Monthly Archives: April 2009

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Today was Wyatt’s birthday. Unfortunately, since he was working on the yard all week, we didn’t plan much. I thought he would probably end up working all day. And indeed, he did have a couple closings that day. So first thing we did was try and figure out when those would be. Wyatt figured they would be later in the afternoon, so we invited my parents (who were in town) to go to breakfast with us. Then one of the closings got called in for the morning. So we canceled breakfast and set about our day. Then that closing got pushed back. So we did end up going to breakfast just with the peeps around (Jared & Carrie & Beth are all staying at our house this weekend).

We went up to the diner and actually got there closer to lunch time. Most of us had already had breakfast too.

Oh well. It’s the thought that counts. By the time we got home in the afternoon, babies went down for a nap.

Wyatt and I hit DB and Seagull Book (Hate seagull book. Hate myself for patronizing them. Oh well). We were looking for a picture of the temple. Just the right picture too. Wyatt found one he really liked. I like it too, but it was ahem expensive. So it’s just been added to the list. Actually, it’s been on the list for a long time.

List:
Pay for baby
Minivan
Picture of the temple
Extravagant Rockstar lifestyle

This year our list is pretty long.

Okay, so this post is getting mo chatty. After all this Wyatt finally had both his closings, and I’m waiting for him to come home so we can go to dinner with my mom and dad to Porters Place.

I told Olivia it was daddy’s birthday, and we needed to go get him a present. She was very excited to celebrate daddy’s big day, and knew right away what would be the perfect gift: “Let’s get daddy a big purple princess dress!”

Unfortunately I couldn’t find one in his size.

One of the joys of owning a house in our neighborhood is that every home is in need of “work.” The homes were originally built in the 50′s and 60′s. Some residents in the area are original owners. New owners are set about updating and remodeling. Everyone is in the same boat. Anyone has a story that can top the next guys.

And we have set about on our projects again. I’ve noticed we seem to do projects in great fury when I’m expecting. I’m not sure there’s a correlation. But I do know I DON’T like it. I’m tired and nauseous, and having my house turned upside down with remodeling and updating and finishing projects does not eliminate stress. But I’ve tried to be a good sport. I think Wyatt would say I’ve done a GREAT . . . and I do mean FABULOUS job at being a good sport.

I haven’t taken tons o pictures because nausea makes me avoid my camera. I don’t know why.

So the first project we tackled was our basement. My sweet brother-in-law Jared offered to help us finish it. He works in construction (heating and air) and with the economy & winter being a slow time in construction anyway, he had a lot of down time. We moved everything from the basement upstairs: food storage, baby things in storage, christmas decorations – you know, the things you have in an unfinished basement. Cal’s room was taken over. The living room was taken over. The second bathroom became a storage closet. The linen closet became a storage closet. For about 6 weeks our kitchen was taken over. We were bursting at the seams. Wyatt and Jared worked hard and it’s almost done (it’s down to the painting. HATE painting). But the storage closets have been finished, and I’ve been able to move at least the stuff from my living room and kitchen back downstairs.

Then the weather started warming up. Our sights were turned to our poor, pathetic yard. We’ve planted grass four times: fall, 2006; spring, 2007; fall, 2007, and spring, 2008. Each time we endured a $200 + /month water bill. Still the grass never took. I’ve been threatening bombing the place if we don’t have a yard this summer for me to shoo the kids out to. Wyatt began looking at sod.

And of course, being Wyatt, he found a guy to give us a screaming deal on it. He also found a guy to put in curbing on trade (web design). All that was left was fixing the sprinklers (broken from putting the walk-out basement in last fall). Jared and Wyatt tackled that. Our yard is looking so good. We still have lists and lists of projects to do, but we’re making progress.

Of course, the day after we lay the sod, we had our first flood in our almost finished basement. An undiscovered broken sprinkler flooded a window well and poured a couple inches of water into the two bedrooms (went under the wall into the next room). It wasn’t as bad as it first looked, but didn’t make for a fun morning either. Wyatt helped me clean up as best he could before he had to go to a meeting. “Please wash those baseboards. Don’t let anything distract you from it. We don’t want them ruined. Wash them right away.”

“I will.” I promised. And I did. Until I was distracted by a beautiful snail climbing a leaf out of the flood in the windowsill. Then I had to stop and take a picture. But I got right back to work, and the baseboards are fine.

Five Things About The Heat

• I love it
• It makes it awesome to go inside – air conditioning
• It makes it awesome to go outside and eat popsicles (like 10 times a day)
• I love sitting in it at the side of the pool
• It makes me appreciate that I live in a 4 season part of the world

Five Things About 4th of July Weekend

• The Rodeo
• The Barbecue’s
• Fireworks!
• Playing softball – Wyatt and his brothers playing, the sister-in-laws picking clover in outfield.
• Feeling like SUMMER is here!

