We got back from my family reunion today, and it was wonderful. I will probably need to sleep for 2 days straight, but it's a small price to pay. I've got tons of great pics and memories to share, but that will be for another post. The 2nd day of the reunion we got word that my mother-in-law, Dixie passed away. She was 90 years old, and of course you expect those things to happen, but it was still such a shock. She's been a big part of our lives for the last couple of years. It's just hard to believe she's gone.
Having this happen while we were miles away at the reunion seemed like horrible timing at first (not that there IS a good time for death, of course...), but I think being surrounded by so much family was good for us. Everyone was very supportive. Even Hubby, who was surrounded by non-blood relatives (NBRs--sorry Mom, but I think it should stay) seemed to be buoyed up. We had to pull the kids out of their fun activities to tell them, and it was very emotional. Having cousins to go back to really helped them.
Saying "She's in a better place now" is certainly one of those trite but true statements for Dixie. I know people mean heaven when they say that; in this case, however, it's more than just that. Dixie was pretty much 'lost' for the last 4 years...lost in a world of confusion that robbed her of a lot of joy. How wonderful it must be for her to once again be the spunky, articulate woman she was...to be able to HEAR again, and to see things as they really were and are without that fog of confusion and mistrust that had plagued her recently. It makes me smile to think of her up there, re-connecting with her loved ones, and mixing it up with the locals. It was probably a day to remember for the staff at the pearly gates!
I've often wondered if I'd be heavy with regret when she passed on. I wasn't always so patient with her, and there were times the frustration with her illness overshadowed the love. I'm happy to report that--so far, anyway--I'm just reminded of the good times and grateful to have been a part of them. I'm sad that they've ended, and still in a little shock.
Checking our caller ID today, I saw the call from her care center to give us the news, and then just 2 calls before that, a call from her. That's how it feels when you lose someone you love...they're there, and then suddenly they're just not. It reminds me again of what a blessing it is to know the bigger picture. It doesn't take away the sting, but it certainly pads the void.
Here's to you, Mom!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Yeah, He's Biggish
I was wondering yesterday how many times a week I hear the term 'big dog.' Usually, I hear it in this sentence: "That is a BIG dog!" A lot of times I hear just a snippet of someone's sentence as they pass by, but that snippet always contains 'big' and I know what they are talking about. My favorite is when a car drives by and a big-eyed someone sees him. They're yelling at everyone else in car, and through their open window, it sounds something like this: "look at that big dog! It's huge!!"
I was out working in the front yard this weekend. I'm right there next to the road, and Boozer is resting in the shade. A car is going by, when it suddenly slows way down. I think "Oh look! It's our neighbors! They want to stop and say hi!" and I start waving and walking toward the car. That's when I see an unfamiliar man and woman in it, and they aren't looking at me. They and their dropped jaws are looking at the dog. He's behind a bunch of flowers and tucked back in the shadows, but somehow they saw him. I might as well be a potted plant. Hmph! I guess I should be glad that they're amazed by his incredible size, and not by mine!
We think Boozer is getting close to his final stature, but it's hard to tell. His breed can grow for up to 2 years, and he's only 18 months old. We haven't weighed him lately, but I'd guess he's around 150 lbs. That officially makes him the heaviest in our household. Add that to hairiest, hungriest, smelliest, mellowest. On a good day (when he hasn't chewed up, sneezed on, trampled over or vomitted on something I treasure), I'd have to also give him the cutest. Cute, ya know, in a ginormous drooling sort of way.
Here he is last night, after we all got home. He was so happy to see us, so he was running around like a madman, er dog.
I was out working in the front yard this weekend. I'm right there next to the road, and Boozer is resting in the shade. A car is going by, when it suddenly slows way down. I think "Oh look! It's our neighbors! They want to stop and say hi!" and I start waving and walking toward the car. That's when I see an unfamiliar man and woman in it, and they aren't looking at me. They and their dropped jaws are looking at the dog. He's behind a bunch of flowers and tucked back in the shadows, but somehow they saw him. I might as well be a potted plant. Hmph! I guess I should be glad that they're amazed by his incredible size, and not by mine!
