retreat, part I

I spent the weekend at Richard's aunt and uncle's cabin in Donnelly. It was a retreat with some members of Richard's family including his mom and her inlaws. I'll admit I was a little nervous about it. But when my Friday departure was threatened by Eli getting sick on Thursday night, I realized how much I wanted to go.Fortunately he was feeling better Friday morning and I could entrust his recovery to my own dear mother and I left.


The purpose of the weekend was to make preparations for an upcoming 80th birthday. I spent an extensive amount of time scanning old pictures for a slideshow of Grandpa Bird's life. I had the privilege of having his wife, Richard's grandmother close at hand along with two of his daughters and two daughters in law.


What a great experience this was for me. My own four biologic grandparents all passed away before I was a teenager. It has been so fun for me to have grandparents again through marriage.


As I scanned the pictures the women around me shared the stories and background. And although I know it sounds cliche, the people came alive to me.


This picture was my favorite. It is of Grandpa & Grandma Bird in 1949 before they were married. Also in the picture is Grandpa's sister, JoAnn. It just struck me that 60 years ago Ray & Larene were in love. Here they are almost exactly 60 years later still in love.


Talk about committment. I'm so grateful for the choices they made along the way that have directly affected my own life and I am so grateful to know them.

how about some good news?

It's that time again. The fertile month of March has blessed us with a bun in the oven. That is to say, I am pregnant. 12 Weeks to be exact, due date December 10th. For the first time I am going to plan on being two weeks early so as not to be caught off guard yet again. But of course that means I won't be early.

To my good friends who are finding out this news on my blog, please don't be offended. I get sweaty and anxious when I tell people face to face that I am pregnant. Richard was opposed to sending a mass text to our family members, which was my first choice.

One more thing-

Because there are people dear to me who are facing obstacles in this regard it is my sincere desire to be sensitive to your struggle. While I am excited about this blessing I am also somber and grateful. I hope that as I blog about pregnancy I will not act in any way that might contribute at all to your pain and suffering. You remain in my thoughts and prayers.

impromptu rambling

I'm just going to type and see where it goes.

Yesterday was Memorial Day. I had fun but our dog got out on Sunday and ran away. That left a pit in my stomach all day yesterday. And today. It is really starting to upset me.

We went bowling and boating for Memorial Day. Cameron was in a 4-year old paradise. I'm quite sure those are his two favorite activities.

Every Tuesday a Jehova's Witness couple comes to chat with me. I've politely informed them of my own religious resolves and they insist they just like to visit. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for these visits and I don't invite them in. Sometimes even when I invite them in I can't focus on what they are saying because the man's mustache is so long it completely covers his upper lip. I am perplexed because I don't see how it could be possible for him to kiss his dear wife.

Sometimes when I invite them in and I actually pay attention we have good conversations about Jesus Christ. And that can only be a good thing. They take their job as a witness of Jehova very seriously. I can learn from that too I suppose.

That's all that is on my mind today. Misha. J-Dubs.

wedding bells

On Saturday my little brother Darren got married in Twin Falls. Richard & I observed something inspiring about the event. But first, some background. I have spent my whole life actively participating in my church. But I have only ever viewed the other members of the church as they related to me. Any service I provided was good for the recipient but mostly I thought about how good I was for doing it. I'm not sure how well I am making my point here so I'll cut to the chase.

My family wasn't involved a great deal in the planning of this wedding. I wasn't sure what to expect. But members of the church in Twin Falls, who Darren and Ashley hardly knew, rallied together to arrange a nice ceremony and reception. A woman who is Ashley's visiting teacher spent her Saturday setting up, serving, and cleaning up for someone she hasn't yet been able to get to know very well.

(We missed you Ev, prego picture of Lori is for you!)

What really affected me was realizing how I fell on the other end of the service. Up to this point with regard to serving people I believed I was always the one providing the good works. But when I realized the sacrifice these strangers were making to help my brother I realized I've never really done anything so good. I've never done something so inconvenient for someone I hardly knew. There are surely people within my reach who have families praying for them daily and I am doing nothing to help.

My family has been blessed because of humble people willing to do the Lord's errand for completely selfless reasons.

None of this really came out the way I wanted it to so I will defer to a great talk recommended to me by my mother. It is called "Honest, Simple, Solid, True" by C. Terry Warner at BYU in 1996.
Here is a quote:

"We are members one of another, connected to each other, and especially to God, by spiritual sensitivities and obligations profoud as eternity. And just for that reason, we become most ourselves when we are most true to God and to one another. We become most right with ourselves when we are most right with them."

I am so grateful for good people everywhere whose quiet example inspires me to be better.

if this doesn't make you smile

your day is going worse than mine.

gag-worthy

I've seen some pretty gross things on blogs. Here is yet another warning, that this is one of those gross things. This is the kind of post that we will use to blackmail Cameron when he is a teenager.

On Sunday Cameron had a bad cold. I have spent the last three years trying to teach Cameron how to blow his nose, and I have been unsuccessful all along the way. He only knows one way to blow his nose and it is to sneeze. If I hear Cameron sneeze from across the house I come running, kleenex in hand. He knows the "sneeze freeze" and he holds completely still until someone gets there to wipe. It's been three years, but it never ceases to be disgusting.

