August peaches and pumpkins

We have been waiting all summer to see these words. 

 

I think what makes these peaches tasty is that they are infused with extra sunshine.

This pumpkin vine grew up the trellis intended for our grapes and now we have a hanging pumpkin.
The 'garden geek' in me loves it when the unexpected turns out so well.

There are two decent sized giant pumpkins growing in the front yard.
What are the chances that they'll still be around come Halloween?
I say...slim to none.
At least we have the pumpkins out back.

thumbs up

The cutest thumbs up ever.  (2009)

This past spring my friend Meredith and her husband, Jeff, came out to Utah to do some skiing. It was great telling stories and catching up on how the kids are. Meredith asked me about the latest ALS happenings and I filled her in.

 I then told Meredith about a strange trend I had noticed. Recently there had been a sharp increase in the number of thumbs up people had been giving me. We hypothesized that perhaps people were giving me a thumbs up because they didn’t know what to say otherwise.  They see it is increasingly difficult for me to speak and not knowing what to say to me they become uncomfortable. 

But, hooray for those that are patient with me!

While it takes significant effort to enunciate and speak, there is good news, which is:  My hearing is fantastic! This means that you don’t have to get really close to me and then speak in an overly loud voice.  It’s awkward if you do.

I recently had a conversation that went something like this:

Woman “How are you.”

Me “I’m doing great.”

Woman (as she pats my shoulder) “Well you keep hanging in there.”

Apparently she didn’t believe my response.  Between you and me, I'm glad THAT conversation ended quickly.

Back to the thumbs up. Meredith and Jeff laughed about it.  Later when they were leaving, both of them gave me double thumbs up… this WAS funny.  

Meredith and her Jeff

these photos make me happy

 In my room there is an 8x10 framed picture of each child of when they were 4 years old.  This way each night as I go to bed and see the oh-so-sweet faces in the pictures, no matter how difficult the kids have been, I seem to get an extra dose of patience.    Granted they are only 10, 8 and 5.  I wonder if this approach will still work when they are older...

Erik age 4.
 This photo has gotten him out of trouble a number of times!
 (Thank you Holly H. for taking it.)

Here are some more recent photos that also make me happy:

My dad and Erik made this bike ramp out of scrap lumber.

  

Go Mae!

Halloween Witch

Halloween Cat

Navy Seal with nerf gun.

  

My girls.

a look back @ summer

For the most part our summer was low key and local.  But I'm not complaining.  The last 3 months flew by!

Our summer highlight was Claire's baptism!  Her cousin, Anson, was also baptized on the same day.

 Jeff and I went on a quick trip to the Tetons.

We went to the mountains with friends...

...and played with cousins. 

Went fishing...

...did some catch and release (with cousins AND friends).

Ice blocking.

Our neighbors cat came over nearly every day to visit. (and still does)

Our neighbor, Jessica, used to be a face painter at Disneyland and is very talented.  She came over one morning and the kids were so excited to get their faces painted!

These boys are only 10 and already have their favorite team.

Megan and Neola.

 Hooray for cousins!

My parents, me and my sisters.  Does anyone know where I could purchase a large blue hat?   Just kidding  mom.  Love 'ya  ;-)

Saints to Sinners

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chickens 2012

Once again here is another post on chickens:

The  baby chicks came to our home and five weeks later they left for their new home.

The little chicks are melt-your-heart darling but they do poop a lot and will scratch in any open patch of dirt  they find.  This is why Uncle Randy's garden is perfect for them.   He provides a home where they roam about, eat bugs and can fertilize to their hearts content.   In return when the chickens are 6 months they will give him around 15 eggs a week.

chicks (left to right) Frightful, Sparkles and Natalie

the chicks new home - hooray!

out and about in April

(I wrote this over a week ago, better post before it's June!)

  

Here are some of our April happenings:

Escalante day trip.  I didn’t make it this time but this is how it went down:  Jeff, Erik, Claire and Megan left at 5:00am (George/ 3 of his children and Lincoln/son also went).  They stopped around 8:30am for a big breakfast at a small town café then drove to the trailhead on ‘Hole in the Rock Road.’  Their little group hiked the slot canyons, Spooky and Peek-A-Boo.  They had packed a lunch and then stopped for dinner on the way home.  The minivan, covered in the red dirt of Southern Utah, pulled back in the driveway around 10:00pm!

Jeff

Claire and kids.  Megan said "I LOVED that hike.  It was so fun to climb and slide."

Skiing at Brighton.   Even though everyone but me was going to be skiing I was content to go and watch from out of the big windows in the lodge.  As a parent I find it rewarding when my children embrace something I love and this is the case for skiing.  It is an activity all 3 enjoy doing with their dad and Grandma LaKay.  My mother-in-law has been a ski instructor for over 20 years and she’s been able to give lesson time to Erik and Claire, and this year Megan received her first lessons. 

At the end of the day as we were heading to  the parking lot I paused and looked at  the ski lift called ‘Milly’ and the runs coming off it.  Jeff asked if I was okay.  Surprised by his question I said, “Yeah.  Why?”   Jeff said, “You were biting your lower lip.”  Oh… I hadn’t realized I was.  Darn it.  Even as a grown woman I will sometimes bite my lower lip as a tactic to keep my emotions in check. 

The day had been great, but in staring up at that big snowy mountain my body could remember exactly how it felt to ski (and fall) down those runs. All day long I had been repeating to myself how great it was to get out.  Now I felt like the Band-Aid had been ripped off and I admitted to myself how, despite the positive self-talk, being on the sidelines just can't compare to the adrenaline rush of being on skis.   It has been a few weeks and that raw emotion has settled down and I am back to the “Oh well.  It is was it is.” 


And since my health "is what it is" I'm going to make the best of it.


Just saying… each day really is a gift from God. 

Grandma LaKay  helping Megan.

Claire, Megan and Jeff

Erik

Claire

And  Red Butte Garden.  It is so beautiful up there from now through October.   My kids favorite areas are the Children’s Garden and fish/duck pond. 

Red Butte Garden