Five Things About My Dad

• He let us sled off the roof in the winter, even though it’s not good for the shingles, just because there’s something intuitively great about sleigh riding off the roof.
• He taught me to travel–you know, backpack, change of clothes, and your set. I think the first time I learned that was when he woke me up at 2 in the morning and asked me if I wanted to go to the Olypics at 6 a.m. I didn’t have much of a choice but to pack light. I’ve been doing it ever since. He taught me to look at the horizon, and be open to the possibilites.
• When ever I call his secretary always says that he’s unavailable, or in a meeting, or not there, and then she asks who it is, and I tell her, and then suddenly he is available–he always take my calls.
• He reads. He and my mom taught me to read. And then he gave me good books to read. And he grounded me from reading when I was in 7th grade, which I always thought was wierd, but now I understand–he taught me how to read, but he taught me to have a balance in my life. . .
• He taught me how to serve. I always knew that if there was someone in need, and there was something to be done, my parents would be first in line–the first not to called, but the first to call–they didn’t need someone to tell them to do it–they already had done it!

Five Things I’m Really Bad At

• Answering the phone (I have goals to improve here!)
• Returning phone calls (I have goals to improve here too!)
• Laundry
• Singing
• Remembering details of everything I’m supposed to do

The Last Five Books I’ve Read

• The Chosen
• The Hiding Place
• Pride and Predjudice
• Death Comes to the Archbishop
• Franny and Zoey

Five Chores I Hate

• Laundry
• Vacuuming
• Mopping
• Grocery Shopping
• Cleaning the Stove

Five Things About Leslee

• She is thoughtful – to many examples!
• Let’s be honest, she’s a babe
• Her car is always clean
• She has the best clothes to “borrow” (if only I could still fit in them!)
• She works hard at the things that are truly important in life

Five Things for Summer

• Green grass beneath bare feet
• Wearing White
• Barbeques
• Slushee’s in the evening
• Crickets singing all night long

The ward easter party was today. It was lots of fun, mostly because I didn’t have to plan it. I was temporarily relieved of my duties as ward party person due to nausea. Sweet.

O and Cal had a great time at the Easter egg hunt. Cal did a good job of finding all the eggs. Olivia blew right past most the eggs as she would only pick up the pink ones.

Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord
Thou sendest blessings from above
Through words and deeds of those who love

Death has never been one of my trials in life. My grandfather died when I was five. I lived in Utah, he in California. I have only one memory of him. My grandmother died just after I turned nine. I have a few more vague memories of her. All I remember of her funeral though is running around playing with my cousins.

My next experience with death didn’t come until I was twenty one years old. A neighbor girl who was three or four years older than me was hit by a car. I went to her funeral with my mom, even though I hadn’t spoken to the girl in years and years and years. It seemed like I should. Her funeral was open casket, in spite of the car accident. Even through the makeup she looked bruised and swollen. I’ve never gone to a viewing or up to the casket at a funeral since.

Since I’ve been married to Wyatt I’ve had more experience with death: Wyatt’s grandmother, whom I had met half a dozen times over the years; Uncle Stan; a friend of Wyatt’s from college, whom I’d only ever met once; and a baby girl of Wyatt’s friend – sadest for me was the baby girl, even though I’d never met her. I have a baby girl.

Then two months ago Kathe passed away. I’ve never written about it here because . . . like most life changes, it takes me a long time to process such things. When such life altering things occur, I tend to think about it ALOT, and talk about it a little. But then yesterday I got the news that my neighbor who lived behind me all growing up, and who was my mom’s dear friend, passed away. Now having two people in my life pass away with whom I actually had relationships – it’s made me cognate my feelings on such events.

While death has always been bewildering to me, my own death has never scared me. I can think of one instance where death seemed a very legitimate outcome to my predicament (I was in a crash landing in a plane once – maybe someday I’ll tell that story), and as I sat waiting for the outcome, which was out of my hands, I remember not feeling nervous or overcome . . . just . . . okay. Perhaps that was the spirit giving comfort because the outcome would be okay. But really, and when ever I have ever thought seriously about my own death, I’ve never felt anything but okay. That isn’t to say death is something I would welcome, especially at this point in my life. I have so many things in this life that I look forward to . . . Olivia’s first day of kindergarten, and Calvin’s first scout award and Olivia’s wedding and Calvin’s mission and my first grand baby, etc. etc. etc.