We think Boozer is getting close to his final stature, but it's hard to tell. His breed can grow for up to 2 years, and he's only 18 months old. We haven't weighed him lately, but I'd guess he's around 150 lbs. That officially makes him the heaviest in our household. Add that to hairiest, hungriest, smelliest, mellowest. On a good day (when he hasn't chewed up, sneezed on, trampled over or vomitted on something I treasure), I'd have to also give him the cutest. Cute, ya know, in a ginormous drooling sort of way.
Here he is last night, after we all got home. He was so happy to see us, so he was running around like a madman, er dog.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Bahama Mama Checks In
I have been on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. It’s been 2 weeks since we’ve been home, and yet I have not blogged about it. Here is why: I’m overwhelmed. It’s just too big to encapsulate, YKWIM? So I’ve hoped that by waiting awhile, it’d distill down to a single blog post nugget. Well, it hasn’t. But I’m willing to try finally.
Our whole family went to the Bahamas over spring break. It was awesome. The End.
All sorts of people ask “How was your trip to trip to the Bahamas?” And I say it was awesome. That’s pretty much all you can say unless the person has an hour to kill. One of my friends asked that exact question, and then immediately said “That’s a stupid question. It’s like asking ‘Are cookies yummy?’ We all know the answer. No one says ‘The trip was awful.’” Exactly.
So let’s just review some photos. You have an hour to kill, right??
First, you need to know the setting. Here’s our hotel, Atlantis on Paradise Island. It’s on the island of Nassau, Bahamas (technically New Providence Island, but no one calls it that). Paradise Island is actually an island off of Nassau, connected by a bridge. Pretty much the whole island is taken up by the Atlantis Resort. That baby is H-U-G-E. Here is a pic from our first foray out onto the beach. In it, you can see just one of the six separate hotels that make up the resort.
You’ll also notice nary a cloud in the sky. Beyond perfect weather the whole time: low of 70, high of 84. Yummy.
I lost track of how many swimming pools there were, but this is the one closest to us. It was right off the beach, so we didn’t spend much time there. Why would you when you can be on the BEACH, afterall. But isn’t it pretty?
Attached to this swimming pool was the most gorgeous lazy river I’ve ever seen. I told Hubby--who has been pushing a backyard swimming pool since the beginning of time—that I would agree to that lazy river in our yard. But he’d have to recreate it EXACTLY as it is, including all the birds and tropical flowers.
Near that lazy river is a waterfall we passed every day, but then we passed hundreds of these every day--the whole resort is lush and groomed to the nth degree.
Right by that waterfall is a couple of ponds—one with giant sea turtles, and one with stingrays. At certain times on certain days, a little worker guy (he’s actually normal size, not little) comes out and feeds the aquatic creatures. He gives an awesome presentation about the species, and then he lets the kids actually feed them. Here’s the stingrays. And while I was taking this pic, Shnookie3 was on the other side letting one eat a fish out of her hand. I guess the cameraman can’t be everywhere at once, dangit!
Speaking of stingrays, all of the kids were quite taken with the sight of them. The main part of the resort has a huge underwater observatory where you can see every type of aquatic creature imaginable, and the kids loved it. Their favorite thing was the humongous stingrays, some of which were as big as our dining room. I got a cute pic of a small one, where you can see it’s little face. Isn’t it sweet??
The night life was a lot of fun—once we found it, lol. They had plenty of restaurants right at the resort, some of which didn’t cost a second mortgage. (It was astonishing how much everything cost. Our kids were always trying to order water and salads to save on money!) So we’d go down to this market village part of the resort every night, eat, and soak in the atmosphere. Here the kids are rockin out, Bahamian style.