My father-in-law likes to tease me when the boys are naughty or silly that whatever they are doing is a "Hall trait". I can confidently say that this is a Bird trait. That's all I will say.

The only reason I was able to get this picture was because I had my camera in hand, taking a picture of something else when it happened. Usually I am quick on the draw, making mucous-clean-up my number one priority. Poor kid, he looks miserable.

looking on the bright side

I can sort of understand why some people are dog lovers and some are not. I fall into the dog-lover category because I had a dog during my formative years named Sabby that knew me and loved me. Unconditionally. When I was sad she was sad with me and she would nestle her long nose on my thigh and stare with her droopy bassett eyes into mine.

I used to sing a song to her. You may know that classic oldie. "Soldier boy, oh my little soldier boy, I'll be true to you." I sang it like this: "Sabby girl, oh my little Sabby girl, I'll be true to you." Then one day I realized my great neighbors George and Caralee were working in their backyard in clear ear-shot of my vocal display. Embarrassing. From then on I sang much more quietly.

But back to the point. Some people are not dog lovers because dogs do things like chew the garage door cords resulting in time spent splicing and taping. Three times. Or else he is not a dog lover because the dog pees in the grass creating dead spots. Or she digs out his wife's newly planted jalapeno plants causing the wife to burst into tears. But we are not talking about anyone in particular. Just non-dog-lovers.

But it so happens that our dog chewed the wires connecting the air conditioner to our house.

Yesterday it was 95 degrees outside.

Richard has been patient. He has never really tried to get rid of her in spite of these destructive tendencies. Last night as we lie in bed he said

"This is miserable." I was afraid to concede. Afraid of what it would mean for Misha. It was a rough night. I guess we are spoiled with being able to control the temperature.

But this morning since the window was open I awoke to birds chirping outside and that summer smell. The smell that reminds me of swimming lessons and working at the waterpark. Sometimes in our controlled environments we are so disconnected from everything wonderful outside. There was just something so natural about the temperature just being what it was. And at 7am it just so happens to be a nice temperature.

I stayed in bed for several minutes just soaking up the summer-ness. It was nice. The perfect start to my day.

I owe it all to Misha.

field trips

We've taken a couple field trips with Cameron's preschool in the last few months.

The first was to the fire station. I think I learned more than Cameron did. I found it very interesting. They wear 40 lbs of equipment and they can put it on in less than a minute. It's a good thing our tour guide wasn't good looking because I was impressed.

Don't you love Zeb's goggles. I love crazy kid things.

The second field trip was to the MK Nature Center in Boise. The kids were not too captivated by the fish but had a great time running away from their stroller-pushing mothers. A man in the center asked if it was "Mom's day out". I laughed out loud. As if we would choose the nature center for our "day out".

But I must admit it was nice to do the Mom-Chat thing at the park afterwards while the kids played. We discussed our gardens, literature and politics. Okay, not politics. Or literature.

Next time

privacy

Warning: This post is not rated E for Everyone. It is rated M&W for Mothers and Women. Read on at your own discretion. (But don't worry, it isn't rated R either.)

Someone please tell me the age at which it is no longer appropriate for your child to see you naked. When Cameron turned two I arbitrarily decided that was a good age. I began making the necessary efforts.

But I still wasn't comfortable locking the bathroom door while I showered. I worried that if something happened and Cameron needed to come get me he should be able to get in. The problem with that arrangement is that he enters whether or not it is an emergency and I am exposed.

So Richard and I both had some talks with him about privacy. But I don't think he quite caught on.

Cameron enters the bathroom right as I turn off the shower.

Me: Cameron, please leave and close the door.
Cameron: Why?
Me: I would like to have some privacy.
Cameron: Can't I watch you have your privacy?

Well. Today Cameron barged in on me and caught me off-gaurd twice over by pronouncing that I have a big hole in my stomach. I suppose he was referring to the dark cavity where my belly button has been lost in post-partum fat and skin. (Never mind that it has been two years since I last bore a child.) Despite my best efforts I have yet to get a super-model abdomen. But the last thing I want is my four year old pointing it out to me.

Four is definitely too old.

From now on I lock the door. He can bang and scream if he really needs me.

weary

Today I am weary of the tantrums. I can't recall Cameron's "twos" being that terrible. In fact, Eli is currently passing through that allegedly terrible phase of life and while he has his moments this is a generally pleasant time. I enjoy this year of life, it seems that the with the development of language skills we can finally communicate.

But darn those language skills. I am thinking that the "Fearsome Fours" might be a more dreaded childhood stage. Now his language skills have blossomed into repetition of the phrases I use most when speaking to him. Today he said to me-

"Mom. I am not very happy with you."

And of course I am famous for the "If" and "then" sentences. For example-

"If you throw a fit then I am closing your door." (He has yet to master the childproof doorknobs, rendering him a prisoner to his own bedroom.)

So he has adopted the "If" and "then" threats for his own use, which I must admit at times are very comical.

"Mommy, if you don't let me have some minutes to play then we will not watch the Curious George movie." Really?