But part of what has been bewildering about death has been the whole “who do I know in Heaven?” thing. And I get that I had relationships with people before I came to earth, and I get that there’s a part of the ‘eternal love’ that I just don’t get that makes my progenitors love me even if we’ve never had a relationship. I know there’s a lot to it that my finite mind cannot comprehend. But seeing as I’m one who avoids crowds, and generally feels shy and overwhelmed in such situations, and seeing as Heaven – to me – seems like it must be a crowd, with so many people to meet and greet, that part has always made me feel . . . overwhelmed.

When Kathe died, among the many thoughts and feelings I had about the event, one was: “Oh, I hope she comes to meet me when I die. Then at least I’ll know someone.”

Holy Cow! I’m actually crying while I’m writing this.  Does this sound like teary material? I didn’t think so.

Now that Sharon (my neighbor) has died too, Heaven seems like a little more friendly place. Now I have two friends to talk to.

The other day Baby Sunshine and I were driving down the road (to aunty Jena’s house to see baby kitties) and this is how the conversation went:

O: Mommy, wemember when you were a wittle girl, and your mommy drove and you sat in a seat?

Me: Yes.

O: Cuz you were wittle, and you were a wittle girl and you had to sit in a seat.

Me: That’s right.

O: And then you grew bigger and bigger and bigger. And you can drive. Now you’re a mommy and you can drive.

Me: Yep.

O: And I’m wittle, but I will grow, and grow until I’m big and I can drive too.

Me: That’s right O, you will grow big.

O: Yeah, and then maybe I can have my own car!

Me: (Shocked at the sudden turn of conversation) – Um, yeah, well, maybe. You’ll have to talk to your daddy about that.

I figured she would ask for a car someday . . . but not at age three.

If you’ve been watching this site for the past three or four days, you’ve seen all sorts of funky stuff going on. That’s because I used conference weekend to get around to updating my site, something I’ve been meaning to do for months! The most new and exciting capability of my new site is the ability for you to comment. I’m looking forward to all sorts of plaudits from you, my sometimes hostile audience

Don’t worry, all my old posts and stuff will be here too . . . eventually. And the site has lots of stuff to be fixed & changed still. If a link doesn’t work, it’s coming! In the mean time, welcome to my new and updated world.

This morning I went to pick my sister up from the airport. She returned from a week long jaunt to Chile. As we were driving home she was telling me about missing her flight (she missed her flight), and I reminded her of the only time I’ve ever missed a flight. She laughed, and said “I still have that picture.”

“Really? I’ve never seen it!”

So when I got home I pulled the picture up (which she had published on facebook). Here it is:

“When I See an Elephant Fly”
Published: 2006-07-31

I think I’ve seen about everything . . .

But this month I’ve seen two more quite amusing things.

Over fourth of July weekend we went to Arizona. Wyatt was quite stressed because, as usual, we were running late. He was worried we’d miss our flight (which we did), and was flying down the freeway. Suddenly he slowed down and started laughing. He slowed to match pace with a truck in the left lane next to us. We all looked over.

It was a truck–a pretty big one, and it looked like the front passenger seat had been removed, making the “front seat” extent into the back of the cab. And riding shotgun in this truck was . . . A PONY! That’s right, riding down the freeway in the front of this truck there was a pony! It took up the entire front passenger side of the cab, and it didn’t look very comfortable. Leslee got a picture of it, I’ll have to get it and post it. Now when ever Wyatt is stressed, I just remind him of the time we saw a pony riding shotgun down the freeway.

You might remember “ugly naked man” from the sitcom Friends; the man who lived in the apartment across the street, who never wore clothes as he went about his daily activities. Well, in our neighborhood we have our own “ugly naked man,” he’s a 90 year old man who lives with his brother in a house the next street over.

Wyatt and I always laugh as we drive past his house on our way home. The first night we saw him he was out–it was 11:00 at night, and he was standing in the brilliant glow of his lawn lamp, dressed only in his tighty-whiteys. His ninety year old skin sagged and hung limp on his too-thin frame. He stood there in his underwear, holding a garden hose, watering the lawn. We had to drive by twice just to be sure we saw what we thought we saw!

Now when ever it’s dark out, we don’t look towards ugly naked man’s house (we’ve found he’s not privy to privacy). He leaves his blinds open and his lights on as he goes about the house in his night routine, sans clothes.

Every neighborhood has “one of those.”

Number of pictures taken in July, 2008: 915

Number of pictures taken in September, 2008: 651

Number of pictures taken in December, 2008: 697

Number of pictures taken in March, 2009: 7

It’s been a long month.