And here’s a cute family pic in the village. I know my eyes are so small it’s hard to tell if they’re open on a good day, so I’ll just tell you that, yes, they are closed. And I could shoot myself, cuz everyone else looks so good! I’ll have to push my photoshop skills to the limit and see what I can do about that.
They have a giant waterslide park right there at the resort, which is free to all guests, and that was a huge hit! I didn’t get any photos, since I love my camera and do not want it at the bottom of a wild rapids ride. Just trust me that we took full advantage and had a great time. (And only a little bit of sunburn, miracles of miracles.)
After the water park, we found a snorkeling place, so went snorkeling with the two oldest shnookies. Man, do I love snorkeling!! And here’s the two shnookies AFTER the waterpark and snorkeling. I just can’t see this picture without cracking up. I think I see a little drool hanging from Shnook1’s lip. LOL We were all pretty tired that day!
On Easter, we decided to attend the local LDS branch, which turned out to be such a wonderful experience! The people were so friendly--met us at the sidewalk en masse even! The PA system didn’t work, so we hardly heard anything, but we felt a lot. It reminded Hubby and I of our missions and got Shnookie1 a little excited for his. Here we are at the local branch meeting house:
(I cropped this picture, since there was a lot of tree and sky above us; nevertheless, this is the best photo we had taken when a Bahamian was behind the camera. We learned quickly to ask a tourist to take our pictures, because centering is apparently NOT high on the locals’ skill set!)
And finally…the beach. Ahhhhh, there is nothing better. And here’s some of my favorites taken seaside:
We were in the Bahamas for six days, and I think we used our time well. I could’ve probably used one more day just to hang at the beach and pools, but whoever gets enough of paradise, right?? The trip was full of a lot of new experiences, wonder, laughs, adventures, and culture. But this is the best part:
It was full of a lot of the affection and care that makes a family what it is. And that is why we went. And that is what I’ll remember the most.
Our whole family went to the Bahamas over spring break. It was awesome. The End.
All sorts of people ask “How was your trip to trip to the Bahamas?” And I say it was awesome. That’s pretty much all you can say unless the person has an hour to kill. One of my friends asked that exact question, and then immediately said “That’s a stupid question. It’s like asking ‘Are cookies yummy?’ We all know the answer. No one says ‘The trip was awful.’” Exactly.
So let’s just review some photos. You have an hour to kill, right??
First, you need to know the setting. Here’s our hotel, Atlantis on Paradise Island. It’s on the island of Nassau, Bahamas (technically New Providence Island, but no one calls it that). Paradise Island is actually an island off of Nassau, connected by a bridge. Pretty much the whole island is taken up by the Atlantis Resort. That baby is H-U-G-E. Here is a pic from our first foray out onto the beach. In it, you can see just one of the six separate hotels that make up the resort.
You’ll also notice nary a cloud in the sky. Beyond perfect weather the whole time: low of 70, high of 84. Yummy.
I lost track of how many swimming pools there were, but this is the one closest to us. It was right off the beach, so we didn’t spend much time there. Why would you when you can be on the BEACH, afterall. But isn’t it pretty?
Attached to this swimming pool was the most gorgeous lazy river I’ve ever seen. I told Hubby--who has been pushing a backyard swimming pool since the beginning of time—that I would agree to that lazy river in our yard. But he’d have to recreate it EXACTLY as it is, including all the birds and tropical flowers.
Near that lazy river is a waterfall we passed every day, but then we passed hundreds of these every day--the whole resort is lush and groomed to the nth degree.
Right by that waterfall is a couple of ponds—one with giant sea turtles, and one with stingrays. At certain times on certain days, a little worker guy (he’s actually normal size, not little) comes out and feeds the aquatic creatures. He gives an awesome presentation about the species, and then he lets the kids actually feed them. Here’s the stingrays. And while I was taking this pic, Shnookie3 was on the other side letting one eat a fish out of her hand. I guess the cameraman can’t be everywhere at once, dangit!
