestant the louder and messier the competition seems to be. I cringe to think what apricot and plum season will mean ;)

Mikayla's 16th birthday is just one week away. It feels quite different to have a daughter turning 16, than it did a son. Different concerns, different excitements--more protectiveness. We are also letting her get her driver's license, after stalling for a year. I'm afraid she has my direction impairment so I will only be comfortable with her driving in Middleton alone, but she will be happy even for that bit of freedom. I wrote last week that she had checked out "Great Expectations" from the library; I was wrong, she actually checked out "David Copperfield", but it is still Dickens and she has surprised me with her interest. She wakes up before me every morning (around 6:00 or 6:30 and I always find her in her saucer chair with her nose in the book. I wasn't interested in Dickens at her age, in fact I didn't discover him until after I was married, but I think Mikayla is more mature than I was at her age. It's fun to watch her enjoying the charming caricatures that he creates. I haven't ever read Copperfield, but she is determined that we switch books when she is done.

We bought Fred a hammock stand for Father's Day last week, so he could finally get his hammock out of garage storage and put it to good use once again. It is now in constant use--it begs for people to grab a good book and sink in. Even Fred, who rarely has time for such luxuries spent a good hour in it last Thursday, begrudgingly finishing "Song of Years" (Dad will understand his pain:) I am glad to report that he is now in that small family club of people who made the emotional journey and are glad for having done it. He has resorted to using Jeremiah lines, however, so I may have to resort to using Sara lines though I'd feel awfully foolish if he didn't notice anything different:0

Jordan flies in early Friday evening of this coming weekend and flies out early Monday morning so we have him for the entire weekend. We're all feeling a little giddy. He won't get a wink of sleep! He's doing great in Spokane with all of those preparatory life lessons. One of his roomates got his mission call last Thursday and they all got to be a part of that "opening the call" experience. These are just the beginning of "days never to be forgotten". Next week Jordan and Dillon are getting Chinchilla's. Wo is me--you know where they are going to end up don't you. Crazy boys!

"Muscle Man" Abe

buried in the best outdoor investment we ever made.

Aaaah--The Lazy Days of Summer

Happy Father's Day to all of my favorite men!

This past week has felt like the first true week of summer vacation for us--well, at least for the kids and I. That always means new work charts, new schedules, trips to the library, study and reading and personal goals, yard work and actually some room to breathe--I LOVE it! Wednesday we went to our tiny little Middleton library, spent an hour browsing, checked out a pile of summer fare to explore and walked to the little city park to let summer just soak in.Our tiny Middleton library is in the process of expanding and is set to open the new addition this summer. We are all hoping that will include a more expansive selection of good books; it is so limited now. Our librarian has tried so hard to be accommodating and has worked something out with the other libraries outside of our jurisdiction where she will let us request books from them and she will travel there and check them out in her name and lend them to us. We can only request two at a time and sometimes there is a bit of a wait, but it has been a kind service that has helped fill a gap. For the first time I watched Mikayla leave the YA section and wander over to the the classic literature section. I followed her and saw her looking through some Charles Dickens selections. She asked for my suggestion and I pointed out "Great Expectations". Has she really grown up that much in these last few months? I will be interested to see what happens when she opens those pages; it's a bit of a leap from Jerry Spinelli. I took a little genre leap of my own last month and read my first Louis L'Amour book. I was desperate and asked for suggestions. I wanted to be able to make a fair judgement, and because there was nothing offensive in the book, I finished it, but I can definitely say that I will not be classified among his numerous fans. I don't think I've ever read another book with more apathy. I have a dear friend who named one of her children after a character in a Louis L'Amour book, and maybe reading one book isn't a true test, but isn't it interesting how different we all are and how such diverse things can move us or disaffect us. Fred is still slowly reading Song of Years and I can see that it has it's claws in him (Mikayla and I are both silently waiting for his reaction to the pivotal scene), but some of my favorite people have shut that book after the first few chapters and never gone back. A kindred reading spirit is hard to find; but it's an intimate mental connection when it happens.

Fred continues to hold his breath or at least personify yoga-like techniques while internally hyperventilating--maybe it is the Respiratory Therapist inside. He flies to Florida mid-July to meet with CoARC, which is the accrediting body, to see if the Boise Campus will be able to finally receive approval to move forward with the R.T. college. Fred had to "attend" a teleconference with the owner and heads of the other two campuses in Salt Lake and San Diego. He called in, expecting to just listen in while doing his work, until the owner started talking about the importance of having a unified objective to overcome the hostility that CoARC has for Stevens-Henager. A bit surprised by the "hostel" news and concerned about flying into enemy territory, Fred asked for clarification. I guess both of the other campuses have had some major issues, where both R.T. heads have either been fired or been forced to step down and one of the programs has actually been put on probation by the accrediting committee. The owner assured Fred he had nothing to worry about because CoARC was very pleased with him. Fred tried to explain that he hadn't done anything different, in fact he had based his program on what he could glean of the example of the other two campuses and then asked if there was anything he could do to help put the other campuses in a positive light and Mr. Barney commented, "no, you distance yourselves as far apart from them as you can. You just go down and take with you your kind, innocent Idaho farm boy image and you'll be just fine." This man is originally from England and now resides in California and is an intense business man. Fred wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that comment and I have never met the man, so I can't presume to know, but I have noticed that the term "Idaho farm boy" has become a popular term in my lifetime and has seemed to connote hard work and honesty and humility and though it may also have other connotations associated with antonyms of intellectualism and refinement, I think Fred was being paid a great compliment. There are all kinds of leaders--Fred is the quiet steady that remains inconspicuously standing during the storm.

Mikayla took a culinary arts class her last semester this year and has become very interested in nutrition and cooking. She has set some personal progress goals in the same area for the summer and has become my constant helper in the kitchen. It is amazing how much more enjoyable it is to cook with helpful companionship. It is fun to work with a rookie "chef" and realize how much knowledge you glean over the years and take for granted. She has also taught me a few things with her different approach and insight. I am looking forward to that camaraderie for the next two months.

We are flying Jordan down for the 4th of July weekend. He wanted us to go up there and spend it with him, but with the price of hotels, it was just more economical to bring him home. We are all so excited to see him. Sophie tells me EVERY day, a few times a day, how much she misses him -- we all do. Fred made him seem a little closer this week when his "dumb little boy" side surfaced on Friday night. We had a little leftover piece of dry ice and Fred decided that it would be "cool" to make a carbonated drink with it. As he put it in a pop bottle with the Kool-aid and began to screw on the lid, I tried every persuasive argument, to get him to come to his senses but little boys" never listen to logic, especially when surrounded by an encouraging crowd, and as I finished saying, "if that thing explodes I am not cleaning it off of the ceiling!" it did, in his hands, with a deafening boom. Had Jordan been here, he would have been Fred's right hand man and they would probably both have had black and blue thumbs. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Even so, I love my darling, juvenile men! We will be having our annual 4th of July Potluck Picnic Party at our home and viewing the City Fireworks down the block at the school grounds and all of you in town are invited! I'll send an e-mail invite soon, but we'd love for you to put it on your calendars if you don't already have other plans.