But today I am weary of my own discipline being used against me. And I am weary of screaming/crying/stomping feet.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think my life is hard. But Richard and I were discussing these discouraging moments the other day and we decided that while it is not good to dwell in them, it is okay to let them settle for a little while before picking yourself up and moving on.

So I am having a little pity moment right now, knowing full well that these tender years will pass all too quickly.

Thank you for indulging me.

weekend in paradise

I love to travel. I especially love to travel to places I've never been. Richard says I have an "adventuresome spirit" but I like to reserve that descriptive phrase for skydivers and members of the peace corps.

This week we went on a little getaway to McCall. May is an awkward time to visit a place like McCall. It's too late in the year for skiing or snowmobiling and still too cold for things like hiking or swimming. The first day was snowy and cold so we spent it in the cabin doing puzzles.

Yep- snow on the back porch. In May.

But the next day I was determined to take a day trip to a place I'd never been.

Destination: Yellow Pine - Famous for its annual Harmonica Festival.

Not far from Yellow Pine is a ghost town from Idaho's mining days that I wanted to visit. I mapped it out and on Friday morning we packed our lunch and hit the road. The problem with visiting places you've never been before, especially places very seldom talked about, is that you are taking a few steps into the dark. A few miles into our trip we hit snow. I pushed Richard onward.

Blurry picture, but you get the idea.

By golly we don't have 4-wheel drive for nothin'!

After a few close calls where the truck literally sank in the snow Richard made a patriarchal decision to turn around. By that point I concurred. Ever heard of Jim and Jennifer Stolpa?

So instead we drove to Donnelly and had a picnic lunch on the property Richard's parents recently acquired.

The first three months of this year were pretty grueling for our little family due to an intense busy season for the accountant. The last couple months we have had the chance to spend some quality time together. This little vay-cay was the icing on the cake for us and we really had a great time.

**As a side note, I have since learned that there is a better way to get to Yellow Pine than the road we ventured on. We'll be taking that road on our next trip to Valley County.

my children's best friends

After many personal experiences I have learned that friendship can be found in many places. But I recently realized that I could have easily learned this lesson from my children.


Cameron is constantly making reference to his best friend Deedee. This friend is of the imaginary sort. The first experience I can recall with Deedee was months ago. I found Cameron hiding under the bedside table in our room. I asked him who he was hiding from and he said "Deedee". Hmmm.

On our recent trip to Spokane we were driving on an overpass over the freeway and Cameron shouted out to me. "Mom! That was Deedee's dad driving that truck!" Hmmm?

Racing is what Cameron and Deedee do most together. Or I should say, plan on doing. The big race with Deedee is always "ta-mah-wer". And any mysterious bruise, scratch or scrape is always a casuality of "baseballing" with Deedee. As with most imaginary friends Deedee's age and circumstances are constantly changing. He is sick, he is at school, he is 4 (the "same big" as Cameron) or he is 10.



I love it. I don't discourage it. I'm not worried. Yet.



Eli's dearest companion is Monkey. Those who know really young children know their imagination, when it comes to naming stuffed animals, is quite limited. Monkey arrived at Christmas as a last minute stocking stuffer from my mother when I told her I had far more things for Cameron's stocking than Eli's. She really saved the day, more than she or I even anticipated.
The original Monkey was mauled by our dog. Eli was devastated. (Although I'm quite sure it was Eli who slipped Monkey into Misha's kennel when I wasn't looking.) Thankfully Monkies were still in stock at Fred Meyer and the delight on Eli's face upon receiving his new Monkey is a moment never to be forgotton.


"Monkey boken" Eli says every once in awhile. Poor Monkey.

Cameronism

Cameron's explanation of how his juice got sprayed across the table.

"It just POPPED out of me. I couldn't believe my eyes."

for family

I'm not sure why I feel like I need to justify posting just pictures. But here it is:

My brother on a mission is allowed to look at family blogs. His computer time is Mondays so I thought I'd post some pictures today from our trip to Spokane for his viewing pleasure. Keep up the good work bro!

the spreadsheet

One of the great things about marriage is the convenient access to your spouse's area of expertise. For example, when Richard has a dental related problem, I am readily available to address his need and offer solutions. My most frequent response is

"Floss more."

Richard is an accountant by trade. And I had to laugh one night as a friend of ours, also an accountant, put together a spreadsheet to keep score of our card game. From what I understand these guys live and breath by spreadsheets.

Richard keeps meticulous financial records. He is the master of the budget. Which brings me to my previous point. I have a need, Richard is right on hand!

This morning he helped me set up a budget spreadsheet. I won't get into the details because I would probably just embarrass myself by showing my prior lack of understanding. But a spreadsheet is capable of a great deal. It evolves, adapts and basically does all the math for you. What is not to love about that?

I'm so glad that having a spouse with talents and interests different than my own allows me to broaden my horizons with minimal effort. It's a really great feature of the institution of marriage.

And, if you have never used a spreadsheet, I encourage you to find the special person in your life who can enlighten you. It is my new favorite computer tool. (And I haven't even scratched the surface of what Excel can do. )