Speaking of stingrays, all of the kids were quite taken with the sight of them. The main part of the resort has a huge underwater observatory where you can see every type of aquatic creature imaginable, and the kids loved it. Their favorite thing was the humongous stingrays, some of which were as big as our dining room. I got a cute pic of a small one, where you can see it’s little face. Isn’t it sweet??
The night life was a lot of fun—once we found it, lol. They had plenty of restaurants right at the resort, some of which didn’t cost a second mortgage. (It was astonishing how much everything cost. Our kids were always trying to order water and salads to save on money!) So we’d go down to this market village part of the resort every night, eat, and soak in the atmosphere. Here the kids are rockin out, Bahamian style.
And here’s a cute family pic in the village. I know my eyes are so small it’s hard to tell if they’re open on a good day, so I’ll just tell you that, yes, they are closed. And I could shoot myself, cuz everyone else looks so good! I’ll have to push my photoshop skills to the limit and see what I can do about that.
They have a giant waterslide park right there at the resort, which is free to all guests, and that was a huge hit! I didn’t get any photos, since I love my camera and do not want it at the bottom of a wild rapids ride. Just trust me that we took full advantage and had a great time. (And only a little bit of sunburn, miracles of miracles.)
After the water park, we found a snorkeling place, so went snorkeling with the two oldest shnookies. Man, do I love snorkeling!! And here’s the two shnookies AFTER the waterpark and snorkeling. I just can’t see this picture without cracking up. I think I see a little drool hanging from Shnook1’s lip. LOL We were all pretty tired that day!
On Easter, we decided to attend the local LDS branch, which turned out to be such a wonderful experience! The people were so friendly--met us at the sidewalk en masse even! The PA system didn’t work, so we hardly heard anything, but we felt a lot. It reminded Hubby and I of our missions and got Shnookie1 a little excited for his. Here we are at the local branch meeting house:
(I cropped this picture, since there was a lot of tree and sky above us; nevertheless, this is the best photo we had taken when a Bahamian was behind the camera. We learned quickly to ask a tourist to take our pictures, because centering is apparently NOT high on the locals’ skill set!)
And finally…the beach. Ahhhhh, there is nothing better. And here’s some of my favorites taken seaside:
We were in the Bahamas for six days, and I think we used our time well. I could’ve probably used one more day just to hang at the beach and pools, but whoever gets enough of paradise, right?? The trip was full of a lot of new experiences, wonder, laughs, adventures, and culture. But this is the best part:
It was full of a lot of the affection and care that makes a family what it is. And that is why we went. And that is what I’ll remember the most.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Hopefully he'll be an heir to the tennis shoe fortune
Last night, Shnookie4 shared some more of her future plans with Hubby. It turns out, she already knows her future husbands name. It shall be .... Zeke Puma.
Bear in mind, we do not know any Pumas, nor any Zekes for that matter. I do not know where she came up with this mystery man. What I do know is that it's a good thing for me, in that she will not get married until she's 40. It will take her at least that long to find a man with that exact random name. A wise parent would probably advise her to aim for something more common...maybe a Michael Smith...but who am I to tamper with the inspiration given to a 9 year old girl?
And we have more information on the Puma's future home. It will be filled with five little Pumas, all with their own rooms, the decor of each having already been determined. As for Mr. Puma, his room will be a baseball room. Mrs. Puma? A jungle room. Hubby's response: "But won't you two share a room?"
Shnookie: "No, we will have separate rooms."
Hubby: "But won't Zeke be sad not too share a room with you?"
Shnookie: "TOO BAD."
Bear in mind, we do not know any Pumas, nor any Zekes for that matter. I do not know where she came up with this mystery man. What I do know is that it's a good thing for me, in that she will not get married until she's 40. It will take her at least that long to find a man with that exact random name. A wise parent would probably advise her to aim for something more common...maybe a Michael Smith...but who am I to tamper with the inspiration given to a 9 year old girl?
And we have more information on the Puma's future home. It will be filled with five little Pumas, all with their own rooms, the decor of each having already been determined. As for Mr. Puma, his room will be a baseball room. Mrs. Puma? A jungle room. Hubby's response: "But won't you two share a room?"
Shnookie: "No, we will have separate rooms."
Hubby: "But won't Zeke be sad not too share a room with you?"
Shnookie: "TOO BAD."
Monday, March 30, 2009
Our Little Planner
Shnookie4 has reached that ripe old age of nine, where you start to look ahead and plan in minute detail the next 72 years of your life. Isn't your nine-year-old doing that? (Heck, I have a 17-yr-old who struggles to plan the next 72 MINUTES of his life.)
The other night, Hubby was tucking Shnookie4 into bed, and she says:
"I've been making some plans. When I grow up I want a nice house. Nothing too big, but just kinda big. (Describes every detail of the backyard)I want to decorate the house so that it's colorful but not too flashy. Like I want a room in two main colors, with just a hint of a third color."
Do you thing HGTV is on too much in our house?
Then a few days ago, after school, she tells me:
"Mom, I've decided that when I grow up, I want to be a genius in college."
I'm so glad she's pacing herself. There's just no use wasting genius on public school. She's gonna save it for the big leagues.
The other night, Hubby was tucking Shnookie4 into bed, and she says:
"I've been making some plans. When I grow up I want a nice house. Nothing too big, but just kinda big. (Describes every detail of the backyard)I want to decorate the house so that it's colorful but not too flashy. Like I want a room in two main colors, with just a hint of a third color."
Do you thing HGTV is on too much in our house?
Then a few days ago, after school, she tells me:
"Mom, I've decided that when I grow up, I want to be a genius in college."
I'm so glad she's pacing herself. There's just no use wasting genius on public school. She's gonna save it for the big leagues.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Once again, Target changes my life
So I got one of my wild hairs the other day. I was actually at the doctor with my mother-in-law, Dixie, and I was reading about organization in a magazine. It suggested keeping a folder with you of little things you need to do--thank you notes, bills, etc--so that if you're waiting somewhere (oh say, at a doctor's office), you can get those little things done. The lightbulb went on, which in turn triggered a wild hair, and I was at Target that very afternoon looking for that very thing. What I found was PERFECTION, and I don't just throw that word around lightly. Perfection for me entails the following formula:
something even better than I'd envisioned in my wildest dreams
+
the possibility of embellishing
+
off the clearance rack.
She shoots, she scores!!
These beauties were all of the above, cardboard and canvas portable file purse-like thingys. (Yes, that's what the label said. Prove me wrong.) I was prepared to use them straight off the shelf, but those cardboard sides screamed at me "paper me, embellish me, make me all that I can be!" (These are obviously file thingys with some military tendencies.)
So, I did.
I made one for my neighbor for her b-day, and one for me, and one more because I just couldn't stop myself. And now a picture:
I am going to fill mine with not only the things they suggested, but also those random magazines/catalogs that are just too cool to throw away before looking through, and the school newsletters I need to read, and all of the other stuff I never seem to get to. (maybe the dishes??) Then when I'm waiting in the car for a kid to get out of practice, I can whip something out, do it, and feel triumphant.
That mom driving down the street in her minivan with a smug smile on her face? That will be me.
something even better than I'd envisioned in my wildest dreams
+
the possibility of embellishing
+
off the clearance rack.
She shoots, she scores!!
These beauties were all of the above, cardboard and canvas portable file purse-like thingys. (Yes, that's what the label said. Prove me wrong.) I was prepared to use them straight off the shelf, but those cardboard sides screamed at me "paper me, embellish me, make me all that I can be!" (These are obviously file thingys with some military tendencies.)
So, I did.
I made one for my neighbor for her b-day, and one for me, and one more because I just couldn't stop myself. And now a picture:
I am going to fill mine with not only the things they suggested, but also those random magazines/catalogs that are just too cool to throw away before looking through, and the school newsletters I need to read, and all of the other stuff I never seem to get to. (maybe the dishes??) Then when I'm waiting in the car for a kid to get out of practice, I can whip something out, do it, and feel triumphant.
That mom driving down the street in her minivan with a smug smile on her face? That will be me.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
867-530ni-i-ine.....plus 1 80wu-uh-uh-n
It has happened to Utah. We now have to dial 1+our area code to call our next door neighbors. It’s such a pain! Seriously, now it’s more efficient to just run next door rather than dial ALL ELEVEN DIGITS. And it’s even worse for me, because I just cannot adapt. So I end up dialing EIGHTEEN digits by the time I dial the old way, get the ‘wee-WEE-wee I’m sorry…” lady, and re-dial the new way. It’s been like ten days since they made the change, and I’m still doing it wrong 90% of the time! Do you realize how many precious minutes of my life have been wasted by this conspiracy?
Let me just admit right here that numbers are not my friends. I can remember the name of every dog in a 6-block radius, but do not expect me to retain anything number-oriented in my brain. Thus, it takes me FOR.EV.ER to learn a new phone number. I’ve had the same cell phone for 3 years, and I still have to ask my kids for the number. If someone tells me a phone number and I have to dial it 2 seconds later, I will get every digit wrong. Hubby changed his work number five months ago, and I never call him, because I CAN’T REMEMBER THE NUMBER. (Hmm…this sheds some light on WHY he changed the number…)
OK, so I believe I have established that I am number challenged. Add this area code debacle into the mix, and I’m practically paralyzed. You know how you spend 5 minutes looking up a number and then close the phone book while it’s dialing? Yup. I get the ‘I’m sorry…’ lady every time and have to start all over. I’m a mess. My kids are going hungry, I don’t have time to shower, and I’ve lost all of my money to the swearing jar.
AND IT’S NOT JUST ME!! My own mother didn’t call me for a week, because she’d had me on speed dial and couldn’t find my number! (Which is why, BTW, I never put anyone on speed dial—if I do, I’ll never be forced to remember their number and I’ll be unable to contact them in an emergency. As I’ve plainly demonstrated, this is just such an emergency.) Our friends live in a gated community, and no one could get in or out for a couple days until they re-programmed the gate for their new phone numbers. SEE?? These things have global repercussions! It’s no coincidence that the economy started tanking at the exact same moment the state of Utah hatched this inane plan.
If you’d like to discuss this matter at length, give me a call. I’d call you but, well………duh!
Let me just admit right here that numbers are not my friends. I can remember the name of every dog in a 6-block radius, but do not expect me to retain anything number-oriented in my brain. Thus, it takes me FOR.EV.ER to learn a new phone number. I’ve had the same cell phone for 3 years, and I still have to ask my kids for the number. If someone tells me a phone number and I have to dial it 2 seconds later, I will get every digit wrong. Hubby changed his work number five months ago, and I never call him, because I CAN’T REMEMBER THE NUMBER. (Hmm…this sheds some light on WHY he changed the number…)
OK, so I believe I have established that I am number challenged. Add this area code debacle into the mix, and I’m practically paralyzed. You know how you spend 5 minutes looking up a number and then close the phone book while it’s dialing? Yup. I get the ‘I’m sorry…’ lady every time and have to start all over. I’m a mess. My kids are going hungry, I don’t have time to shower, and I’ve lost all of my money to the swearing jar.
AND IT’S NOT JUST ME!! My own mother didn’t call me for a week, because she’d had me on speed dial and couldn’t find my number! (Which is why, BTW, I never put anyone on speed dial—if I do, I’ll never be forced to remember their number and I’ll be unable to contact them in an emergency. As I’ve plainly demonstrated, this is just such an emergency.) Our friends live in a gated community, and no one could get in or out for a couple days until they re-programmed the gate for their new phone numbers. SEE?? These things have global repercussions! It’s no coincidence that the economy started tanking at the exact same moment the state of Utah hatched this inane plan.
If you’d like to discuss this matter at length, give me a call. I’d call you but, well………duh!
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